FRIDAY, JUNE 5, 2015 • 1
THE WEST AUSTRALIAN LIFTOUT
ADVERTISING LIFTOUT
W rld
ENVIRONMENT
Friday June 5, 2015
Day
Councils dedicated to environmental sustainability
Waste-to-energy plants power the modern world
Setting high standards in the solar power market
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2 • FRIDAY, JUNE 5, 2015
ADVERTISING LIFTOUT
W rld
LIFTOUT THE WEST AUSTRALIAN
ENVIRONMENT Day
Seven Billion Dreams. One Planet. Consume with care.
World Environment Day is the biggest, most celebrated
global day for positive environmental action.
consumption patterns are becoming more prevalent
throughout the world.
Established by the United Nations in 1972, World
Environment Day is celebrated every year on June 5 to
promote worldwide awareness of the environment and
encourage political attention and action.
“Food production is one of the most obvious examples
of unsustainable consumption patterns, with 1.3 billion
tonnes of food being wasted every year, while almost one
billion people go undernourished,” he said.
All Western Australians are encouraged to do their bit by
spreading the word on social media, signing up to help
one of the many environmental groups around the state,
switching to solar energy, taking part in a tree-planting day,
saying no to plastic bags, decreasing their carbon footprint
by cycling, walking or using public transport and reducing
water use around the house.
“This is an issue that UNEP is helping to address
with partners such as the UN Food and Agriculture
Organisation through our joint campaign against food
waste, Think.Eat.Save.
Celebrations will focus on the slogan Seven Billion Dreams.
One Planet. Consume with Care. in a bid to respect the
earth and manage natural resources efficiently.
According to United Nations Environment Program
(UNEP) Executive Director Achim Steiner, unsustainable
Policy to safeguard CBD environment
“It is time to look seriously at what our appetite for more is
costing the planet, our health, our future and the future of
our children.”
The Right Honourable The Lord Mayor Lisa-M. Scaffidi said the policy was the first
component of a new strategic environmental framework that would address the
future needs of the community and the environment.
Around the world, street parades, concerts, school essay
and poster competitions, tree planting, recycling efforts,
clean-up campaigns and more will be held to celebrate
the event.
“As the capital city of the largest state in Australia, the City of Perth recognises its
unique status and responsibility to oversee the CBD environment,” she said.
City of Perth council has adopted a new environment policy to better manage the
impact of its operations on the environment and build on its achievements so far.
“We have already developed strong partnerships with our business and residential
communities to build a sustainable city for future generations and have
demonstrated leadership through the value we place on conserving global and local
natural resources, existing infrastructure and the use of renewable energy.”
Ms Scaffidi said the council delivered and managed a diverse range of services and
initiatives that had potential to positively impact the environment.
“For this policy, ‘environment’ is not limited to flora and fauna – it extends to the integration
of natural and built surroundings, resource efficiency and how people interact with the city,”
she said.
“This policy will influence how we work with the community to address important
issues affecting the environment and ensure Perth continues to grow as a sustainable,
energy resilient and green city.”
More information on the City of Perth’s environment and sustainability initiatives, as
well as a summary of the research, key facts and achievements that have informed the
development of the policy can be found at perth.wa.gov.au/sustainability.
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Italy hosts this year’s World Environment Day global
celebrations, with the theme of resource efficiency,
sustainable consumption and production in the context
of the planet’s regenerative capacity.
“World Environment Day provides us with an important
opportunity to identify solutions for re-engineering our
consumer culture to create a sustainable society in which
everyone has enough to live well while staying within the
planet’s regenerative capacity.
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FRIDAY, JUNE 5, 2015 • 3
THE WEST AUSTRALIAN LIFTOUT
ADVERTISING LIFTOUT
Friday June 5, 2015
Editor: Louise Allan Writer: Laura Galic Subeditor: Kirsten Hyam
Design: Jessica Rykers Advertising: Regi Philip 9482 3497, Garry Llewellyn 9482 3037
Residual waste not wasted
Solar power a wise hip-pocket decision
Martin Biopower is a waste-to-energy (WtE) company
that converts embodied energy from non-recyclable
waste into green power.
As other renewable energy companies mainly focus on the metropolitan area,
E-Solar provides cost-effective energy solutions across all regions in Western
Australia, even in the most remote locations and demanding conditions.
Its partner company, Martin GmbH in Munich, Germany,
has provided more than 430 WtE systems in 33 countries
worldwide. For more than 90 years it has specialised in a
system known as the Reverse Acting Grate Vario, which
has now been released in Australia and New Zealand.
E-Solar is a long-running solar supplier and installer with more than two decades’
experience in grid-connected solar, hybrid solar and off-grid solar solutions with
battery back-up storage systems. For 27 years E-Solar has delivered the latest
technology to reduce customers’ bills and increase energy independence and has
built a solid reputation for going the extra mile in customer service.
WtE plants are used to avoid landfill and produce energy,
offsetting use of fossil fuel. The process captures and
neutralises the harmful substances already contained in
waste, such as mercury, lead, toxic chemicals and other
materials harmful to air, land and water if left for landfill.
While E-Solar primarily installs residential and commercial solar systems, it also
offers back-up power storage solutions, solar street lighting, LED lighting, AGM
Deep Cycle batteries and solar fold-up panels for camping.
extract value from waste for feed back to the local
community and the wider economy.”
According to Martin Biopower CEO and Professor Dr
Gerhard Janssen, emissions from these plants are well
below strict European standards.
There are more than 1000 plants throughout the world
serving communities by disposing of harmful waste and
producing useful, non-fossil fuel energy.
“Put in perspective, a plant serving a community of
half a million people will emit less carbon dioxide to the
atmosphere in a day than 10 minutes of freeway traffic
measured at one point,” he said.
WtE is an important component of the waste
management process, offering efficiency and economy
with a small environmental footprint.
“Landfills can produce methane from decomposing
material for up to 30 years and methane is more than
21 times more hazardous in the atmosphere than CO2
emissions from a WtE plant.
“Our energy is captured as steam and can be used for
heating, cooling industrial processes or converted for
grid electricity supply. Our company supports reduction,
reuse and recycling, but when there is residual waste
after those efforts, WtE processing can continue to
Roskilde Plant, Denmark.
“Prosperity means product production, consumption
and waste,” Dr Janssen said. “Our mission is to improve
the environment by converting energy in end-of-life
products to useful purpose and to do so by capturing and
neutralising for safe disposal the harmful components of
waste that could be a continuing hazard for human health
and natural eco systems.”
In a volatile industry, one of the greatest considerations for the consumer when
choosing a solar system is finding a company with a proven record and longevity.
E-Solar’s biggest strength is its ability to foresee industry trends, while also
offering diverse energy solutions for several market segments.
Before grid-connect became the domain of good marketing, E-Solar was busy
providing off-grid solutions to missions, schools and hospitals in developing
countries where more than 80 per cent of the population lived without electricity.
In totally unregulated market infrastructure, the company set standards and
broke new ground in order to operate and serve its clients in dire need of power.
According to E-Solar, choosing solar power is not only a proven environmentallyfriendly option to protect consumers from rising electricity costs, but it makes
good use of savings. Even taking a loan to install a solar system would be cheaper
than paying electricity bills at the end of the year, the company said.
Martin Biopower will offer information sessions on its
products throughout Australia. Visit martinbiopower.com
for more information.
Top Green Star rating underlines sustainability vision
City of Gosnells has become the first local government
in Australia to earn a 6-Star Green Star – Public Building
Design v1 rating.
It comes after the Green Building Council of Australia
awarded the council 75 out of 76 points for its first-round
submission for the Mills Park Community Facility in
Beckenham, recognising the council’s commitment to
environmental sustainability with its range of energy, water
and cost-saving measures built into the project.
Mills Park is currently being transformed with a state-of-theart community facility and cafe, high-quality playing grounds,
nature play children’s playground, piazza, extensive path
network and restoration of wetlands and waterways.
City of Gosnells Mayor Dave Griffiths said the award was
a great achievement in the council’s vision for a more
sustainable future.
“Earning this rating is considered world’s best practice
and this was achieved in round one, despite most
submissions going through two rounds,” he said.
“During the course of construction, more than 80 per cent of
waste generated will be recycled,” he said. “The wetlands and
parkland will also be protected from pollution and physical
damage during the construction process.
“The community facility design includes numerous watersaving features to conserve this precious resource. These
features include waterless urinals, low-flow taps and
water-saving showers.
“The building’s demand on the electricity grid has been
reduced by more than 30 per cent by utilising energyefficiency systems and a 30 kilowatt rooftop solar array
capable of generating up to 15 per cent of the building’s
electricity requirement annually.”
When complete the Mills Park Community Facility will
be the council’s second Green Star-rated building after
the Civic Centre, which was the first local government
building in Australia to achieve a 5-Star Green Star rating.
“This facility was specifically designed for WA conditions,
with a big focus on water harvesting and solar-powered
energy. A great number of cost and energy-saving
measures have been included in the building’s design to
deliver environmental benefits now and throughout its life.”
Leading the way in environmental sustainability
The City of Gosnells is proud to have
been officially recognised as a world
leader in environmentally sustainable
development, being the first public
authority in Australia to attain the
coveted 6* Star Green Star – Public
Building Design v1 rating.
Mills Park in Beckenham, a
$47 million flagship project, has
energy and water saving measures
built into its design to reduce the
facility’s environmental footprint and
save on operating costs.
City of Gosnells CEO Ian Cowie said materials from the
old buildings on the development site were sorted during
demolition and were subsequently recycled.
City of Gosnells Civic Centre.
In addition, the City of Gosnells
Civic Centre, which houses the
City’s administrative staff and
Council offices, achieved a 5 Star
Green Star rating by incorporating
innovative technologies such as
a thermal energy storage bank to
reduce peak energy demand.
The City of Gosnells has been working
towards reducing its carbon footprint since
1999 and continues to focus on being a
leader in environmental sustainability.
www.gosnells.wa.gov.au
Perth’s next water source:
Groundwater Replenishment
Climate independent and fully trialled, this new water source will eventually
deliver 28 billion litres of water each year. That’s enough to supply up to
100,000 Perth households and secure our water supply for generations
to come. Now that’s what you call fresh water thinking.
To learn more about groundwater replenishment,
visit watercorporation.com.au/gwr
4 • FRIDAY, JUNE 5, 2015
ADVERTISING LIFTOUT
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LIFTOUT THE WEST AUSTRALIAN
ENVIRONMENT Day
Campaign urges people to reduce consumption
We live in a consumer-driven world and with this
comes waste, a lot of waste.
Much of this can be recycled or reused in some
way but unfortunately, much of it ends up in
landfill. An example of this is what people discard
in bulk verge collections, where much of what is
thrown out has value.
You only have to see the people who are out
‘verge shopping’ during collection time to know a
lot of the objects are worth something. In many
cases, the items thrown out are simply things we
don’t want anymore; they are not really rubbish.
The Mindarie Regional Council (MRC) operates
a recycling centre and tip shop at Tamala Park
where it is free for people to drop off good quality,
unwanted, second-hand goods for reuse.
Rather than place furniture and other household
goods on the verge, people are encouraged to
bring in items and have them onsold at a bargain
price. Importantly, these items are given a second,
maybe even a third, lease on life and are diverted
from landfill. Tip shops such as this are popping up
across the state.
They, along with second-hand shops and online
sites, are becoming increasingly popular as a
source of quality items at a fraction of the cost of
similar new ones. Many household items, even
if they can’t be sold and reused, are made of
material that can be recycled.
At MRC’s recycling centre, people can drop off all
manner of recyclables for free, including paper
and cardboard, metals, glass bottles, white goods
(fridges, freezers, washing machines and dryers),
televisions and computers.
People can do so much for the environment by
simply following the mantra of ‘reduce, reuse,
recycle and dispose wisely’.
If everyone did just one thing to reduce waste
each day, millions of actions would result and
collectively it would make a big difference.
Reducing waste saves resources, energy, water
and the environment.
Will you accept the challenge?
Next month is Plastic Free July, an annual
campaign to create awareness of environmental
problems associated with plastics, in particular
single-use plastic products.
Plastic bags, plastic drinking straws, plastic wrap,
disposable plastic plates and cups are just some
of the many products people use once and then
throw away.
Plastic Free July aims to encourage people to look
at the way they consume and see where they can
reduce their consumption of single-use plastics.
The challenge is great for individuals, families or
workplaces and creates an interesting and fun
month of awareness.
The MRC supports Plastic Free July and
encourages readers to visit plasticfreejuly.org to
find out more, join the challenge and get ideas on
how to live plastic free.
The MRC is one of Western Australia’s largest
waste management authorities, dealing with nearly
400,000 tonnes of household waste every year.
Most of this waste is generated within the borders
of its member councils, including the cities of
Joondalup, Perth, Stirling, Vincent and Wanneroo
and the towns of Cambridge and Victoria Park.
The MRC’s vision is ‘winning back waste’ and
recognises waste as a valuable resource. The
council is committed to managing waste in line
with the ‘waste hierarchy’ in a way sensitive to the
environment and future generations.
TAMALA PARK
RECYCLING CENTRE
1700 Marmion Avenue, TAMALA PARK WA 6030
Grab a
bargain
The Mindarie Regional Council operates a Recycling Centre and Tip Shop
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at the Tip Shop from
a large range
of pre-loved goods.
Come see
for yourself.
FREE drop off for:
Unwanted good quality second hand items (e.g. furniture,
household goods, bikes, toys, building materials)
Recycables (e.g. paper/cardboard, glass bottles, metals, white
goods, TV & computers, oil)
Household hazardous waste (e.g. paint, batteries, gas bottles,
cleaner, pesticides, household chemicals)
Opening Times:
Drop off: 7 days 8am - 4:45pm
Tip Shops for sales:
Fri/Sat/Sun/Mon only, 8am - 4:45pm
For more information:
www.mrc.wa.gov.au