Keeping Sydney Clean And Green Through Effective Waste Management And Industrial Cleaning

Keeping Sydney Clean and Green Through Effective Waste Management and Industrial Cleaning

by

Alistair White

Like all big cities, Sydney has its fair share of environmental problems. In particular dealing with waste management, industrial cleaning and e waste are all presenting the city with enormous challenges. Sydney’s rapidly spreading conurbation is likely to result in a megacity sometime this century with all the attendant environmental problems that involves. Here’s how the city’s environment firms and agencies are handling these problems of waste and pollution in Sydney.

Waste management in Australia is at the heart of environmental protection and is one particular area where Sydney is highly proactive. The use of the word management rather than disposal identifies that it’s no longer just a matter of throwing away waste. Modern waste is too complex for such a simple solution. Waste management comprises a system of activities that includes waste collection, recycling and disposal, hazardous waste management, emergency response, laboratory services, asbestos removal and re-insulation. In a nutshell, waste management can be defined as a system to safely remove waste products to recycle as much as possible and cause as little impact on the environment as possible. One major trend is the involvement of specialized firms in the provision of complete solutions for industrial waste. These firms are at the vanguard of environmental protection by offering a complete waste management solution for industrial clients. Industrial cleaning is another area in which specialized firms are working for the benefit of the environment. One thing these companies are doing is providing on-site personnel who are experts in such key areas as high pressure water jetting, vacuum loading, tank cleaning, drain and sewer cleaning, sludge management, catalyst handling, and asbestos removal. In short, environmental services Sydney handle every aspect of industrial plant and industrial equipment cleaning. As each site has specific industrial cleaning challenges, these firms tailor-make every solution including which solvents or specialised industrial cleaning equipment are used. By taking advantage of one source facilities management, clients can get all their industrial cleaning done by one expert company leading to gains in synergy and coordination. The result is industrial sites running at optimum capacity with limited downtime as well as environmental friendliness. Finally there’s the pressing matter of e waste

(electronic waste). A major new challenge in recent years has been dealing with the safe and effective disposal of electronic devices such as computers, printers and televisions.

This kind of waste is growing at three times the rate of other waste and has two important characteristics. Firstly, it contains valuable resources that are wasted when they end up in landfill. For example, e waste can contain significant levels of precious metals such as gold and platinum which can be extracted and recycled. Secondly e waste harbours materials that require special handling including toxic heavy metals such as mercury along other poisonous items like cyanide-containing veneers and asbestos. Disposing of these in traditional landfills can result in serious dangers to both the environment and local residents. Other types of e waste which can be effectively recycled are used printer cartridges. Instead of clogging up landfills with plastic, cartridges can be refurbished, refilled and sold. Mobile phones too can be efficiently refurbished instead of just being dumped. At the time of writing, Australia has yet to enact laws on the disposal of e waste meaning it’s up to private firms and local governments to take responsibility for this matter. Fortunately for waste recycling Sydney, the response has been very strong. Both public and private agencies have been very active in dealing with e waste recently. For example, the City of Sydney launched its E-waste recycling collections for residents in November 2008. This has resulted in 43.57 tonnes of electronic waste being recycled. Meanwhile the leading environmental solutions firm Veolia Environmental Services in partnership with Sims E-Recycling launched Australia’s first national e-waste recycling program in 2005. During the period 2007-2008, Veolia was involved in the recovery of close to 7 million kilograms of e-waste in Australia. Effective environmental management

requires concerted action on the parts of both national and local governments as well as the private sector. Sydney is fortunate to benefit from both in its efforts to surmount the challenges of becoming a clean and green metropolis for the benefit of its residents.

Bill Williams writes articles for Veolia Environmental Services, a waste management Sydney company specialising in

industrial cleaning Sydney

wide. Veolia also provides

e waste

collection and recycling service, showing their commitment to the community and the environment.

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