|
Just ask zerowaste@zerowaste.sa.gov.au
Here are the answers to some of the frequently asked questions Zero Waste SA has received from queries posted through our website.
If you have a question for Zero Waste SA you can submit it to us here.
Q:We have a few sheets of asbestos wall panels from renovating our bathroom. Is Dry Creek the only place to dispose of it? Are there any local dumps we can use?
A: The Household Hazardous Waste Depot located at Dry Creek does not accept asbestos so you will be unable to take it there. There is an EPA Guideline ‘Waste Containing Asbestos’ (EPA 414/07) which offers advice for the safe handling and disposal of asbestos materials in compliance with licensing requirements of the Environment Protection Authority. This guideline can be found at www.epa.sa.gov.au/pdfs/guide_asbestos.pdf. The guideline includes a list of sites that accept asbestos for disposal. Southern Waste Depot located at Main South Road, Maslins Beach, telephone 8386 2212, would be your nearest location.
Close this answer
Q: Where can we recycle batteries from things such as torch, batteries from toys and smoke alarms in SA?
A: Unfortunately there are no recycling systems available for alkaline cell batteries in Australia and there is no real option besides putting them in your domestic waste even though the potential for corrosion does exist. This applies to all household sized batteries including the 12V battery. The lack of systems is due to there being too little value from materials which can be recovered, and too few batteries dispersed across a wide geographic area, so collection and processing costs outweigh the benefits. I understand the battery industry is looking at what they can do to establish a system in Australia similar to those in place overseas.
All though there are no systems in place for the recycling of alkaline cell batteries options are available for other types of batteries generated in the household:
- Mobile phone batteries - check out the Mobile Muster website for your nearest drop off point www.mobilemuster.com.au
- Lead acid batteries (car batteries) and batteries containing heavy metals (rechargeable batteries) - check out the ZWSA recycling directory www.zerowaste.sa.gov.au/rid.php
Close this answer
Q: We receive large cardboard boxes once a week but they will not fit into our recycling bins supplied by the council. We also would like to recycle conveyor belting and plastic grape harvester picking rods but they also suggest we just dump them. Please help!
A: Cardboard packaging is a highly recyclable material and wherever possible should be directed to recycling rather than landfill. There are a few options you may wish to consider.
- Take your cardboard to the nearest container deposit recycling depot. These depots generally accept cardboard and many other recyclable commodities for free.
- Local community organisations such as the Scouts, church groups, schools, Lions Club and Rotary often accept and/or collect cardboard and other recyclables as part of fund raising efforts.
- Explore the option of your supplier ‘taking back’ the packaging.
There are plastics recyclers operating in Adelaide and other recycling businesses that may be interested in conveyor belting and plastic grape harvester picking rods. However, the issue is how to get them to these recyclers and unless your company has cause to travel to Adelaide I suspect that this will be problematic. Recyclers are listed in the yellow pages telephone directory. You may like to explore the Zero Waste SA recycling directory at http://www.zerowaste.sa.gov.au/rid.php.
A few plastics recyclers are listed below:
- Plastic Recyclers Australia Pty Ltd, 67 Payneham Road College Park 5069, telephone: (08) 8362 4887, email: admin@plasticrecyclers.com.au
- Plastics Granulating Services, 14 Inwood Avenue Kilburn 5084, telephone: (08) 8368 2218, email: pgs1@pgs.net.au
- Absan Pty Ltd, 5 Duncan Court Ottoway 5013. telephone: (08) 8447 8847, email: absan@iprimus.com.au
Close this answer
Q: I need to dispose of synthetic carpet and underlay. Do you know of companies in the Adelaide area who take either?
A: To the best of our knowledge, there are not too many options for carpet and underlay other than landfill. Please let us know what outcome you get - unfortunately there is not always a preferable solution for everything right now in terms of keeping materials out of landfill. Just by asking questions, you can help create the catalyst for change.
Firstly, what condition is the carpet in? If it is reusable, you could offer it on Freecycle to give away. It does not cost anything to put a message on Freecycle (6,000+ members in the metro Adelaide area), but you will need to register to get a Yahoo ID if you don't already have one. The onus is on people who claim materials to collect it, unless you would like to offer to drop it to them.
You could also try contacting Melbourne Carpet Recyclers, who may have some suggestions for you: www.mcrecyclers.com
You could also try contacting the Carpet Institute of Australia, who have an official Environment Policy, and see if they have any ideas, email info@carpetoz.com.au.
I am not sure if the animal shelters would take carpet (they tend to be after blankets and pillows).
Close this answer
Q: I am trying to source a recycling organisation that will accept chipboard and MDF full sheets that we use as cover sheets during delivery to our customers with very little success. I want to recycle the product rather than just dumping it into industrial waste bins.
A: Thanks for putting some thought into being resource efficient and keeping materials out of landfill. One option could be to offer the material on Freecycle. Even things you might not expect to be able to give away might find a home: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/freecycle_adelaide/
nextlife is a site similar to Freecycle which encourages South Australian workplaces to manage and redistribute surplus or unwanted workplace equipment and materials which would otherwise go to landfill: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nextlife/
Also try That's Not Garbage, 24 Charles Road, Beverley, telephone 8243 0321. It is a not for profit organisation which takes all kinds of materials and sells these to art teachers and people who do craft.
Resource Co at Wingfield may be able to accept the material, however there would likely be a collection cost or a need for you to take the material to them: www.resourceco.com.au/disposal.htm. Adelaide Rural Salvage (also at Wingfield) may also accept it: www.adelaideruralsalvage.com.au
If the MDF is a problematic waste stream, I'd suggest investigating whether there is another material which could be used in shipping your product which is both fit for purpose (protects product) and can be readily recycled or reused after use. Close this answer
Q: How do I recycle material scraps from sewing and old unusable clothing?
A: There are a few avenues you may be able to explore to recycle the cloth. It is a tricky material and has very few simple disposal options. As I am unsure where you live some of the options below may not be practical.
Lifeline SA in the South East cut unsaleable unwanted clothing into useful rags. Call the South East Office on telephone (08) 8723 2299 and you may be directed to a Lifeline or similar organisation in metropolitan Adelaide. Depending on the type and quantity of material, you may be able to take it to That’s Not Garbage which collect off cuts, scraps and all sorts of art and craft materials that can be purchased by schools, kindergartens, individuals and art and crafts people: 24 Charles Rd, Beverley, Adelaide, telephone (08) 8243 0321.
Close this answer
Q: How can I recycle concrete slabs and sandstone brick? I have a yard that I am looking at clearing but really don’t want to just dump this in land fill.
A: It’s great that you are even thinking about ways to recycle this material. However, there is probably no easy ‘quick fix’. There are companies that accept this type of material and recycle it into road aggregate and other fill materials, for exmpale, ResourceCo, see www.resourceco.com.au/home.htm. However, they will charge a fee and may not be interested in relatively small loads.
If the bricks are re-usable then salvage yards may be an option. They may take the materials off your hands if they think it can be re-sold although they probably will not give you anything for it… but it will save you the disposal cost. However, you would probably have to deliver it to them. The ‘Trading Post’ may also be an option. There are some exchange sites listed on our website that may be worth a try if the materials are re-usable – see www.zerowaste.sa.gov.au/reuse.php You will be amazed at what people with take off your hands if it is free! Close this answer
Q: Where can I order the biodegradable bags used in the City of Burnside food waste trial?
A: These bags are made from corn starch and were chosen due for their full compostability. They can be provided in a range of sizes.
Contact:
Neil Thompson
Ausasia Link Pty Ltd
Level 2 37 Bligh Street
Sydney NSW 2000
Tel: (02) 8257 3338
Fax: (02) 9475 0933
Mbl: 0416 126 869
Close this answer
Q: I’ve started a new construction company and want set up my waste strategy to achieve zero waste. What can I do about the waste I produce if all I can do is put it in a mini-skip bin and get it thrown away by the bin collector contractor? What is the incentive of this third party to recycle?
A: See our construction and demolition fact sheet at http://www.zerowaste.sa.gov.au/pdf/fact_sheets/construction_demolition.pdf
For an overview of how materials are recycled.
For each tonne of waste that is disposed to landfill in Adelaide there is a landfill levy of $23.40. The recyclers do not pay this levy, and as such have an incentive to recover materials for recycling. 50% of the levy funds are directed to the Waste to Resources Fund for Zero Waste SA to use in programs to improve waste management and waste minimisation in South Australia. The remaining 50% goes to the Environment Protection Authority to fund specific environmental projects and for environmental programs. Some contact details for building and demolition waste recyclers include:
- Resourceco, telephone (08) 8347 3329
- Adelaide Resource Recovery, telephone (08) 8447 7621
- SA Waste Management, telephone (08) 8326 5033
- Lucas Earthmovers, telephone (08) 8179 4023
Close this answer
Q: What do I do with my outdated computers and electrical equipment (E-waste)?
A: Firstly, it depends on what you mean by 'outdated' - some equipment which still works OK or is below the latest specs can still be used by charity organisations. I am aware of one charitable organisation in particular that will take your unwanted electronic goods and recycle West Works at 95 Womma Road, Elizabeth West or contact telephone 8209 5707
You could also offer your computer on the give away site, Freecycle at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/freecycle_adelaide/.
It’s free and only takes a minute to register. Make sure you describe your item exactly (working or not working - some people are still keen to take the non-working items and fix them), and give your location/suburb.
Organisations that will take your old computer equipment and refurbish it for use by schools and charities include:
If your electronic equipment is beyond help, take a look at www.ecyclerecovery.com.au.
E-cycle Recovery has established a service offering computer recycling with genuine environmental outcomes. E-cycle Recovery takes all the 'dead' computers and e-waste, and disassembles it into component parts, with glass, plastics, metal etc going off to various reprocessors. The result is a 97% recovery rate of material going to landfill. There is a fee involved to drop off your computer to ensure this recovery rate: www.ecyclerecovery.com.au/environmentalfees.htm
You may be able to find other computer recyclers via the white or yellow pages, however it is important to determine (especially if you pay a fee) exactly what happens to the material, how does the recycler process it, where does it/all the bits end up etc. Other recycling options may be cheaper or free, but then there is the question as to how much of the material goes to landfill and how much is captured for reuse.
For more information on Computers and E-waste, see our fact sheet E-waste (Electronic Waste). Close this answer
Q: I contacted E-Cycle recovery. I calculated that it would cost me more than $120.00 (inc GST) for them to take all my goods. I currently pay a $120.00 waste management levy on my Council rates. What does that pay for? If I take the goods to my local landfill it will cost me $35.00. I would like to recycle the goods but I am not flushed with funds - are there any other options?
A: The recycling of electronic goods does cost money. In order to disassemble the product into various material types: plastics; metal casings; cathode ray tube; circuit boards to facilitate recycling requires a lot of manual handling and some machine processing. The benefit is that the materials are then recycled and the resources and energy used in the production of the electronic item is effectively recovered and not lost. Often the price received by the recycler when selling the separated materials does not cover the costs of disassembly and this is why recyclers such as E-cycle have to charge for receiving your e-waste.
Landfill is certainly a less expensive option but does not enable the valuable resources contained in the product to be recovered. If the equipment is still operational you may be able to give it to a second hand electronics dealer (check the Yellow Pages) or see the information about e-wsate recycling at: http://www.zerowaste.sa.gov.au/just_ask_zwsa.php#ewaste.
I am unable to comment on the specifics of your council rate notice. It would appear that your council has separated out the waste component of your overall rates. This cost would normally reflect the fee for waste related services such as kerbside collection of waste, recyclables and green waste and may also include hard waste collection costs; tip vouchers and other waste related services. You should check with your council regarding what services are covered by the $120. Close this answer
Q: I live in South Australia - how can I recycle my fluoro tubes and globes?
A: Householders have several options:
- Visit the Environment Protection Authority’s Hazardous Household Waste Depot at the corner of Magazine Road and Henschke Street, Dry Creek. It is open on the first Tuesday of every month from 9am - 12 noon. For further details contact the EPA on (+61 8) 8204 2004, or visit their website: www.epa.sa.gov.au/hhwd.html.
- Take the tubes and globes to a free Zero Waste SA/Local Council household hazardous waste collection. Licensed professional waste management contractors set up temporary collection points in metropolitan and country areas of the State - refer to 2007 timetable or telephone Zero Waste SA on 08 8204 1961.
- Householders are advised not to place compact fluorescent globes or other fluorescent tubes in their kerbside recycling bin. These items need to be recycled by a company with a specific process. The mercury powder contained in them is a significant contamination concern for the broader recycling industry.
- In January 2008, tube/CFL recyclers have been in negotiation with councils about providing a service for tubes and CFLs from households. If possible, householders should safely store spent tubes and bulbs until this service is available.
There are fee-for-service options available for commercial and industrial users to ensure their fluoro tubes and globes are diverted from landfill and recycled.
Close this answer
Q: How can I recycle some foam/sponge blocks I have?
A: It appears likely that markets may exist for recycled foam - particularly for carpet underlay for instance - and some recycling occurs overseas (e.g. Italy, UK). To find out about Adelaide-based carpet suppliers and how they source underlay product you could call major carpet manufacturers (check the Yellow pages).
All recycling options are likely to be highly dependent i.e. whether they are a plastic such as polyurethane foam; a rubberised compound; or a composite product made from a combination of materials.
An Adelaide company, Advanced Plastic Recyclers (APR) may be interested in the material (if it is largely plastic) and can be contacted at: www.a-p-r.com.au If acceptable to APR you would probably have to deliver it to their site. Budget Retreads Pty Ltd recycles all rubber material – telephone (08) 8347 2774 or email: kerrie@budgetretreads.com.au.
The foam/sponge blocks may be able to be re-used for some purpose by others. There are a number of sites available that are set up for this purpose. There is a specific site known as Freecycle Adelaide which you can access from the following Zero Waste SA site: www.zerowaste.sa.gov.au/reuse.php.
Close this answer
Q: I am interested in new or alternative ways that we can dispose of kitchen organics from our Restaurant. Currently all our kitchen waste ends up in landfill and I am interested in any form of disposal which will be beneficial to our environment.
A: Zero Waste SA is working with waste and recycling collection companies to assist them to offer improved recycling collection services for business. Some organisations to contact for organics collection include Biobin, TPI and Veolia.
Close this answer
Q: How many green bags should one household have?
A: This will depend upon how many people live in the household – there are four and a half in my household (and two small dogs) and we use about six bags for an average shop – if we have to get large items that we don’t buy often, like a large bag of dry dog food – we might need more. Perhaps you should help with your family’s weeks shopping and work out how many bags you would need. Close this answer
Q. What are the benefits of ‘green bags’ compared to single use plastic bags?
A: ‘Green bags’ are made from polypropylene and these may never break down, or take a long time to break down, in landfill. The simple answer is that they shouldn’t go to landfill, they can be recycled into other longer lasting plastic items like park benches and bollards. It’s true that single use plastic bags can also be recycled, but few are. Even if ‘green bags’ are disposed to landfill they are still a much better option environmentally than single use plastic bags. Research carried out for the Commonwealth Government by Nolan ITU found that compared with ‘green bags’ manufacture of single use plastic bags created over three times the greenhouse gas and used almost five times as much energy. This report can be found here.
The report also shows that biodegradable bags are a worse option than single use bags, stating:
“Little or negative gain was found to be derived from the shift from single use bags to other single use bags such as biodegradable bags and paper bags, with potential litter gains offset by negative resource use, energy and greenhouse outcomes.” Close this answer
Q: I am the organiser of a food festival in Adelaide. The festival is a not-for-profit annual community event that aims at promoting and educating on green, compassionate and sustainable lifestyle.
I am writing to you to ask you to help us make our festival a waste-free public event in SA.
Unfortunately, the venue does not have any recycling bins and we would like to be more eco-friendly and waste-free.
Could you be so kind and inform me about the possibilities of obtaining recycling bins for the event?
A: In the past Zero Waste SA has assisted event organisers by funding events to become a Zero Waste Event by following our guidelines (look at the click links on the right hand side – there is heaps of information about what we have done in the past and some resources and other links).
We don’t actually provide bins, but I would recommend you contact the Council in which the event will be located. They may be able to provide you with some infrastructure and more advice. I would also talk to your waste and cleaning contractor (if you have one for this event) and work with them to reduce the amount of waste produced. It is important to work with those who collect the waste and recycling, whoever they may be, so everyone is aware of the waste minimisation intentions.
Also, if you haven’t already contact KESAB on 8234 7255.
Close this answer
Q: How much greenhouse gas would be saved by reusing or recycling car parts such as bumper bars.
A: Zero Waste SA is committed to making the link in people's minds between resource use and greenhouse gas emissions. However we do not have detailed data on the GHG component (embodied energy) of the hundreds of thousands of human artifacts and their components. There is a mad scramble by just about everyone to work out the embodied energy across the lifecycle of everything at the moment, so the carbon credentials can be used in decision making and marketing!
It is recommended to contact with the Auto Parts Recyclers Association of Australia:
www.apraa.com/index.html
Another useful link is:
www.greenfleet.com/uploads/pdfs/991101AutoPart.pdf
To work it out, you would need to know how much energy had gone into manufacturing the original bumper bar and getting it to a landfill vs the energy used to collect and recycle it (reusing wouldn't be any extra energy, save for a bit of equipment to remove and refit it).
Determining the embodied energy which is 'lost' if something goes to landfill (and how much of it is 'saved' through reuse and recycling) is involved, and is usually commissioned work. RMIT in Melbourne has done a lot of life cycle analysis:
www.cfd.rmit.edu.au/programs/life_cycle_assessment
Close this answer
Q: How and what can I place in my recycling bin?
A: Some points to remember when preparing your household recyclables are:
- Remove the lids: Plastic bottle lids are usually made from different materials to the bottle itself and can’t yet be easily recycled. Steel jar lids can be recycled, but remove them before you put them in the recycling bin.
- Give them a quick rinse: When it comes to recycling, it doesn’t need to be spotless or have the label removed, but to cut down on vermin and odour problems in your bin, make sure they are reasonably clean.
- Flatten your cardboard: The machinery that sorts your recyclables is far more effective if cardboard boxes are flattened out. Bundling newspapers together can also hamper the sorting process, so keep them separate.
- Separate the component parts of recyclables: If something contains components of different types of materials, separate them out before recycling. For example, if junk mail is wrapped in plastic, be sure to remove the wrapping and put it in the waste bin before recycling the paper.
For more information on household recycling see our fact sheet Recycling made easy
Close this answer
Q: What can I put in my garden organics bin?
A. One contaminated bin ruins a truckload, so please ensure the correct things go into your garden organics bin to help the environment.
Please put in:
- Lawn clippings
- Garden prunings
- Twigs
- Leaves
- Small branches
|
Please DON’T put in:
- Batteries
- Household chemicals
- Recyclables
- Plastic bags/bin liners
- Medical waste
- Polystyrene or foam
- Nappies
- Metal
- Plastic pots/seedling trays/garden hose
- Building material or permapine
- Dirt/rocks
|
Please refer to the Recycling Made Easy: Garden Organics fact sheet. Close this answer
Q: I have just purchased a new iron (household appliance). Where can I recycle my old iron?
A: If the old iron is still working, you could offer it to a charity or give it away via Freecycle. If the iron is not functioning, you could try asking one of the metal recyclers (SIMS, Bluescope) if they would take it. Ecycle Recovery accept electronic and electrical items (although their site does not mention irons specifically, so not sure if they take irons) for a small fee.
Or, call your local council and find out when the next hard waste collection will be - and ask what they would do with metal items. Hopefully these are separated for recycling! Even if there might not be an appropriate option right now to recycle all the things we humans make, thanks for thinking about a better way to manage materials and keep them out of landfill.
Close this answer
Q: I am a student looking at recycling, and I was hoping you could tell me about the current laws concerning local councils providing recycling to the community.
A: The key legislation today is the Local Government Act 1999 and, in particular, the functions of a Council contained in section 7 of the Act and with particular reference to waste section 7(b) which states as follows:
“The functions of a council include—
(b) to provide services and facilities that benefit its area, its ratepayers and residents, and visitors to its area (including general public services or
facilities (including electricity, gas and water services, and waste collection, control or disposal services or facilities), health, welfare or community
services or facilities, and cultural or recreational services or facilities).”
The Act does not obligate Councils to provide a recycling service, however, Councils generally accept that they have a responsibility to provide cost effective and ecologically sustainable waste and recycling services to their community. Communities are increasingly expecting Councils to provide high performing kerbside collection services. As a result, many metropolitan Councils now provide a three-bin service:
- 240L commingled recycle bin collected fortnightly
- 240L green waste bin (collected fortnightly or monthly in some councils)
- 120L waste bin collected weekly.
This type of service provides the maximum opportunity to divert waste away from landfill toward more beneficial uses. In addition, to these regular kerbside collection services, many Councils also provide a hard waste collection service and may offer other services that are not necessarily provided at the kerbside e.g used oil drop off stations.
Close this answer
Q: What is the best way to dispose of mobile phones and mobile batteries? Could you let me know where these goods can be recycled?
A: There is a very good, credible program in place for mobile phone and phone battery recycling called Mobile Muster - you can put a postcode into their site to generate a map of drop off points
There are also a zillion places in the CBD where phones can be dropped off as most phone retailers (for example, Optus, Telstra and Vodafone) have collection boxes for old phones and batteries.
Close this answer
Q: Why is there nothing on your site about nappies? My understanding is that disposable nappies make up a disproportionate amount of landfill, but you have no information, not even links to other sites.
A: Below are some web links/reports, some of which are from overseas, but the situation there is likely to be similar to Australia. Other links are to sites which promote alternatives to disposable nappies, and biodegradable (although still single use, disposable nappies).
- www.myplanet.com.au - My Planet Nappy Recycling
- www.knowaste.com/opp_recycl_aus.html - this site says that about 800 million disposable nappies are used in Australia each year, resulting in more than 110,000 tons of solid waste that requires 145,000 cubic meters of landfill space.
Nappy Alternatives
Always be mindful of 'green' product (or service) claims, they may not always be as green as they first appear e.g. if a study saying disposable nappies has been commissioned or funded by a company which produces disposable nappies!
There are arguments that the energy and water used to wash cloth nappies are environmental impacts, which is true - but how much energy, water and materials go into producing an ongoing supply of once-only use nappies that then become waste?
Biodegradable nappies *may* break down in landfill, but typically they would need exposure to air or sunlight, so how well do they break down buried in a pile of rubbish?
What about the transport energy in moving nappies around, either to get them to the supermarket for purchase, or to take them to landfill or for recycling/composting, or to get them to a nappy washing service?
Close this answer
Q: Our Field Services centre would like to know if we can recycle used oil filters from trucks and machinery. If it is possible who do we contact?
A: Whilst there is a cost associated with this, it is possible to recycle oil filters. I know of 2 major companies that can help you with this. They are Transpacific Industries and Mulherns.
http://www.transpacific.com.au/
Phone: 08 8344 0900
Fax. 8344 0966
Mobile: 0418 826 083
http://www.mulhernwaste.com.au/
Ph: 08 8244 4077
Fax: 08 8244 6004 Close this answer
Q: Please advise of the correct method to dispose of empty paint tins.
A: Paint cans which have been thoroughly cleaned out and contain no paint residues can be recycled through most scrap metal dealers. Where there is a hard residue of paint however they are considered unsuitable for recycling and can be disposed to landfill. Close this answer
Q: I have some paint tins which have some unused paint in them. Where do I dispose of them, rather than putting them in the rubbish collection bins?
A: If the paint is liquid the following three options are available to members of the public:
1. Zero Waste SA with the assistance of Local Government undertake free household hazardous waste collections to help dispose of your unwanted chemicals (including paint) in an environmentally safe way.
The Zero Waste SA web site has details of scheduled collections.
2. There is a Household Hazardous Waste Collection Depot located at the corner of Magazine Road and Henschke Street Dry Creek. This depot, owned by the Environment Protection Authority and funded by Zero Waste SA, is open the first Tuesday of every month from 9am to 12 noon. For further details visit the EPA website
3. Adelaide Waste and Recycling Centre is a transfer depot located at 181 Morphett Road North Plympton. This depot accepts paint from householders at a small charge. They are open from 7am-5pm Monday to Friday and 8am-4pm Saturday and Sunday and Public Holidays.
Adelaide waste and Recycling Centre can be contacted on 8295 5790.
If the paint is generated by a business the company is required to contact a waste management company such as Transpacific Technical Services (8344 0900) or Veolia Environmental Services (8260 2122). Close this answer
Q: Plastic bags (single use) – composition
A: Single use plastic shopping bags are made from high density polyethylene (usually abbreviated to HDPE) – the same plastic that is used for two litre milk and juice containers but much thinner. HDPE is made from oil and it takes 1.75 kilograms of oil (in terms of energy and raw materials) to make one kilogram of HDPE.
Close this answer
Q: What Australian retailers have made the most progress with removing plastic bags from use?
A: Retailers have not told us how much they have individually reduced plastic bag use but they have said that taken as a whole the major retailers, such as Coles and Woolworths, have reduced the number of bags by about 45% (less than half) from 2002 to December 2005. Close this answer
Q. Are there any ways that certain plastics can be produced to help the environment?
A: Plastics are a commonplace and important part of a huge array of products that benefit society. Clearly, there is potential for plastics to disturb and damage ecosystems due to their persistence in the environment (non-degradable properties) and this is becoming a concern globally as well as here in Australia. We do not know whether plastics can be developed to help the environment. There are many plastic products that are used to help prevent or stabilise environmental degradation for example in areas such as drainage management.
Some plastics are being developed that reduce their impact on the environment at the end of their product life. For example, there are a range of plastics being produced that incorporate properties or characteristics that allow them to degrade in the environment and a Google search under biodegradable plastic reveals a number of interesting sites – here is one of them - http://www.greenplastics.com/
There are also a range of substitute (non-petroleum based) plastics being developed that incorporate components such as corn starch and poly lactic acid that are compostable or degradable in the environment.
For more information check out the plastic industry association site (PACIA) and look at their sustainability page. Close this answer
Q: I want to buy PVC Granules to use for an arena surface to mix with sand for working horses. We have shredded rubber on one arena but this retains too much heat in the warm months. Is there somewhere in SA where the granules might be sourced?
A: I have not heard of using plastic granules on horse arenas. I encourage you to consider the capacity of plastic pellets to remain in-situ in your arena and not be dispersed to the environment, especially if the granules can be windblown or be carried by water. PVC is a difficult plastic to deal with (contains chloride) and I would not like to see this sort of material enter creek lines or other parts of the environment (or be ingested by your horses or other animals). It might be worth speaking to someone in the Environment Protection Authority about your proposal to ensure it is legal to use these in arenas.
If you are looking to source granulated plastic, your best bet is to contact one of the major plastic processing companies in SA, however I am unsure whether any of these suppliers will be able to help you or not:
- Absan Pty Ltd, 15 Duncan Court, Ottoway 5013, telephone: (08) 8447 8847, email: absan@iprimus.com.au
- Adelaide Granulation Industries, 17A Meyer Road, Lonsdale 5160, telephone: (08) 8326 6199
- Plastics Granulating Services, 14 Inwood Avenue, Kilburn 5084, telephone: (08) 8368 2218, email: pgs1@pgs.net.au
Close this answer
Q: When we recycle plastic bottles do we need to remove the plastic ring from the neck of the bottle? Also what about plastic lids? Can they be recycled too?
A: You can leave the plastic ring where it is because it’s only a very small amount of plastic and it’s dealt with later in the recycling process. The lids can go in with the recycling once they have been removed from the bottles.
Q: Can we recycle hard plastic bottles (IE the kind that shatters)?
A: I’m not sure what kind of plastic this question refers to, but the general rule is that all rigid plastic containers can be placed in your kerbside recycling bins.
Q: What about plastic with the number 1 inside the triangle?
A: The number 1 in the plastic triangle refers to PET – which is a form of rigid plastic commonly used for soft drink bottles, spring water and juice bottles etc. All rigid plastic containers go in your kerbside recycling bin – so yes please put these in your recycling bin.
Close this answer
Q: Where can I recycle polystyrene no. 6, we have recently received a large shipment of pc's and have a lot of this material.
A: The only advice I can give you is to call the Expanded Polystyrene Recycling Network and ask them for guidance.
The only true answer is to not use it for packaging, which gets back to procurement - there are moves afoot to 'green' procurement and disposal of ICT equipment which would include specifying packaging, or supplier requirements to take it back (provided they do not throw it in landfill).
Sorry I can't be of more help, but unfortunately there aren't always the systems or logistics in place to recycle everything that we should be able to. Close this answer
Q: Can recycled materials be used in playground design?
A: There are a range of important factors associated with the construction of playgrounds including design, material composition, durability and safety. The organisation Buy Recycled Business Alliance advocates the use of recycled content in products which may prove useful. Some playgrounds feature recycled content products such as using crumb rubber (from recycled tyres) for surfacing material, poles and decking from recycled plastic. Local government may be a good source of information and may also provide some incentives if the use of recycled content products aligns with Council ‘greening’ initiatives and meets necessary safety, engineering and design standards.
Q: How much would recycling bins cost to have throughout a high volume shopping centre to encourage recycling?
A: I suggest you have a look at this page on our web site: www.zerowaste.sa.gov.au/retail_industry/
The cost for implementing a waste reduction and recycling program will vary depending on the size of the shopping centre. Chains of shopping centres often have one contract for waste and recycling collection for all of their shopping centres.
To give you a rough guide a one 5 cubic metre bin costs around $2,000 - but often this cost is absorbed into the collection contracts over a period such as 2 years.
The collection companies pay less to dispose of recyclable material than they do for waste - so it is usually cheaper to have a recycling bin collected than a waste bin.
Close this answer
Q: I am interested in finding out how heavy earth moving tyres can be disposed of. These tyres are at least ½ to ¾ of a tonne.
A: The Environment Protection Authority suggest you contact the Australian Tyre Industry Council at: s.dedenaro@atic.org.au. A lot of these tyres are being retreaded as new ones are hard to come by due to the world-wide mining boom. Let us know how you go! Close this answer
Q: We have two VCRs which are no longer working, and are obviously not worth having repaired. Is there somewhere where any useful parts can be recovered without having to pay a fee or is it just off to landfill?
A: You can certainly avoid sending your VCRs to landfill. Try offering the VCRs on Freecycle (free to join, but you need to register for a Yahoo! ID), which has 6500+ members in metro Adelaide.
You would be surprised what apparently broken or useless stuff people are keen to snap up! The good thing about Freecycle is that the onus is on the person wanting the materials to collect it.
Ecycle Recovery offers an e-waste recycling service for a small fee ($7 each for a VCR - the fee is to cover the labour-intensive process needed to disassemble complex equipment so all the bits of material can be recycled), however you need to drop the VCRs to them. Close this answer
Q: Can I recycle my old video and audio tapes, CDs and DVDs?
A: ZWSA is starting to get more and more queries about recycling audio and video tapes as people have moved to CDs and DVDs.
With respect to reuse, places like 'That's Not Garbage' may accept tapes.
...apparently the actual tape is used in school arts and crafts, but although the materials may be reused, they are still very likely to end up in landfill.
If you don't mind giving them away without erasing them, you could try Freecycle, an Adelaide based web community where unwanted materials can be offered (like a free Ebay).
You will need a Yahoo ID to join this group and post a message... if you don't already have a Yahoo ID, you can register for free in less than a minute!. If you think no-one will want them, you may be surprised! Check out some of the stuff that people snap up!
As far as recycling and resource recovery goes, the combination of materials in these items makes recycling and resource recovery difficult, and usually involves some kind of manual dismantling (e.g. to separate tiny metal screws so that plastics can be recovered). The labour needed for this means that there is usually a small charge involved to process the materials.
You can also contact E-cycle Recovery at Richmond, who also take CDs and DVDs. The items are placed through a shredder in order to destroy any of the material that may be present and then sent to the plastics recycler where they are used to make fence posts, vineyard sticks etc.
The only proviso is that you would need to take the materials to them, and there is a processing fee Close this answer
Q: I believe old x-ray films contain silver. Where can I take them to be recycled?
A: According to Planet Ark's Recycling Near You website, x-ray films can be taken to:
Siltech Mechanical Services
'X-Ray Recycling'
PO Box 463
Reservoir Vic 3073
If you have small quantities, place them in an envelope and post to the address above or drop the x-rays off at Siltech Mechanical Services, 1 Deeds Road, Camden Park, tel. 08 8294 7955, 9:00am to 4:00pm Monday to Friday - no fees apply.
If you have x-ray volumes over 20kg, Siltech can arrange an x-ray collection from most areas. To find out more, contact Siltech on 08 8294 7955.
X-ray films are processed in a refinery to extract the silver. The x-ray films are heated using temperatures of over 1,000 degrees Celsius. The silver is extracted and converted into a more pure silver form. The silver can then be reused for things such as silver solder, jewellery, the silver plating of utensils, electrical components and film manufacture. Siltech will safely and confidentially destroy your records, however if you dispose of these yourself send just the film. Close this answer
I've been to WOMADelaide and it seems to be very good example of an (almost) zero impact festival. Is achieving zero waste as easy as just replacing plastic with paper and replacing regular bins with 'recyclable' ones? I know people on the organising committees of other Adelaide events and would like to see these events go green.
Zero Waste SA has developed guidelines to assist event organisers to minimise waste at public events. You will find the guidelines on our website.
Zero Waste SA has previously provided funding assistance to some events including WOMAD and the Adelaide Fringe to establish approaches to waste minimisation and you will find case studies on this same page that detail many of the benefits of ‘going green’ as well as important lessons learnt. Zero Waste SA is now focussing on up-dating and improving the current event guidelines to include not only events, but to also include public places such as shopping malls, foreshore precincts and fixed venue public events. The new guidelines should be available on our website later this year and may be of interest to the organisers of other Adelaide festivals. In the meantime the current guidelines should provide you with some of the advice you are seeking.
The WOMAD case studies are particularly useful as they demonstrate what can be achieved. It has taken WOMAD a few years to work through its approach to greening this event but it now has reached the point where organisers of this event build in the costs of waste minimisation and recycling into the overall event budget. In addition to providing appropriate bin infrastructure for recycling, working with vendors and waste and recycling contractors is also extremely important. Close this answer
|
