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Council collaboration results in e-truck trial and step closer to carbon neutral goals

A trial of an electric waste collection truck has begun as part of a joint-council waste contract between City of Adelaide, City of Port Adelaide Enfield, City of Charles Sturt and City of Marion and Cleanaway

Communities - Industry Updates

April 22, 2021

Highlights

"In South Australia we have 150 vehicles on the road each day servicing homes and businesses all over the state. We have an obligation to keep finding ways to reduce the impact of our operations on the environment and the community, which is how we work towards Our Mission of ‘Making a sustainable future possible’. While electric vehicles reduce our carbon footprint and noise levels on the road, our focus remains on delivering a safe, consistent and reliable service to our customers.”

Tags: Electric vehicles

Highlights

The trial will investigate how feasible the electric vehicle is under actual operating conditions whist maintaining a consistent and reliable service. The trial will help the Councils determine how we might transition to electric waste collection trucks in Adelaide, as the technology matures.

The truck used for the trial is a modified 2018 Dennis Eagle truck, with side loader.
It is expected to run for 120 kilometres on active duty before needing to recharge. The truck will be charged overnight for approximately 10 hours and will take place at Cleanaway’s depot in Port Adelaide. Its actual driving range will depend on the terrain, number of stops and driving style. As well as charging from a power point, the truck captures energy from braking and stores it in a battery to power the electric motor.

Benefits of the trial include:

This truck emits zero greenhouse gas emissions from the tailpipe under actual operating conditions.
The vehicle is quiet. If the trial is successful it will significantly reduce noise, making early morning or late-night collections possible, which could help ease street congestion.
Since the South Australia electricity grid now has over 50% renewable electricity supply, and is heading towards 100%, the switch to electric vehicles is a key component of a low-carbon future.

QUOTES

City of Adelaide Lord Mayor Sandy Verschoor said:
“The trial of a new electric waste truck is a fantastic initiative, and it is an example of how Councils can work together to address climate change and improve sustainability across metropolitan Adelaide.”

City of Charles Sturt Mayor Angela Evans said:
“This trial with the electric waste collection truck demonstrates our commitment to reducing our environmental footprint and carbon emissions, helping us achieve our goal of ‘Net Zero’ by 2025. We are pleased to be partnering with like-minded councils on such a great initiative.”

City of Marion Mayor Kris Hanna said:
“Smart councils are working together for a greener future. There is a lot we can do which is right for the environment and, in the long term, saves ratepayers money as well. Climate change doesn’t recognise council boundaries.”

City of Port Adelaide Enfield Mayor Claire Boan said:
“The City of Port Adelaide Enfield is excited to partner with Cleanaway and the Cities of Adelaide, Charles Sturt and Marion to trial an electric vehicle for the collection of our communities kerbside bins. It’s another great collaboration between councils and industry for positive sustainability outcomes and reducing our carbon footprint.”

Cleanaway, Conan Hookings General Manager Solids Waste Services, SA/TAS said: “In South Australia we have 150 vehicles on the road each day servicing homes and businesses all over the state. We have an obligation to keep finding ways to reduce the impact of our operations on the environment and the community, which is how we work towards Our Mission of ‘Making a sustainable future possible’. While electric vehicles reduce our carbon footprint and noise levels on the road, our focus remains on delivering a safe, consistent and reliable service to our customers.”

MEDIA CONTACTS

City of Adelaide – Matthew Halliwell 8203 7613

City of Charles Sturt – Kristie Johnson 8408 1185

City of Marion – Craig Clarke 0434 600 637

City of Port Adelaide Enfield – Chris Crago 0407 711 816

BACKGROUND

$100 million contract has been awarded to Cleanaway to service 168,000 households across four Adelaide councils.

In one of the biggest contracts of its type, Cleanaway will collect kerbside waste, recycling and organics bins from the councils of Adelaide, Charles Sturt, Marion and Port Adelaide Enfield for at least the next seven years.

The councils sought authorisation from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to jointly procure waste services. The councils released the tenders for the following services:

Kerbside waste collection
Receiving and processing/disposal of the various waste stream materials collected
Ancillary Services, including bulk bin, hard waste, and street litter bin collection

The councils evaluated the tender submissions and negotiations were then undertaken to determine the preferred tenderers.

The change to Cleanaway occurred progressively from 1 May 2020, with nearly a quarter of Adelaide households benefiting from the new arrangements.

Among the benefits:

• New environmentally – friendly garbage trucks with enhanced technology (including the trialling of electric trucks) will deliver the services.
• Increased waste and recycling education to residents in a bid to reduce contamination levels, and the volume of waste going to landfill.
• Introduction of an online portal for residents to request services along with new contact details to report a missed bin collection and for other queries.
• Better tracking of garbage trucks to minimise the chance of not collecting bins.
• Collection routes designed to cross council boundaries to make it more efficient to collect bins.

Residents will be notified of any changes to bin collection schedules. The new kerbside collection service commenced on 1 May 2020 for the cities of Marion and Port Adelaide Enfield. The City of Adelaide commenced on 1 July 2021 while the City of Charles Sturt will begin on 1 May this year.

Cleanaway has also been awarded contracts for bulk bin and hard waste collections (excluding City of Marion where the service is managed and delivered by staff).

In addition, the company has been awarded a four-year contract for the processing of general waste at Adelaide and Charles Sturt Councils. Marion Council will continue to dispose of general waste via the Southern Region Waste Resource Authority. Peats Soils and Jefferies have both been successful in securing contracts for organic waste processing.

The change in waste arrangements will result in savings across all councils, which can be invested back into community services.

Download media release (PDF)

Top tips to reduce food waste during Ramadan

Communities - Learning

April 21, 2021

Highlights

Consider doing your weekly shop after breaking your fast or early in the day shortly after your fast begins so you're less likely to impulse buy

Tags: Food waste

Highlights

Consider doing your weekly shop after breaking your fast or early in the day shortly after your fast begins so you're less likely to impulse buy

Ramadan is the holiest month in the Islamic calendar, where Muslims observe a strict fast from sunrise to sundown. While it is a time of moderation and reflection, fasting can unintentionally lead to food waste when over catering for family events and restaurants.

For councils, food waste is a particularly weighty subject. Food waste tends to be especially heavy because of the water content and overfilled general waste bins can break when being lifted. Not only is a broken bin inconvenient, it can lead to unpleasant food, liquids and rubbish spilled all over the street.

Coupled with the fact that organic material is highly recyclable, it makes good environmental and economic sense to recycle unavoidable food waste or better yet, avoid wastage in the first place.

Here are our top tips to prevent and minimise food waste during Ramadan:

Prepare a meal plan
A meal plan can help you make full use of the ingredients you already have at home and set the stage for overall healthier break fast meals. It can also cut down on the impulse to overspend and buy more than what you need, indirectly reducing the waste from excess packaging.

Bonus tip: Include leftovers from your dinners the night before in your meal plan so you don’t need to rush to prepare the morning meal.

No shopping on an empty stomach
Research has shown that shopping when hungry can lead to impulse purchases. Instead, consider doing your weekly shop after breaking your fast or early in the day shortly after your fast begins so you’re less likely to impulse buy (and overspend!).

Bonus tip: Choose foods with longer shelf life whenever possible to reduce the risk of food going bad before you’ve had a chance to cook.

Share or donate leftover food
If you have overcooked or found yourself with a lot of leftover food, consider sharing them with friends and neighbours. You can also check with your local mosque to see if they will accept extra food for the sunset break fast session.

Bonus tip: Contact food rescue charities and local shelters to see if you can donate your excess meals to those in need or get creative with leftover food and use them in your next meal.

Compost leftover food
If you do not have access to food organics bin in your area, consider turning your food waste into compost, especially if you have a garden. Check out our guide to creating compost at home.

Operating a restaurant, canteen or grocery?
During Ramadan, restaurants, canteens and hotels might offer break fast packages with multiple-course meals. This format tends to lead to people ordering too much food that they cannot finish. Anticipating demand can also be a tricky affair, with food and beverage operators often resorting to ‘playing it by ear’ when it comes to menu prep.

If waste is unavoidable, businesses can contact us for a commercial recycling service where organic material is turned into high quality compost and soil conditioners or electricity to power homes. It may even reduce the cost of your general waste service! Speak to our experts by letting us know your details here (for commercial/business customers only).

Cleanaway would like to wish all our Muslim friends a blessed Ramadan.

Are you ready to become a Recycling ‘Greenius’?

Communities - Learning

April 19, 2021

Highlights

Our study shows that one in four parents find it difficult to teach their kids about recycling and sustainability. We designed Greenius with input from our waste education teams across Australia who have first-hand knowledge of working with kids of all ages.

Tags: Greenius

Highlights

Recycling is important, but only one in four Australians are getting it right. It’s time to get recycling sorted with Greenius, a new e-learning platform for kids and adults that makes recycling easier.

Greenius helps householders decide what should go into their general waste and commingled recycling bins by addressing common recycling questions such as whether recycling should be bagged or unbagged, through interactive content, flashcards, quizzes and videos.

Up to 35% of recycling is currently being lost to landfill due to contamination but if every person focused on removing soft plastic, food, liquid and textiles from their recycling, we would resolve more than 50% of all recycling contamination.

Greenius aims to motivate people to facilitate and accelerate the transition to a circular economy, demonstrating how the small actions and changes we make every day can have lasting impacts for years to come.

To address differing bin rules across locations, Greenius’ waste and recycling information is tailored to your local area. Households can access Greenius on either mobile or desktop PC with no logins required – just select state to get started.

Greenius users who have completed the various modules can also download a certificate certifying their accomplishments. These can be shared on social media to help spread the word on sustainability to the whole community.

Ready to become a recycling genius? Head over to greenius.com.au to get started.

Study shows we think we’re wheelie good recyclers, but most of us are rubbish

Communities - Learning

Highlights

We’re really encouraged by the support that recycling has in the community, and the public’s intention to do the right thing, but unfortunately, we’re losing a lot of valuable resource to landfill because people are unclear about what can go in the recycling bin. Greenius is a free, easy-to-use online learning platform designed to simplify recycling for all households.

Tags: Greenius

Highlights

Cleanaway launches online education resource – Greenius – to improve Australia’s recycling accuracy.
Research into Australians’ recycling behaviours and attitudes shows only 25 per cent of us are separating waste correctly.
Up to 35% of recycling needlessly going to landfill due to simple sorting errors.

Australians are keen on a more sustainable future, but they remain confused about fundamental recycling practices. These are the main findings of Cleanaway’s Recycling Behaviours Report launched today to support its new Greenius online education platform to help consumers get recycling right.

The Report found 89 per cent of us think recycling is important and 74 per cent say we’re good at it. However, with only 25 per cent of us separating waste correctly at every opportunity and almost 50 per cent of us still putting soft plastics in our kerbside recycling bins, further education is clearly needed.

Cleanaway NSW Sustainability Manager, Rebecca Evered, said these findings reflect the consumer behaviour in municipal waste collection services, making the need for online education tools like Greenius more important than ever.

“We’re really encouraged by the support that recycling has in the community, and the public’s intention to do the right thing, but unfortunately, we’re losing a lot of valuable resource to landfill because people are unclear about what can go in the recycling bin. Greenius is a free, easy-to-use online learning platform designed to simplify recycling for all households. We know that most Aussies (57 per cent) rely on the internet for recycling advice, but they’re often met with conflicting, outdated information. Greenius is designed to give consumers simple and consistent tips to get it right, every time,” Rebecca said.

Greenius Ambassador and Clean Up Australia Chairman, Pip Kiernan, said the research proved the importance of Greenius as a tool to help educate all Australians to improve recycling recovery rates.

“It’s the small changes in our habits that will make all the difference. Up to 35 per cent of recycling is still being lost to landfill due to contamination. We know there is a lot of “wish-cycling” going on, with people hoping that what they put in the bin can be recycled at the other end, but actually that’s part of the problem. Good recycling can be ruined when people put the wrong thing in. If every person focused on removing soft plastic, food, liquid and textiles from their recycling we’d resolve more than 50 per cent of all current recycling contamination.” Pip said.

“With the extension of our partnership with Cleanaway, we can continue to help Australians learn about sustainability and recycling through hands-on experiences so they can be part of the solution to treat waste as a resource, not something that ends up in landfill.”

The e-learning platform developed by Cleanaway takes users on a recycling journey through gamification, videos, animations and quizzes, and is easily accessed via mobile device or desktop.

Through education and easy-to-implement tips, Greenius aims to motivate people to facilitate and accelerate the transition to a circular economy, demonstrating how the small actions and changes we make every day can have lasting impacts for years to come.

Rebecca says while the education tool is ideal for students and families, it’s designed to meet the needs of all Australians.

“Our research has uncovered one in four parents don’t find it easy to teach their kids about recycling and nearly one third of Australians still find recycling confusing. Different regulations between councils and uncertainty around what can and can’t be recycled can be really tricky to navigate,” Rebecca said.

“On the bright side, we think users will be really surprised by how easy some of the universal recycling rules are to apply – and Greenius is here to empower people to make the right decisions when it comes to disposing of everyday household waste.”

“The Recycling Behaviours Report found that only 15 per cent of Australians are familiar with the concept of a ‘circular economy’ – an economic system aimed at eliminating waste and keeping resources in continual use.

“Individuals, communities, government and businesses alike are all contributors to building a circular economy in Australia. And while it may sound complicated, it’s just about being more mindful of how we choose and dispose of the materials we use.”

Cleanaway has undertaken a range of best practice sustainable waste management activities to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill. The Greenius platform is a more recent initiative supported by the CEFC that extends its commitment to educational activities designed to improve recycling behaviour.

CEFC CEO Ian Learmonth said, “The CEFC is excited to work with Cleanaway to develop this innovative national education platform. By explaining how recycling works and pointing out some of the common mistakes we make when sorting our rubbish, Greenius can help us improve our emissions reduction efforts.”

“Cleanaway’s commitment to reducing the amount of waste going to landfill demonstrates best practice in the efficient use of resources. By applying the principles of the waste hierarchy and prioritising recycling over disposal or landfill, everyone can contribute positively to creating a circular economy and reducing landfill emissions.”

The Greenius education platform is available to the public online from 19 April 2021 and can be accessed via https://www.cleanaway.com.au/greenius. A full copy of the report can be downloaded here.

The Recycling Behaviours Report and Greenius household education platform were made possible thanks to Cleanaway’s partnership with the Clean Energy Finance Corporation.

Ends

Cleanaway’s Recycling Behaviours Report key findings:

General
• 89% of Australians consider recycling to be important
• 74% say they’re good at recycling
• Only 25% of Aussies always separate their waste into the appropriate bins at home, at work, and when out in public
• 47% incorrectly believe soft plastics can be put in the kerbside recycling bins
• 21% don’t realise you need to remove lids from plastic bottles before recycling
• 53% of Aussies wrongly think a pizza box with greasy stains can be recycled or composted
• 17% wrongly think recycling can be sealed in a plastic bag in the kerbside bin
• Only 15% of Aussies are familiar with the concept of the circular economy

Demographic breakdown
• 29% of adults still find recycling confusing
• Self-rated recycling abilities increase with age:
• 65% of 18-34-year-olds say they’re good or very good recyclers
• 74% of 35-54 year-olds say they’re good or very good recyclers
• 82% of 55+ year-olds say they’re good or very good recyclers

Parents and Children
• 86% of children learn about recycling at school
• 84% of kids learn about recycling from their parents
• 29% of kids learn about recycling online
• 77% of children consider recycling very important
• 47% of kids think children are better at recycling than adults
• 25% of parents say it’s not easy to teach their kids about recycling

Research methodology
• An online survey was conducted with 1,000 Australians, including a sub-audience of 293 parents of children aged 8-18. These parents were asked to allow their children to complete a shorter survey once the parents had completed their own.
• Surveys were completed between Friday, 27 November 2020 and Monday, 7 December 2020.
• The data was weighted to be representative of the Australian population with respect to gender and age.

About Clean Up Australia
Founded by Ian Kiernan, AO, Clean Up Australia is one of the country’s most recognised and trusted environmental organisations, inspiring and empowering communities to clean up, fix up and conserve our environment.

Over the past three decades, Clean Up Australia has evolved into an organisation that works with community, government and businesses to provide practical solutions to help Australians all live more sustainably every day of the year. Today the organisation’s focus is as much on preventing rubbish entering our environment as it is removing what has already accumulated.

For media enquiries or interviews, please contact:
Alycia Jack
Senior Account Manager – Alt/Shift
alycia@altshift.com.au
0412 025 772

Amy Westacott
Account Manager – Alt/Shift
amy@altshift.com.au
0439 353 410

Download media release (PDF)

Cleanaway congratulates Victorian Government for Container Deposit Scheme announcement

Communities - Industry Updates

April 14, 2021

Highlights

Cleanaway congratulates the Victorian Government on choosing a container deposit scheme that provides convenience and access for the public and a variety of opportunities for charities and community groups to participate

Tags: Container deposit scheme

Highlights

Cleanaway welcomes today’s announcement by the Victorian Government to adopt a split responsibility container deposit scheme (CDS). This model has been shown to drive higher return rates which will kick-start a circular economy in Victoria to deliver social, economic and environmental benefits.

“Cleanaway congratulates the Victorian Government on choosing a scheme that provides convenience and access for the public and a variety of opportunities for charities and community groups to participate,” said Cleanaway’s Victorian Solid Waste Services General Manager Matt McKenzie.

The split responsibility CDS adopted by the Victorian Government, separating funding and operational roles, creates positive commercial tension and clarity of purpose for all stakeholders. Each scheme partner has distinct drivers for cost efficiency, high consumer redemption rates, good citizen access and scheme integrity.

The scheme coordinator is motivated to manage the scheme’s costs efficiently, while the network operator is motivated to increase participation and drive container returns.

Under a split responsibility CDS model Victorians can expect to see:

High return in bottles, securing a clean stream of material for the jobs and industries in the circular economy
Consumer convenience for returns and cutting-edge technology such as reverse vending machines
Opportunities for charities and community groups to participate in fundraising and social enterprise activities
Scheme transparency and accountability
A significant reduction in litter, particularly in our waterways

Cleanaway looks forward to participating in any open market processes related to the CDS and will continue to work closely with the Victorian Government towards building a domestic circular economy and a more sustainable future.

For more information, contact:

Cleanaway:
Mark Biddulph
Head of Corporate Affairs
+61 499 332 601
Mark.biddulph@cleanaway.com.au

Download media release (PDF)

A Berri good waste and recycling education tour

Communities - Learning

April 7, 2021

Highlights

“The excursion truly brought the learning to life for our students and helped them make connections between the curriculum and their lives outside the classroom. Students and teachers all walked away with a better understanding of waste management and recycling processes.”

Tags: Schools

Highlights

We recently welcomed two classes from Berri Primary School to Cleanaway’s Monash Transfer Station in Riverland, SA for a curriculum-aligned waste and recycling education tour. Education Officer Georgette Hawes and Station Manager Matthew Coombes coordinated the excursion to give students a behind-the-scenes look at what happens to waste once it’s collected from homes and schools.

Teacher Zack Plaquet said that the visit brought the classroom curriculum to life with the hands-on experience, and even the teachers learned a thing or two about recycling processes!

“Year 2/3 classes from Berri Primary School spent the term learning about waste management and recycling processes, which acted as a theme in the delivery of the Chemical Sciences curriculum. To wrap up our term’s learning, the team from Cleanaway was kind enough to welcome these classes to the local waste transfer station.”

“Education Officer Georgette Hawes and Station Manager Matthew Coombes from Cleanaway were able to provide information, experiences and answers to the many questions that were suitably targeted to the ages and understandings of the students.”

Zack added that the students were especially excited to realise that even they can help make the world a better place – one recyclable item at a time.

“Georgette made the planning process simple and smooth and I hope to revisit the site again with future classes. Thank you to Cleanaway for providing Berri Primary School students with valuable learning experiences that I’m sure they will never forget.” said Zack.

Planting the seeds for a sustainable future: Cleanaway’s Clean Up wrap up 2021

Communities - Partnerships

March 29, 2021

Highlights

There is an opportunity for the community to make more use of container return schemes, as there were still a large number of bottles and cans found littering the streets.

Tags: Clean Up Australia Day

Highlights

There is an opportunity for the community to make more use of container return schemes, as there were still a large number of bottles and cans found littering the streets.

The Cleanaway blue army once again rolled up their sleeves at sites across the country for Clean Up Australia Day. Armed with tongs, gloves and waste and recycling bags, our teams found many of the ‘usual suspects’ such as plastics and cigarette butts, and quite a few unusual items along the way! Here are the highlights:

Riverland, South Australia

The Riverland team and community outdid themselves this year with 25 volunteers, seven from Cleanaway, collecting 150 bags of rubbish and recycling from the roadside from Monash heading towards Barmera on Sturt Highway.

Later in the day, the Monash Country Fire Service Brigade organised lunch for all involved. There was also a discussion about how Cleanaway and the community could continue to work together for the benefit of the environment.

Operations Manager Matthew Coombes said, “We discussed that waste and recycling education is key to keeping our beautiful part of the world clean. I believe that working together will strengthen the relationship between Cleanaway and the community while improving waste and recycling outcomes.”

Western Sydney, New South Wales

The New South Wales Education team spent more than 3 hours cleaning up Ettalong Beach, Central Coast and Lizard Log Park, Western Sydney. The day’s haul included eight bags of rubbish from Lizard Log, four from Ettalong Beach and the rather odd discovery of a broken kids’ scooter abandoned in a bush!

Brisbane, Queensland

40 volunteers from our Solid Waste Services and Milton teams turned up in full force with lots of children and families joining the clean up. Ollie the dog marked his fourth year in a row joining the event!

Member for Brisbane, the Hon Trevor Evans MP, stopped by to thank volunteers for giving up their time on a Sunday morning to clean up the neighbourhood. Around 11 sacks of rubbish were collected along with a basketball, many glass bottles, disposable coffee cups and the usual smaller bits of rubbish and steel.

The team noted that there was an opportunity for the community to make more use of Queensland’s container return scheme, as there were still a large number of bottles and cans littering the streets of Toowong where they cleaned up.

St. Kilda Road, Victoria

Our Human Resources team from St Kilda cleaned up the area behind the office at Fawkner Park. The team collected a half bag of recycling and an almost full bag of rubbish to be disposed of. It looks like we have a ‘Sausage Dog’ in the team too! How’s that for diversity and inclusion?

Cleanaway partners with Mariners for 2021 Pink Round cancer awareness

Communities - Partnerships

February 24, 2021

Highlights

"We have many employees who live on the Central Coast and are proud to be supporting their community and the region’s number one sporting code"

Tags: Sponsorship

Highlights

"We have many employees who live on the Central Coast and are proud to be supporting their community and the region’s number one sporting code"

Cleanaway and Central Coast Mariners today announced our partnership for the 2021 Pink Round home game in support of cancer awareness. The annual Pink Round will happen on Monday, 8th March when the Mariners face Macarthur FC at Central Coast Stadium in NSW.

The match takes place on International Women’s Day and will feature the Mariners in a brand-new pink home jersey. There will also be several fundraising initiatives to hit a target of $10,000 for the Cancer Council NSW.

Pictured from left: Cleanaway Central Coast Education Officer Michelle Murrell and Sustainability Manager Rebecca Evered

General Manager Solid Waste Services NSW David Clancy, said, “Cleanaway is proud to be the Central Coast Mariners Community Partner for 2021. We have been supporting the Central Coast for many years as the Council’s waste services provider as well as providing sustainable options for businesses in the region and of course in our role as logistics provider to the Return and Earn scheme.”

“We have many employees who live on the Central Coast and are proud to be supporting their community and the region’s number one sporting code. Sponsoring the Pink Round is something we are particularly proud of to recognise the importance of women in our community, and specifically women’s health.”

“We also recognise that supporting the Pink Round also supports the many partners, families and communities that are impacted. It is exciting to be part of the event.”

“We are looking forward to working with the Mariners to promote sustainability and recycling on the Central Coast. Recycling and good waste management is such a critical part of a healthy community and how we are making a sustainable future possible for all Australians.”

Soft plastics in the recycling bin – what’s the problem?

Communities - Learning

January 29, 2021

Highlights

"Many people would like to recycle properly but just what and how to recycle is often changing and somewhat of a mystery". Facebook user comment

Tags: Recycling

Highlights

"Many people would like to recycle properly but just what and how to recycle is often changing and somewhat of a mystery". Facebook user comment

Contamination in recycling happens when the wrong items get put in the wrong bin, such as when soft plastics or general waste such as nappies are disposed of in the commingled recycling bin. This results in low quality materials that cannot be recycled and in a worst-case scenario, entire loads of otherwise good recycling can go to waste.

Our recent post on the extent of contaminated recycling received by our Material Recovery Facilities (MRF) sparked insightful conversations about how everyday Aussies look at recycling and what they think should be done to do better.

While many of our followers commented that they were already using soft plastic recycling drop off services at supermarkets, others had doubts as to whether the material was being recycled. The misconception that recycling gets landfilled was addressed with comments citing the various applications for recycled soft plastic such as in construction, as road base and cement.

Barriers to better recycling – apathy, confusion and access

For some, access to a recycling drop off point was an issue – with services either unavailable or located too far away from home. It’s a valid point and food for thought for suppliers, brand owners, policy makers and retailers looking to encourage soft plastic collections, especially in remote communities.

Not everyone was convinced with the current solutions for recycling soft plastic with many people calling into question the willingness of Australians to take responsibility for their waste – as evidenced by some of the comments in the post!

But apathy wasn’t the only issue, well-meaning but confused recyclers were still hesitating at the bin, and called for harmonised recycling rules and clearer information about the recyclability of everyday items.

What’s the solution?

Source separated recycling systems

Source separation involves separating waste into common material streams or categories for separate collection. The idea is that a standalone bin for each material (food, dry commingled recycling, general waste) reduces contamination and encourages a clean, high quality input of materials to recyclers.

This calls for national bin standards that put the responsibility on generators of waste to separate materials at the point of disposal. It’s also critical to empower communities with resources to help them understand exactly what goes in each bin such as our Recycling Hub.

Working with the waste hierarchy to reduce, reuse and recycle

It was encouraging to see so many people engaged with the waste minimisation message with some calling for complete bans on throwaway plastic items where it hasn’t been already implemented, and increased use of compostable material in packaging.

Greater ownership by generators of waste

Product stewardship programs put the responsibility for minimising a product’s environmental impact throughout all stages of the products’ life cycle, including end of life management, on whoever designs, manufactures, sells, or uses it. This echoes our views on what’s required to fix Australia’s recycling system and become a world leader in creating a circular economy.

Innovative technologies to recover energy from waste

Energy-from-waste came up in conversations, pointing to successful projects in Europe that turn red bin waste that cannot be otherwise recovered into electricity to power homes and businesses.
Interested to know more about energy-from-waste technology in Australia?

Energy-from-waste: a piece of the waste management puzzle
Learn about energy-from-waste technology, why it’s necessary and how it can be done safely and sustainably

Energy-from-waste: Concerns and facts
Learn about the common misconceptions surrounding energy-from-waste technology including concerns around safety, regulations, emissions and recycling.

The bottom line
Communities should focus on getting recycling right through basic recycling hygiene such as knowing which materials belong in the commingled bin. Governments should continue to provide the framework for effective recycling systems through funding and policy support. Industry needs to provide infrastructure and services that enable resource recovery every step of the way.

What would you do to encourage better recycling? Join the conversation on our Facebook post here.

My Garbo, My Hero – How Driver Jarrad Taylor reunited with his childhood hero at Cleanaway

Communities - Our People

January 20, 2021

Highlights

"I remember for many Christmases, he always came to the door with bags of lollies and mini bins and I remember seeing his big old Thiess truck out front behind him."

Tags: Drivers

Highlights

"I remember for many Christmases, he always came to the door with bags of lollies and mini bins and I remember seeing his big old Thiess truck out front behind him."

The first garbo Jarrad Taylor ever met was Cleanaway Driver David Wilkinson or Dave Wilko for short. Jarrad became very close to Dave growing up and was inspired by him to become a Cleanaway driver himself.

“I remember for many Christmases, Dave would always come to the door with bags of lollies and mini bins and I remember seeing his big old Thiess truck out front behind him,” said Jarrad. “He came in and it was like he was a part of the family. He always had something to give me every time I saw him. He’s just meant so much to me especially with me being autistic.”

Jarrad lost all communication with Dave in recent years and knowing that Dave works at our North Wyong Depot, he asked if Cleanaway could plan a reunion.

“I get a bit sentimental when I think about how I’ve lost touch with Dave for that long and that he has moved depots.” Jarrad explained. “He moved off my suburb run nine years ago and I’ve only seen him from afar on an oddball litter run. He does not know I work for Cleanaway so I figured we could possibly organise a reunion through Cleanaway.”

Education Officer Michelle Murrell and Municipal Contract Manager Anthony Davidson from our Somersby Depot contacted Branch Manager Mark Tildesley and worked behind the scenes for a surprise reunion.

Dave was called into the North Wyong depot where he currently works to ‘collect a trainee driver’, who turned out to be none other than Jarrad and his mum, Kylie. There were smiles on everyone’s faces when all parties met, and they spent the afternoon reconnecting and reminiscing about old times.

Pictured from left: Cleanaway Drivers Dave Wilko and Jarrad Taylor reunited

“18 years in the making. The man who inspired a career in the waste industry for me – Dave Wilko. All started when I was a baby and he was my recycle garbo. All started from there, that simple.” said Jarrad after their meeting.

Contact us to learn more about the incredible people who are making a sustainable future possible through a career with Cleanaway.

Sustainable Categories: Communities

Council collaboration results in e-truck trial and step closer to carbon neutral goals

Council collaboration results in e-truck trial and step closer to carbon neutral goals

Top tips to reduce food waste during Ramadan

Top tips to reduce food waste during Ramadan

Are you ready to become a Recycling ‘Greenius’?

Are you ready to become a Recycling 'Greenius'?

Study shows we think we’re wheelie good recyclers, but most of us are rubbish

Study shows we think we’re wheelie good recyclers, but most of us are rubbish

Cleanaway congratulates Victorian Government for Container Deposit Scheme announcement

Cleanaway congratulates Victorian Government for Container Deposit Scheme announcement

A Berri good waste and recycling education tour

A Berri good waste and recycling education tour

Planting the seeds for a sustainable future: Cleanaway’s Clean Up wrap up 2021

Planting the seeds for a sustainable future: Cleanaway’s Clean Up wrap up 2021

Cleanaway partners with Mariners for 2021 Pink Round cancer awareness

Cleanaway partners with Mariners for 2021 Pink Round cancer awareness

Soft plastics in the recycling bin – what’s the problem?

Soft plastics in the recycling bin - what’s the problem?

My Garbo, My Hero – How Driver Jarrad Taylor reunited with his childhood hero at Cleanaway

My Garbo, My Hero – How Driver Jarrad Taylor reunited with his childhood hero at Cleanaway