Kurri Kurri Waste Facility to Pay More Than $125,000 for Third Breach in Three Years

BY DAKOTA TAIT

Central Waste Plant Pty Ltd will pay the NSW Environment Protection Authority more than $125,000 after its Kurri Kurri facility received more than double the amount of waste allowed.

The company received 96,000 tonnes of waste for recycling in the year leading up to March 2020, more than 60,000 tonnes more than allowed by its Environment Protection License.

This is the third consecutive year the license condition was allegedly breached. 

EPA Acting Director Regulatory Operations David Gathercole said he hoped the punishment would serve as a warning for waste companies to clean up their act.

“It is important to manage waste correctly, to set an example and to protect our environment," Mr Gathercole said.

Central Waste Plant will be required to front the cost of clean-up and conservation works totaling $93,500, involving the disposal of asbestos and remediation of illegally dumped waste in the Tomalpin Woodlands.

Another $18,000 will go toward the protection of Cessnock's critically endangered Regent Honeyeater as well as $15,000 to cover legal fees and investigation costs.

Maitland's Mattress Muster to Return Early with Recycling Trial This Weekend

BY DAKOTA TAIT

Maitland Council's Mattress Muster is returning early this year, with a trial of the recycling program this weekend expected to alleviate demand for the service.

The trial is replacing a previously announced event at the Council's Depot carpark on Metford Road in East Maitland, and will be instead held at the Mount Vincent Waste Facility Site from 8:30am to 3:00pm on Saturday 20th, Sunday 21st, and Saturday 27th of February.

Each household in the Maitland can drop off up to four mattresses free of charge, including cots, innersprings, foam and latex, although mattresses with ensemble bases will count as two items.

Environment & Sustainability Manager Catherine Pepper says the community's involvement in the Mattress Muster was encouraging.

"The high popularity of the Mattress Muster is indicative of the community’s positive interest in recycling," Ms Pepper said. "Involvement in programs like this is a great way to keep problem waste out of landfill." 

Proof of residence in the Maitland local government area is required to take part.

Hunter Residents Reminded Not to Chuck Batteries in the Bin, After Three Truckloads of Recycling Go Up in Flames

BY DAKOTA TAIT

Hunter residents are being asked not to throw batteries and chemicals in the everyday recycling bin after a string of incidents in which local loads went up in flames.

On Wednesday, a collection driver was forced to dump his load at Hexham to save his vehicle from a fire.

The incident was the third in as many months, following other fires involving a truck in Jesmond last week and a Gateshead facility late last year. 

Hunter Resource Recovery CEO Roger Lewis said the public's poor recycling habits frequently had "disastrous consequences".

"Once it's burnt, it's burnt - that's off to landfill," Mr Lewis said. "The actions of one resident have basically affected the disposal of 600 households."

Mr Lewis urged locals to think about what they throw, and to bring hazardous waste to disposal points or wait for council collection days instead of chucking them in with the rest of the trash.

"It's confusion, in a lot of cases," Mr Lewis said. "On a lot of batteries, there is a recycling symbol, so people think that it can go in the recycling bin."

"We're just asking people to be a little bit wiser, and only put those items in the recycling bin that are accepted."

You can head to hrr.com.au to find a list of acceptable recyclable items.

Sydney Road Base Built with Hunter Plastics

BY LAUREN FREEMANTLE

A Newcastle based program has played a major role in the construction of a NSW road built using recycled plastic.

The Plastic Police program has seen the collection of 40,000 soft plastics like chip packets and cling wrap taken from participating Hunter schools, the University of Newcastle and local councils.

With the project officially opened by Environment Minister Gabrielle Upton in Sydney, the material will now be used in the 220 tonnes of asphalt lining the Old Princess Highway in Sutherland Shire, alongside 4000 used printer cartridges.

Director of Plastic Police, Samantha Cross said a 2015 Hunter trial has lead to interstate collaboration.

"Last year, we made contact with a company called Close the Loop, based in Melbourne, who have been developing a product called Toner Clad - the latest development of an asphalt additive...

"Connections through the Plastic Police program were able to provide the material used in laboratory trials [which eventually lead to the construction project beginning]," Ms Cross said. 

Since its inception in 2015, the Plastic Police program has saved close to 2 million pieces of soft plastics entering landfill. 

Samantha Cross hopes to see more projects being completed in the future with recycled materials. 

"In many instances, the use of plastic is unavoidable, so I'd like to think the participating councils and businesses will purchase-back products," she explained, "because it's no use collecting the plastic unless we can redirect it into alternative end markets and uses, and sending our recyclables overseas is no longer an option for Australia...

"We must develop our own end markets."