Alternative Waste Treatment signed off

An agreement to reduce landfill waste by encouraging Alternative Waste Treatment (AWT) technology was signed by eight Sydney regional councils on Tuesday.

Alternative Waste Treatment technology is touted to be a new and efficient way to deal with household waste.

According to a report submitted earlier this year by the South Sydney Region of Councils (SSROC) to the Minister for Local Government Don Page, finalisation of the AWT tender would mean a reduction of landfill waste by more than fifty percent and hence, result in a large decrease in carbon emissions.

The move came about after careful consideration and review, balancing efficiency and the impact upon the environment. The agreement, which can be seen as a small, yet definitive step to minimise impact of daily household activities on the environment, can be traced back to a wider, much debated issue – the impact and reality of climate change.

Last month, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a comprehensive and updated analysis on climate change, with the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon stating that, “The heat is on, now we must act.”

The IPCC report dismissed climate change scepticism and concluded that stability to the climate system can be brought about only if we substantially reduce emissions from carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.

A spokesperson for Waverley Council confirmed that the AWT facility, the Banksmeadow plant, is aimed to be built by a timeframe of mid 2015-early 2016 and would be cost effective.

“Money will be saved as a result of the contract because Councils will no longer have to pay elements of waste levy – SSROC estimates around $4.4 million saved between all Councils,” she said.

“The project will be roughly cost neutral, with significantly greater environmental benefits.”

Veolia Environment, a French transnational company, will be responsible for establishing the AWT plant in Banksmeadow that will give not just the eight signatory councils, but also other councils and government agencies the opportunity to make use of the new plant when it becomes operational, encouraging reduction of waste in landfills across Sydney.

By Virat Nehru