Edition 2: May 2009

It’s suddenly the fourth quarter of 2008-9! Many businesses are feeling the pinch in the current economic climate: reducing waste can be one effective way to reduce your business costs.

Have you investigated technology that will reduce the hazardous waste produced by your business but need assistance to implement it?
Are you developing a contaminated site?
Could you use some extra funding to start up a waste recycling or contaminated soil remediation business?
Have you discovered an opportunity for the reuse of your hazardous waste or contaminated soil but need expertise to trial it?
Are you researching innovative remediation options for ‘difficult’ soil contaminants?

Call EPA on 9695 2722 to discuss how the HazWaste Fund (‘the Fund’) may be able to assist.

The Fund continues to support industry to reduce the disposal of hazardous waste to landfill. To date, we’ve received more than 60 applications to the Fund, many of which have been approved for funding support.

Read about some of the highlights...

Geocycle – solid waste to liquid fuel

With assistance from the Fund, Geocycle have installed and commissioned equipment capable of shredding and blending solid hazardous waste. This waste, previously destined for landfill, is now blended into a high viscosity fuel for use in the cement industry.

Geocycle is aiming to process an additional 3000 tonnes of hazardous waste annually through the use of the new equipment. For more detail, contact Tim Sheldon Collins at Geocycle on 8792 5416 or 0412 625 088

HazWaste Rosedale Leather – costly off-cuts add value to compost

Waste generated from a Gippsland leather-finishing business has, until recently, proved to be a costly problem. Rosedale Leather, in collaboration with EPA and the Department of Primary Industries, recently studied composting as an alternative to landfill.

The trials proved successful. Rosedale can now send leather waste to the local compost facility. They save both money and landfill space, and they contribute to a product that improves productivity of the local land.

Camperdown Compost – turning waste into an energy resource

Tony Evans of Camperdown Compost is advocating the benefits of industrial ecology in the Barwon region by converting organic waste to energy.

With help from the Fund, Camperdown Compost is currently investigating the feasibility of using anaerobic digestion to turn food manufacturing waste into electricity and steam. If successful, this project could divert up to 5,000 tonnes of hazardous waste from landfill.

Next submission dates for Stage 1 applications are:

Manufacturing Waste: 8 June 09 - 12 June 09
Contaminated Soils: 22 June 09 - 26 June 09

Call EPA to discuss the HazWaste Fund on 9695 2722, or email your Stage 1 application to business.programs@epa.vic.gov.au