Sydney Opera House lights to be recycled
23 August, 2012The Sydney Opera House Trust has been recognised by the Australian Government for committing to recycle fluorescent lights from its iconic building.
World first in recycled building material
21 August, 2012A University of Canterbury academic has produced a world first recycled plastic and sawdust composite building material.
Tabcorp Park races into recycling
16 August, 2012Tabcorp Park has installed new waste and recycling bins just in time for the famous ‘Blue Chip Farms Breeders Crown’, where more than $1.5 million in prize money will be on offer on ‘Super Sunday’ 19 August 2012.
Seeing waste as a resource
10 August, 2012A study by the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) has demonstrated that the re-use of disused resources has the potential to create a new industry sector providing jobs for Australia’s most disadvantaged jobseekers. Australia’s Community Recycling Enterprises (CREs) divert 152,000 tonnes of waste each year, employ 1500 people and contribute over $56 million to the regional economy.
Responsible recycling with reverse vending machines
03 August, 2012In an effort to increase reycling efforts away from the home, Verde Australia explains why reverse vending machines (RVMs) are a sophisticated and effective method of collecting our country’s containers.
Australian Government and telcos encourage mobile phone recycling
25 July, 2012Australia’s telecommunications manufacturers and carriers together with Senator Don Farrell, Parliamentary Secretary for Sustainability and Urban Water, have launched the industry’s online video encouraging mobile phone recycling.
A penny for your thoughts - and your containers
23 July, 2012 by Lauren DavisIn August, the Council of Australian Governments will consider the proposed national container deposit scheme (CDS). The scheme, which would involve consumers paying a 10-cent deposit on beverage containers and claiming it back at recycling depots, has attracted a large amount of support from environmental groups - and opposition from the beverages industry. As the national CDS gains further public and political interest, Sustainability Matters takes a look at both sides of the argument so far.
Sustainable products key to refurbishment project
17 July, 2012ResourceCo’s recycled cement has been a key component in the refurbishment of the Civil Contractor’s Federation (CCF) head office and training facility redevelopment. The CCF SA’s Centre of Excellence is being showcased as a ‘model’ for best practice environmental and sustainable construction initiatives.
‘Green steel’ from old rubber tyres produces no waste or toxic fumes
26 June, 2012The seemingly impossible dream of producing steel with the help of recycled materials such as old rubber tyres and plastics is now a reality thanks to close researcher-industry collaboration.
Feathers one day, fibre the next
25 June, 2012Every year, New Zealand produces about 50,000 tonnes of chicken feathers. In the past the only options for these feathers were to process them into low-grade animal feed, incinerate them or store them in landfills. But the feathers are now being sought as extra support for biodegradable plastics. An example of this concept was announced in March 2011, when American scientists including Dr Yiqi Yang demonstrated that they could make chicken-feather-based thermoplastics which remained stable in water. A little over a year later, at the University of Waikato, a similar incident is occurring.
Carbon calculator helps to boost timber pallet recycling and jobs
25 June, 2012On 21 June, Stephen Mitchell, Sustainability Program Manager with the Timber Development Association of NSW, launched the online end-of-life wood pallets and packaging diversion calculator at Direct Pallets and Recycling, a new recycling centre at Ingleburn in Sydney’s south-west.
Westfield almost trebles recycling rate
19 June, 2012Following the successful installation of new recycling bins at Westfield Shopping Centres nationally, the recycling of bottles and cans has almost trebled from 542 to 1492 tonnes a year, equivalent to more than 62 million small plastic PET containers.
Brother joins ANZRP to provide a free national e-waste recycling service
19 June, 2012Brother International Australia, a provider of home and business IT peripherals, has joined the Australia and New Zealand Recycling Platform (ANZRP), to provide a free e-waste recycling service for Australian consumers.
Regional Western Australia introduces state’s first mobile glass crusher
14 June, 2012RoeROC (Roe Regional Organisation of Councils) has celebrated the launch of the first mobile glass crusher in Western Australia. The Komplet MT5000 mobile glass crusher will increase glass recycling rates in the region by processing glass bottles and jars collected from households and businesses in Corrigin, Kulin, Kondinin and Narembeen Councils. The recovered glass will then be used locally in civil construction applications, diverting around 800 tonnes of glass from landfill annually.
Report on role of local government in waste and recycling released
08 June, 2012The Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities has released the report ‘Role and performance of local government - waste and recycling related data and information’.
