MRA Consulting Group is proud to announce the appointment of two Principal Consultants: Melbourne-based Jorja Pindor, who will strengthen MRA’s Strategy and Policy department and Karinne Taylor, who is joining our Sydney Team as the Lead for Circular Economy.
Circular Economy / Policy / Strategy / Waste
One of the most interesting Coffs Waste sessions this year was the COAG panel discussion addressing the forthcoming export bans on glass, plastics, paper and tyres where Minister Trevor Evans made a number of interesting key points.
Two grants have recently opened. The first is available Australia-wide and is for industry-led research addressing gaps in Australia’s waste and recycling capability. The second is just for NSW and is focussed on trials for solar panel equipment recycling.
Contact MRA to find out how these grants can work for you and benefit your local area and Australia.
The NSW Government has released its fourth round of the Bin Trim program under the NSW Government Waste Less Recycle More initiative.
MRA is looking for waste collectors, processors and recyclers that wish to explore new ways for reducing waste to landfill and increasing recycling.
The NSW Government has released its fourth round of the Bin Trim program under the NSW Government Waste Less Recycle More initiative.
MRA can assist organisations to deliver waste assessments and provides support and advice to NSW businesses to help reduce waste and increase recycling.
A few grants and funding opportunities are open in NSW, WA and nationally.
Councils, regional council groups, businesses and charities are eligible.
Contact MRA to find out how these grants can work for you and benefit your local area and Australia.
The National Waste Action Plan 2019 was agreed by Federal, State and Local governments setting national targets and actions for reducing waste to landfill. To achieve this, industry, waste generators and local government need the right market signals and regulations to drive the necessary investment.
The ‘Compost and soil water’ project aimed to investigate the effect of recycled organics on soil moisture. Through farm trials over two growing seasons, it was shown that demand for irrigation was reduced when compost was applied to the soil.
Check out the webinar summarising the project’s findings.
The ‘compost makes great bedding material’ project aimed to increase the awareness and use of recycled organics in the horse industry, by demonstrating and communicating that compost is a practical, suitable, and cost effective equine bedding and surfacing material.
The project webinar is now available online
It is more than two years since China National Sword and the limitations on export to Asian recycling nations, kicked in.
Recycling has not collapsed but it has taken some pretty big hits. So where are we up to now?
$24 million in funding has been released to support NSW local councils and the Alternative Waste Treatment (AWT) industry to transition away from MWOO following the 2018 EPA revocation of the order and exemption allowing MWOO application to land.
Following up on Virginia Brunton’s well received “Where to with food waste” article, Mike Ritchie discusses FOGO in MUDs.
Mike argues that collecting FOGO from MUDs is not just feasible, it is necessary. Getting food and garden waste out of all households will:
– reduce #waste to #landfill by 50% or more
– save up to 2.7% of Australia’s GHG emissions and
– produce millions of tonnes of soil enhancing compost.
The waste and recycling industry contributes close to 3% of Australia’s direct emissions. However, recycling abates much more by capturing the embodied energy of the recovered materials.
We can create a more sustainable Australia by reducing emissions, increasing recycling and growing new green jobs.
MRA managing director Mike Ritchie recently sent Minister Kean an open letter recognising the State’s successes in waste management and identifying key concerns and potential solutions for supporting resource recovery post COVID-19.
The Federal ban on exports of recyclables requires that over 100 new processing facilities be built to process the 1.3MT of recyclables that we previously exported.
Getting approval for waste facilities can be hard, expensive and time consuming. Esther Hughes provides a few pointers for making the process as painless as possible.
The Tipping Point 