A multitude of circular presentations

Attendees at this year’s Australasian Waste and Recycling Expo online event will be able to explore a range of unique approaches to resource recovery, including innovations in the e-waste and waste-to-energy sectors.

In 2018, the Australia and New Zealand Recycling Platform (ANZRP) announced plans to build the world’s first commercial e-waste plastic micro factory after receiving a $250,000 grant from Sustainability Victoria.

In partnership with UNSW SMaRT Centre and e-recycler TES, the micro factory will process up to 500,000 kilograms of waste plastic per year. This will be recovered from e-waste recycling and reformed into 3D printer filament for retail sale.

Worldwide demand for plastic 3D printer filament is estimated to triple during the next four years, reaching a value of more than USD$1,965.30 million by 2023.

Warren Overton, CEO of ANZRP, says the e-waste plastic micro-factory is a truly circular economy approach that ensures materials are kept in productive use.

“As the volume of e-waste continues to increase, technologically advanced approaches such as micro factories will play a key role mitigating the impact of old televisions and computers,” he says.

According to Overton, e-waste recycling logistics are significant in terms of cost, making the process often prohibitive for regional and remote communities.

“Rather than bringing the waste to Melbourne, we’re bring the factory to the waste,” he says.

“The micro factory has the potential to scale and accommodate the 6000-tonne plastic feedstock that is currently produced each year from the e-waste recycled through the TechCollect program.

“We have taken the first step with a scalable solution that has guaranteed feedstock, strong environmental benefits, as well as economic benefits through the creation of employment opportunities in regional and remote parts of Australia.”

Overton will discuss this and more at his upcoming Australasian Waste and Recycling Expo (AWRE) presentation at the online event in November.

Marc Stammbach of Hitachi Zosen Inova Australia will also be presenting at the online event. When asked why he chose to get involved in the speaker program, Marc highlights that waste management is moving from a linear economy to a circular one.

“We talk a lot about circular concepts and small-scale initiatives. Ultimately, it will require solutions which will deliver at an industrial scale to have an impact,” he says.

“My mission is to help stakeholders understand what is possible and proven. Hence, I see the AWRE seminars as an excellent opportunity to meet and address the stakeholders of the industry.”

Marc’s presentation will focus on why and how waste-to-energy complements recycling and composting.

“Together, these solutions maximise diversion of wastes from landfills. Several European countries have achieved 99.9 per cent landfill diversion,” he says.

“The role of WtE is to complement material recycling with turning the non-recyclable and non-compostable streams into energy, clean flue gas, aggregate, metals, and small non-degradable residue still going to landfill.”

Furthermore, Marc will discuss the realistic potential of the circular economy against the background of today’s realities in Australia.

“We shall finish with suggestions for the required regulatory framework and required actions to move forward into sustainable resource recovery and waste management future.”

The online event will provide the waste and recycling industry with a new way to interact and communicate through thought leadership webinars, keynote sessions, breakouts and product launches. It will be more than just an online event – it will be an online interactive experience providing attendees with an engaging experience that is easy to navigate.

“A natural extension to our existing face to face event, AWRE 2020 reimagined as an online event enables companies to continue to interact with our engaged buying audiences, sharing expertise, showcasing brand credentials and building relationships with customers, even in these unprecedented times,” says Bill Hare, AWRE Commercial Director.

“We look forward to the AWRE Online Event providing a forum from which the waste, recycling and resource recovery sector can re-establish ties with each other and continue to drive change.”

Brands looking to reemerge their brand back into the market are invited to get in touch with the team to discuss options that match their business objectives.

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