Words: Helena Morgan

Veolia Group’s custom-designed waste compacting solution has decreased weekly waste collections by almost 66 percent, alongside reducing transport emissions by the same amount and halving waste operational expenses. 

Veolia NSW environmental services manager Brett Jones says the team works to overcome the common blunder of waste rooms being neglected in commercial building fit-outs. 

“It’s not unusual for waste rooms to be included as an afterthought in commercial buildings,” he says. “Our team has mastered the ability to develop creative solutions for difficult waste problems,” he says. 

Veolia collaborated with the supplier to craft a bespoke compactor unit responsive to the constraints of the site and capable of accepting up to 3.5 tonnes of waste at any time. 

This elevation in operational sophistication, spurred by designing a bespoke compactor unit, has decreased the frequency of waste collection. Waste collection times at the terminal have historically been twice a day, with cardboard a daily service. 

However, with the implementation of the bespoke compactor, general waste only needs to be collected once a week and cardboard bales are able to be collected three times a week – subsequently contributing to a decrease in diesel emissions.

“We will see a reduction of 17 truck movements every week, or 884 truck movements every year,” says Jones.

Additionally, the Port Authority of NSW estimates the new compactor and baler has produced a 50 percent reduction in the terminal’s waste collection costs.

Jones confirms such encouraging statistics only scratch the surface of Veolia’s sustainability prowess. The company is committed to supporting businesses small and large in achieving environmental transformation. 

“Whether we deploy technology such as the bespoke compactor, a dashboard to monitor waste in real time to see the immediate impact of sustainability changes, or develop streamlined systems to make recycling and resource recovery easier, Veolia has a multitude of unique solutions to help everyone,” says Jones.

Veolia vows to toss away the unrealistic and immobilising ‘one-size-fits-all’ model when devising sustainable energy and waste management solutions. “We are always prepared to develop creative solutions,” Jones concludes. 

A version of this story appeared on FMmedia.com.au

Photo by Joseph Bobadilla on Unsplash.