During National Recycling Week this year, Pact Group has won an award for its PET plastic recycling facility that recycles the equivalent of around 1 billion 600 mL PET plastic beverage bottles each year into food-grade resin.

The Australian Institute of Project Management’s Sustainable Project Management Achievement Award for NSW was awarded to Pact for its $50 million Circular Plastics Australia (CPA) PET plastic recycling facility in Albury.

The CPA facility commenced operation in February 2022 and is a joint venture between Pact, Cleanaway Waste Management, Asahi Beverages and Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP).

Cleanaway collects, sorts and delivers PET plastic waste from kerbside collection bins and container deposit schemes to the Pact-operated facility for recycling. The recycled resin is then used by Asahi and Coca-Cola to manufacture new beverage bottles, and by Pact to make new beverage bottles and food packaging.

Pact Group CEO Sanjay Dayal said it was a great honour for the Pact team to be recognised for its commitment to driving the circular economy in Australia.

“Brand owners and consumers alike are demanding packaging that is made from recycled material and is recyclable. We have collaborated with industry partners to create Australia’s largest state-of-the-art PET recycling facility to respond to those needs,” Dayal said.

“The world-class CPA PET recycling facility in Albury ensures we are taking responsibility for our plastic waste, reducing the need to import virgin plastic resin and minimising harm to the environment for future generations.”

Pact’s Circular Plastics Australia (CPA) PET plastic recycling facility in Albury. Image: Supplied

The CPA joint venture is building a second PET recycling facility with similar capacity in Melbourne which is due to commence operations in the first half of 2023.

Top image caption: Pact recycling facility, Albury. Image: Supplied

source http://sustainabilitymatters.net.au/content/waste/news/pact-s-billion-bottle-recycling-project-wins-award-in-national-recycling-week-1668033508

Mettler Toledo’s Easy VIS analyses liquid, translucent samples for their optical spectrum, colour and water parameters. The compact instrument is designed to take over the measuring tasks of a colorimeter, a spectrophotometer and water testing methods such as titration.

A typical place for product is the QC lab at small manufacturers in the food and beverage industry, environmental testing labs or any industry needing quality control and supervising their process or wastewaters.

It may be used during multiple steps of the production process, including the inspection of raw materials, quality control of semi-finished and finished products and testing the water quality of wastewater.

It contains a visual user interface with workflow guidance and operates within a wavelength range of 330 to 1000 nm. Its light source is a tungsten lamp that can be easily replaced when needed.

The instrument comes with 25 pre-installed standard-compliant colour scales such as ICUMSA for sugar colour, ESBC for beer quality analysis and OIL CIELab for wine colour determination. For spectrophotometry, the sample is analysed at the wavelengths where the sample has its absorption of light. It measures the transmitted or absorbed light and reveals the sample’s concentration or purity.

In the testing procedure, one cuvette holds the blank measurement and another is prepared with the sample. After the analysis method is chosen, the cuvette is placed in the cuvette holder and the PathDetect function recognises which path length is measured. The measurement begins when the lid is closed and results show up on the screen. The EasyDirect software allows for results to be saved automatically or exported to an external storage device or data management system.

source http://sustainabilitymatters.net.au/content/water/product/mettler-toledo-easy-vis-analytical-instrument-954068370

REDcycle has announced that its nationwide soft plastics collection program will be on a temporary pause from 9 November 2022 but said it hopes to restart it as soon as possible.

The pause on the soft plastics collection through bins at Coles and Woolworths comes after allegations that the company has been stockpiling waste in warehouses for months without it being recycled.

From at least June this year, it was reported that the recycling program was experiencing issues, after a fire at the processing facility of REDcycle’s largest recycling partner Close the Loop, which converts soft plastics into asphalt additives for road base.

The collapse of the REDcycle soft plastics recycling scheme has revealed deeper problems that must be fixed if the community is to have confidence in plastics recycling, the Boomerang Alliance of 55 NGOs said.

“REDcycle has been the flagship of industry and government claims they are taking action on soft plastics recycling, but it has only ever been a small operation compared to the 336,000 tonnes of soft plastics used and dumped every year. The fundamental problem is the lack of a market to support an ongoing effort and this can only be fixed by mandatory recycled content rules, which to date have been opposed by industry and government,” said Jeff Angel, Director of the Alliance.

“All producers need to be part of a mandatory product stewardship scheme that requires investment in comprehensive collection systems and use of the material in new products. This can be achieved under federal law; or a state like NSW which has some good legislation. Reliance on the voluntary, small-scale approach was always going to fail. Producers also need to find alternatives to plastic, so the pollution problem is lessened.”

Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS) plastics spokesperson Shane Cucow described the news as a shocking blow for turtles and whales.

“Soft plastics are one of the most lethal plastics for ocean wildlife, wrapping around other items in their stomachs and causing life-threatening blockages,” he said.

“Chip packets, plastic wrappings and other soft plastics are the most common types of plastics found in ocean clean-up surveys.

“People have been trying to do the right thing by returning their soft plastics for recycling, but even before REDcycle’s suspension we were only managing to recycle 4% of soft plastics in Australia.”

Cucow said the only real solution is for governments to mandate plastic reduction targets for big companies.

“It’s time to hold the big food and beverage companies accountable for the vast amount of plastic pollution they are producing, filling up our landfill and our environment with unrecyclable soft plastics,” Cucow said.

In a social media post REDcycle said: “We want to thank the passionate Australian REDcycle community who over the last 10 years has helped us to keep 5.4 billion pieces of soft plastic entering landfill and our natural environments. REDcycle and its partners are committed to having the program back up and running as soon as possible.”

Image credit: iStock.com/Umkehrer

source http://sustainabilitymatters.net.au/content/waste/news/redcycle-collection-program-on-pause-458756755

Energy Networks Australia (ENA) has welcomed the Australian Energy Market Commission’s (AEMC) recommendation to accelerate the rollout of smart energy meters to support the transition to net zero.

A 100% uptake of smart meters by 2030 is one of the recommendations put forward by AEMC in its draft report Review of the regulatory framework for metering services.

“The electricity market needs a critical mass of smart meters across households and businesses before we can introduce other significant advances necessary to reach net zero,” said AEMC Chair Anna Collyer.

Key recommendations in the draft report include potential changes to the energy rules to support a more coordinated program of meter replacements in addition to ensuring appropriate safeguards for privacy.

ENA CEO Andrew Dillon said the current smart meter rules had not delivered for customers and a new approach was needed.

“Smart meters are a key enabler of a smart grid. We can’t run a 21st-century grid with 19th-century meter technology,” he said.

“Customers with smart meters can take advantage of flexible pricing to tailor their use to when power is cheaper and save on their power bills.

“They also help networks identify, locate and fix faults and outages faster and make connection processes far simpler, which delivers better customer service.”

Dillon said the entire economy was adopting better technologies to aid in the transition to net zero and energy networks were an essential platform to deliver a decarbonised future.

The draft report from AEMC is now open to submissions with a final report expected early to mid-next year. 

Image credit: iStock.com/kenneth-cheung

source http://sustainabilitymatters.net.au/content/energy/news/smart-meter-rollout-recommended-784482042

A Washington State University research team has developed a new method to treat sewage which can convert leftover sludge into biogas. The method could help wastewater treatment plants reduce waste while also generating electricity.

The research team tested a pretreatment technology using oxygen-containing, high-pressure steam that acts as a catalyst to break down sewage sludge. They found that they were able to convert more than 85% of the organic material to biogas, which can be used to produce electricity or upgraded to renewable natural gas (RNG) for the natural gas grid or for local use.

Adding the pretreatment step improved the anaerobic conversion of sewage sludge at the wastewater treatment facility from the current less-than-50% conversion rate, and they produced 98% more methane overall compared to current practice. 

“It was shown to be extremely efficient, and that’s very exciting,” said Birgitte Ahring, professor in the Gene and Linda Voiland School of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering, who led the work. “This can be applicable and something we could begin to explore in Washington state. Not wasting waste but using its potential instead has major advantages.”

The WSU researchers have been studying this pretreatment process for several years, using it to break down straw and woody materials. They weren’t sure the process would work with the different composition of sewage sludge, such as lipids and proteins, but were positively surprised.

“This is not a very high-tech solution,” Ahring said. “It’s actually a solution that can be useful even at small scale. The efficiency has to be high or else you cannot warrant adding the extra costs to the process.”

The technology could be particularly helpful for smaller communities, many of which are motivated to reduce waste and their climate impact, she added.

The researchers are now scaling up the work in their pilot facility located at WSU Tri-cities to further demonstrate the process. They are also studying how to efficiently convert the biogas to more valuable renewable natural gas by a new bioprocess. While the biogas can be used to produce electricity, producing renewable natural gas could allow rural communities to produce local transportation fuel for fuelling their municipal vehicles.

The findings were reported in the journal Waste Management.

Image credit: iStock.com/Bilanol

source http://sustainabilitymatters.net.au/content/waste/case-study/novel-waste-treatment-could-fuel-rural-communities-64029616

While purifying municipal wastewater as a potable water supply is considered a sustainable alternative to expand water supplies in drought-prone regions, lingering concerns about health risks have hindered implementation. Now a new Stanford University study, published in Nature Sustainability, indicates that the toxicity of potable reuse waters is equal or lower than conventional drinking waters.

The research team, led by Professor William Mitch, directly compared potable reuse waters and conventional drinking waters serving the same areas using mammalian cell cytotoxicity assays. The cytotoxicity of potable reuse waters treated using reverse osmosis membranes was much lower than that of conventional drinking waters.

The research found that despite its sewage origin, the extensive treatment applied to purify potable reuse waters can produce a safe, energy-efficient and cost-effective alternative water supply.

The findings indicate that a new regulatory approach may be needed to better protect public health.

Image credit: iStock.com/petesphotography

source http://sustainabilitymatters.net.au/content/water/news/purified-wastewater-vs-conventional-drinking-water-1540984248

UNSW Sydney Scientia Professor Martin Green has been awarded the 2022 Millennium Technology Prize for his leadership in the development of the Passivated Emitter and Rear Cell (PERC) — which is claimed to be the world’s most commercially viable and efficient silicon solar cell technology.

Presented by Technology Academy Finland, the biennial prize highlights the impact of science and innovation on society and is worth €1 million (approx. AU$1.54m). Prize patron and President of Finland Sauli Niinistö conferred the prize upon Green at a ceremony in Helsinki.

Green said he was honoured to receive the prestigious prize. “The Millennium Prize not only recognises my contribution to photovoltaics, but also the achievements of my students and research colleagues at UNSW, as well as those of the broader photovoltaic research and commercial community.

“I believe the prize will increase my credibility as a spokesperson for what needs to be done to address climate change. We need to switch from fossil fuels to renewable energy to sustain the trajectory of human civilisation on our shared planet. The pace of change is accelerating and the world will shift to solar and wind energy over the coming decade. I believe a huge transformation of historic significance is underway.”

The 2022 Prize drew 40 nominations from the fields of life sciences, energy and the environment, ICT and smart systems, and new materials, processes and manufacturing. A record number of women were nominated this year. It is regarded as one of the world’s top academic awards rated by the IREG List of International Academic Awards and has a reputation score of 0.5 compared to a Nobel Prize.

Green is often described as “the father of modern photovoltaics” and was recently referred to by Australia’s federal Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Chris Bowen, as a “national treasure”.

He led the teams at UNSW that developed the PERC technology, improving the quality of both the top and the rear surface of standard silicon solar cells. When sunlight — in the form of particles called photons — enters a cell, it excites the electrons within the silicon. In this excited state, electrons can move through the cell, creating electric current. The improved surface of the PERC cell allows the electrons to maintain this excited state — or move freely — for longer, resulting in greater and more efficient energy generation. The PERC cell technology has helped increase the conversion efficiency of standard solar cells by over 50% in relative terms from 16.5% in the early 1980s to 25% in the early 2000s.

Image credit: Anna Kucera

As a result of Green’s innovations and advances in PV technology, solar energy is considered instrumental in the global transition to renewable energy and decarbonisation. Last year, PERC cells accounted for over 91% of the worldwide production of silicon solar modules.

Green and his team are now working on combined cell technologies to reach 40% solar cell efficiency by exploring options such as stacking cells on top of each other.

“Solar cells are increasingly being used to replace large power stations that use fossil fuels. In 2021, 20 countries or regions including Australia, Chile, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Vietnam and California generated between 8% to 25% of their total electricity supply from solar energy, with this number growing quickly,” Green said.

“The rapid cost reductions in solar energy that my work has facilitated have come just in time, right at the point when the importance of acting immediately to address climate change has become overwhelmingly obvious.”

Image credit: Anna Kucera

source http://sustainabilitymatters.net.au/content/energy/article/unsw-sydney-solar-pioneer-wins-prestigious-prize-657991644

An education campaign was launched on 27 October 2022 to help raise awareness among small businesses about the benefits of adopting the Australasian Recycling Label (ARL) and taking action to improve the sustainability of their packaging.

The initiative will be delivered by the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO), the National Retail Association (NRA), the Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP) and the Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC), and it aims to educate 20,000 small businesses about the benefits of using the ARL on-pack.

The ARL is an on-pack label that provides easy-to-understand instructions to consumers about how to correctly dispose of all parts of a product’s packaging. Providing consumers with accessible on-pack recycling information can make it easier for households to recycle, increasing resource recovery and reducing waste stream contamination. The education campaign is the first part of a series of initiatives under the SME ARL Program to support small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) adopt the ARL on their packaging.

ARL explainer.

Through the campaign, SMEs will receive access to a range of free educational tools, resources and events designed to cut through confusion and empower them to take action to improve the sustainability of their packaging. Topics explored in the campaign include sustainable packaging options, the benefits of using the ARL for businesses, consumers and the environment, and important steps organisations can take to reach the 2025 National Packaging Targets.

A series of free online training topics will also be available, developed by the AIP. The training modules, along with a range of other action guides, fact sheets and toolkits will be housed on a new dedicated educational website — called the ARL Marketplace. Over the next two years, the SME ARL Program will deliver streamlined processes and tools to make it easier for SMEs to assess the recyclability of their packaging and apply the ARL.

Chris Foley, CEO, APCO (campaign lead organisation), commented: “We understand that sustainability is an important issue for small businesses, but with so many competing priorities, getting started can be difficult. Through this campaign we are excited to provide the tools and resources Australia’s small businesses need to start improving the sustainability of their packaging today.

“These organisations play an important role in the Australian business community. By helping them get the ARL on-pack and start working towards the 2025 National Packaging Targets, this campaign can provide a powerful step forward in Australia’s collective journey towards a more sustainable and circular packaging future.”

The project received grant funding from the Australian Government to support SMEs to improve the sustainability of their packaging and to adopt the ARL on their packaging.

To find out more, visit www.arlmarketplace.org.au.

source http://sustainabilitymatters.net.au/content/waste/news/initiative-to-help-smes-switch-to-sustainable-packaging-388830918

The Clean Energy Council has announced the 10 recipients of the 2022 Chloe Munro Scholarship for Transformational Leadership.

The scholarship program is named after Chloe Munro AO, who was a leader and pioneer of the clean energy industry. Throughout her lifetime, she played an integral role in accelerating Australia’s transition to renewable energy and served as an inspiration to many — especially women working in the sector.

Now in its second year, the scholarship attracted another influx of talented candidates with the panel finding it difficult to narrow it down to 10 recipients.

The 10 successful recipients will receive a fully funded scholarship to undertake one of two courses offered by Women & Leadership Australia: Executive Ready and Leading Edge.

Three of the recipients were offered the Executive Ready course, a seven-month development program for middle to senior leaders. They were:

1. Marnie Shaw, Senior Research Fellow, The Australian National University
2. Kim van Hattum, Manager East Coast, Fortescue Future Industries
3. Maheshini Weerackoon, Acting Director Technical Services, LUMEA

Seven of the recipients were offered the Leading Edge course, a four-month development program for early-career leaders and managers. They were:

1. Briar Blount, Legal Counsel, Iberdrola Australia
2. Taegan Calnan, Senior Carbon Coordinator, Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation
3. Mio Dart, Head Of Technical Partnerships, Allume Energy
4. Tegan Doblinger, Quality Manager, CWP Renewables
5. Brittany Pistevos, Infrastructure Investment Analysis, AusNet Services
6. Leah Powell, Area Coordinator, Hydro Tasmania
7. Kyungjin Yu, Project Development Manager, Trina Solar

Allume Energy’s Mio Dart, who will now undertake a Leading Edge course, said that while the further study will be “instrumental” to her own professional growth, there will be other benefits.

“It’s also an opportunity for me to filter any learnings through to those I mentor now and in the future, especially those who will play a key role supporting female leadership and balancing gender inequality.”

Image credit: iStock.com/Daniel Balakov

source http://sustainabilitymatters.net.au/content/energy/news/leadership-scholarships-for-women-in-clean-energy-1497912534

Distributed power management and electric vehicle (EV) charging are clearly emerging markets where Australia has an opportunity to lead. Innovation in this space requires companies that can develop scalable solutions and be able to navigate the complicated regulatory framework for the Australian network and energy markets.

Explore this case study about the development of an enclosure for an EV charger buffer battery energy storage system. Learn how small companies can successfully work together to achieve excellent end-to-end solutions.

source http://sustainabilitymatters.net.au/content/energy/white-paper/advanced-enclosure-for-an-ev-charger-buffer-battery-energy-storage-system-665074085