Festive Season greetings
We wish our friends, partners and colleagues a healthy, happy and zero waste festive season. In 2011 we look forward to building new partnerships, exploring innovative collaborations and tackling new challenges – including sustainable procurement, supporting the introduction of the new waste protection policy and finalising South Australia’s waste strategy for the next five years.
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Ending the year on a high note
By a/g Chief Executive Ian Harvey
2010 is ending on a high note, with Zero Waste SA’s zGreen team recognised for their outstanding commitment to greening our office (story below). This caps off a remarkable year, with international accolades for South Australia’s waste reforms and Zero Waste SA increasingly engaging in sustainability forums globally, For example, Chief Executive Vaughan Levitzke was invited to address the World Dairy Summit in Auckland last month. About 2,200 delegates from many countries attended and had a real ‘thirst’ for knowledge about sustainability issues – carbon footprint, water use, biodiversity, and waste.
As Principal Sponsor of the Watch Your Waste Line conference held at the Adelaide Hilton in November, Zero Waste SA was delighted by the calibre of speakers (such as activist Jon Dee), the number of attendees - a third were from interstate, and the opportunities for learning and networking. One attendee commented on the ‘friendly cooperative vibe that resonated throughout the conference’. The conference will be remembered as one of the highlights of 2010 and Zero Waste SA looks forward to working with the Waste Management Association of Australia on another blockbuster conference in 2012!
Photo: Ian Harvey, a/g Chief Executive, Zero Waste SA with Lachlan Jeffries, Managing Director, Jeffries Group at the Watch Your Waste Line conference
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We don't rest on our laurels
Zero Waste SA is a great example of a small tenancy not resting on its laurels.
This is the view of the judges who have recognised Zero Waste SA for excellence in office energy efficiency at the inaugural CitySwitch SA Signatory of the Year Awards (office category under 2,000 square metres).
Zero Waste SA’s greening committee, zGreen, has shown commitment to reducing its ecological footprint and those of other businesses through the Resource Efficiency Assistance Program (REAP).
The office has been innovative in its approach to new technology in energy, water and waste after installing a web-based dashboard to monitor and help minimise resource use. The monitoring system has helped to identify opportunities where improvements could be made, including automation times of lighting and installing switches to cut standby power to computers.
zGreen team member Jessica Wundke says that zGreen was established to ensure that there was sustained improvement in Zero Waste SA’s infrastructure and actions within the workplace to improve its environmental performance.
“The Enerlytics online monitoring system shows live reporting against targets Zero Waste SA has set for energy, waste, water, purchasing decisions, carbon and staff participation,” Ms Wundke says. “In 2009-10, savings of 30,645kg of carbon dioxide (a 29% reduction) were made. The system, customised for the office, is one vital link in the sustainability measurement and reporting structure at Zero Waste SA.”
Zero Waste SA has exceeded its CitySwitch commitment in energy efficiency, achieving a 4.5 star NABERS (National Australian Built Environment Rating System) tenancy rating. A case study documenting the agency's achievements is being prepared.
Photo: zGreen team members - Aubrey Thomas, Sophavy Bouras, Jessica Wundke (front), Piero Fioretti, Andrew Hutcheon, John Vanzo. Absent - Sharon Ede, Tawni Jones
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Community e-waste initiative a winner
A free recycling program for electronic waste has been an outstanding success with 515 tonnes of unwanted computers, televisions and mobile phones diverted from landfill. The seven Adelaide collection depots reported a steady stream of traffic with nearly 10,000 vehicles lining up for the weekend program on September 11–12.
“This was an excellent result and demonstrated that the community is right behind State Government initiatives to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill,” said Zero Waste SA Project Officer Erin Henson.
“We were excited and encouraged by the fantastic participation rates over both days. Householders were very supportive of the initiative and were genuinely pleased to be able to recycle their unwanted electronic items responsibly as well as clearing out their sheds and storage rooms in the process.”
The e-waste program was a joint initiative of Zero Waste SA, the Local Government Association (LGA) and metropolitan councils. Apple Pty Ltd also played a key role by funding recycling services for the dismantled equipment.
Building on this successful collaboration, Zero Waste SA, with funding support from the Australian Government is organising a free television collection program in regional South Australian areas impacted by the digital switchover starting on 15 December. The LGA’s Ryan Viney has been instrumental in coordinating arrangements with 30 councils (which includes Broken Hill) to ensure that householders have convenient access to a drop-off point in their local community for unwanted or obsolete televisions. For more details click here.
Photo: Ryan Viney, Senior Policy Officer, Local Government Association of South Australia
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Vision for sustainable cities
Renowned urban designer Professor Steffen Lehmann has only been in Adelaide for a few months but his vision for the city is grand.
By 2030 he believes the Adelaide CBD has the potential to be a zero waste and zero carbon square mile through “consolidation, intensification and future-proofing by optimising material flows”.
He is in the ideal position to help realise such a vision as Director of the Zero Waste SA Research Centre for Sustainable Design and Behaviour – otherwise known as the sd+b Centre. A joint initiative of Zero Waste SA and UniSA, the sd+b Centre is poised to become a world-class focus for collaborative waste management and resource recovery research. Professor Lehmann says the sd+b Centre can play a major role in helping transform Adelaide and other cities for the future. “The sd+b will build collaboration across UniSA and with industry, government and community to respond to the sustainability challenge on many levels,” he says.
“Research will be carried out in areas such as urban design, waste management and behavioural change to reduce consumption.”
Since his appointment in August, Professor Lehmann has hit the ground running. He launched his latest book The Principles of Green Urbanism: Transforming the City for Sustainability and hosted the ‘Solutions for a Low Carbon Urban Future’ international symposium in November. In January 2011 Professor Lehmann will present at the Australia-US Dialogue on Sustainable Cities in Los Angeles.
Photo: Steffen Lehmann with Zero Waste SA Chief Executive Vaughan Levitzke at the Watch your Waste Line conference in November
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Convention centre greening strikes gold
Adelaide Convention Centre has underpinned its green credentials by winning one of the world’s top environmental awards. After securing silver at last year’s IMEX Green Supplier Awards, the centre has gone one better and taken out gold at the 2010 event in Frankfurt, Germany. Major resorts, hotels and convention centres in Europe and the United States were competing for the title. Carina Bauer, CEO of the IMEX Group, said it was a well-deserved win based on “continuing commitment to improvement, reporting, third party verification and innovation”. Adelaide Convention Centre has an impressive record in green innovation and is a member of Zero Waste SA’s Resource Efficiency Assistance Program –
read the case study here.
“We have developed a culture of ‘Gold Service, Green Attitude’, which has become a core value for us,” said the centre’s Chief Executive Alec Gilbert. “This award is a fantastic acknowledgment of our success in implementing sustainable practices.”
Photo: Adelaide Convention Centre's sustainable kitchen
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IWS unveils $4 million recycling facility
Integrated Waste Services (IWS) has taken up the State Government’s challenge to keep waste from landfill. Through a combination of the latest sorting technology and links with key recyclers, the Adelaide waste management company aims to play a leading role in South Australia’s sustainability initiatives. In September, Minister for Environment and Conservation Paul Caica opened IWS’s new $4 million purpose-built waste sorting facility for domestic and industrial waste. Built with the support of a $300,000 grant from Zero Waste SA and the Australian Packaging Covenant, the plant extracts resources from multiple waste streams.
“A major focus has been linking with recyclers to ensure the different components are used in making other products,” said IWS General Manager Paul Bowden. “It’s all part of strategically aligning ourselves with the waste minimisation goals of Zero Waste SA and the EPA.”
A visitor’s gallery has also been built into the new facility to provide educational tours for schools and community groups.
Photo: IWS General Manager Paul Bowden
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Local expertise chosen for organics recycling
An overseas search to find the ultimate screening process for recycling organic waste has resulted in Adelaide’s Jeffries Group developing it’s own groundbreaking system. The new $3 million plant will increase the efficiency of Jeffries’ food and garden waste composting program and help South Australia in its efforts to keep organic material from landfill. The Recycled Organics Screening System (ROSS) was designed and built by local engineering firm Quarry and Mining Manufacture with the support of $300,000 in funding from Zero Waste SA.
“We couldn’t find what we wanted in Europe so we’ve developed our own system,” said Operations Manager Martin Jeffries. “The three-storey plant has three custom-made mechanical screens plus industrial magnets and fans to remove up to one tonne of metal and soft plastics a day.”
Jeffries has also added manual screening to maximise the capture of non-compostable materials that can lower the value of the compost, soil and mulch produced on site.
Photo: ROSS in action
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Westfield goes public with recycling
Minister for Environment and Conservation, Paul Caica launched Westfield’s Out and About recycling initiative on 10 November. Zero Waste SA and the Packaging Covenant Industry Association provided funding to assist the Westfield Group and the Australian Food and Grocery Council to establish the bottle and can recycling initiatives at Westfield’s Marion, West Lakes and Tea Tree Gully Shopping Centres. “I commend Westfield for setting a target of establishing public recycling systems for bottles and cans in up to 35 of its shopping centres across Australia,” Minister Caica said.
Photo: Peter Carey, SA State Manager CCA, Hon. Paul Caica MP, Minister for Environment and Conservation, Stuart Elder, Centre Manager, Westfield Marion, Jenny Pickles, General Manager, Packaging Stewardship Forum
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All aboard!
Zero Waste SA welcomes two new members to its board. Mark Withers is Chief Executive, City of Charles Sturt. He
has 27 years experience in eight metropolitan South Australian councils and has been a senior executive experience with direct management responsibility for waste management services. Frank Brennan, Chief Executive, Wattle Range Council has 30 years experience in waste management issues relating to regional areas. Acting Chief Executive Ian Harvey said that he looked forward to working with the new board members throughout their tenure. "I would also like to acknowledge retiring board members, Jeff Tate and Tom Spirat for their significant contribution to the work of the board," Mr Harvey said. Click here for board details.
Photo: New Zero Waste SA board members Frank Brennan and Mark Withers
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KESAB 2010 sustainability awards
Zero Waste SA sponsored the waste category in the KESAB 2010 Sustainable Communities awards which provides an opportunity for communities to showcase their creativity in reducing waste.Winners included Whyalla Council for waste education - for the second year running; Mount Gambier won an award for their e-waste, construction waste and organics initiatives; Goolwa received an award for activities including teaching children at child care about recycling. Kingston District Council received a commendation for their reuse of old cement blocks to counteract erosion along the estuary. As well, during winter, huge amounts of seaweed wash up on to the beach and some of this is sent to Van Shaiks for use in mulch and fertiliser production. Mundalla on the Move received a commendation for their reuse of panelling from an old piggery to create dog and sheep yards at the showground area.
Congratulations to all! See the KESAB website for more details.
Photo: Kingston District Council's Kevin Rowbotham with Zero Waste SA's Marcia Hewitt
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Plug in and join the conversation
Zero Waste SA has launched a refreshed website which makes it easier to access content and to interact with Zero Waste SA. “We always try to be ahead of the curve when it comes to service delivery and information distribution and we welcome feedback,” Zero Waste SA Communications Coordinator Matt Scales says.“We’ve also hit the ground running with our social media presence, establishing a Facebook page where you can get quick answers to your tricky recycling questions and exchange opinions with other like-minded ‘zero wasters’ – find us at www.facebook.com/zerowastesa
“You can also follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/zerowastesa and, of course, there’s our newsletter rewords
(which you’re currently reading!) and our YouTube channel, www.youtube.com.au/zerowastesa screening our latest educational videos. So plug in, join the conversation and be part of the solution to help everyone avoid, reduce, reuse and recycle.”
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New on the website
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