Councils reduce carbon footprint

Residents across the Macarthur and Southern Highlands regions in NSW will collectively take a step to reduce their carbon footprint, when WSN Environmental Solutions’ leading-edge waste processing plant at Macarthur Resource Recovery Park starts commissioning in July.

Household rubbish collected from residents of Campbelltown, Camden, Wollondilly and Wingecarribee Shire councils will be processed in the Ecolibrium Mixed Waste Facility, which is designed to avoid 33,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions per year at full capacity, when compared with a bioreactor landfill.

Recycling rates across the region will jump from around 50 to 85%.

“This greenhouse gas saving is equivalent to taking over 8000 cars of the road for a year,” said WSN Environmental Solutions CEO Ken Kanofski.

“In a city like Sydney, where car dependency is high, this is a tangible result. By using this technology, these local councils are being proactive and preparing for a carbon-constrained future.”

The greenhouse gas savings will be achieved by avoiding landfill gas emissions, capturing 100% of greenhouse gas generated by decomposing household waste and through recovery of embodied energy from recyclables.

The recovered recyclables, including plastic, metal and glass, will also help reduce the manufacturing sector’s reliance on raw materials.

The $50 million Ecolibrium will start commissioning in July 2008. The plant will go through a nine-month commissioning period and is expected to be fully operational in March 2009.