Efw- The missing piece in Australia’s sustainable future
Australia’s national resource recovery rate currently stands at about 62% with over 27 million tons of material still being disposed of each year. Unlike the EU, Japan and other parts of the world, Australia has not yet fully grasped the need or ability to capture energy from residual materials/products that are often poorly designed or genuinely cannot be recovered (for example hazardous or clinical material).
As we hasten towards 2030 and the target of 80% average resource recovery, it’s important that we maximise all parts of the waste management hierarchy and work across the entire supply chain to create a sustainable future where resources are maximised, and carbon and methane is minimised. Whilst we wish all products were designed for re-use, repair, recycle, the reality is that they are not and some simply cannot be. Capturing energy can come in a number of formats – thermal, pyrolysis, anaerobic digestion just to name a few – and play a positive role in both managing this residual material and enhancing energy supply.
WMRR’s Energy from Waste (EFW) Conference in Sydney will explore the role and types of EFW that exist, and how we can use all levels of the waste management hierarchy to strategically manage material and build a sustainable future for Australia.