Why was the decision made by Council to undertake Energy Recovery?
In 2012, the Western Australian Waste Strategy introduced landfill diversion targets to increase the amount of resources recovered.
To meet the targets established by State Government, five Councils, including the City of Armadale, entered into agreements to supply residual waste to the now operational Energy Recovery facility in Kwinana.
Why hasn’t the City of Armadale introduced FOGO?
The updated Waste Strategy, now known as the Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Strategy (2030) was released in 2019. The strategy seeks to maximise resource recovery targets rather than landfill diversion, and advocates for the introduction of FOGO (food organics, garden organics) across local governments. A FOGO feasibility study was commissioned by Council in 2022 to evaluate the benefits of all waste disposal options available to the City. The most environmentally-sustainable and economically-viable option identified by the feasibility study is Energy Recovery combined with the two-bin system.
Why has my bin day changed?
In order for the City to facilitate route and collection efficiencies, some of the areas across the City required day changes. In August, several hundred households received a post card in the mail and had a bin sticker placed on the general waste bin advising of the bin day changes. These bin day changes are now operational, check the website for updated information regarding a change to your bin collections.
What about my recycling bin?
As part of the City’s commitment to the circular economy, waste avoidance and sorting at home and in the workplace is essential in order to recover materials for reuse. Please continue to place rinsed, empty plastic containers, cans, cardboard, paper, and glass bottles in your recycling bin to enable valuable resources to be recovered and manufactured into new products. In addition, set aside 10 cent Containers for Change drink containers, and donate them to local charities or redeem for cash at your nearest Containers for Change location. Please note items such as batteries, hazardous materials, tyres, and electrical appliances can never be placed in either general waste or recycling bins.
What happens to my waste after the general waste bin is collected?
Residual waste from Armadale and other Councils is thermally treated, with the resultant energy recovered to create heat, which is converted to steam to power turbines and generate electricity. The Kwinana Energy Recovery facility will deliver 38 megawatts of baseload power into the electricity grid, sufficient to power 55,000 homes. Incinerator Bottom Ash is also recovered at Kwinana Energy Recovery, which will be used to manufacture road sub-base and building blocks. Further information can be found at Kwinana Energy Recovery.
What does Energy Recovery deliver for us as a community?
By diverting waste from landfill, Energy Recovery delivers a more resilient, sustainable future to the community. Less landfill means less greenhouse gases (including methane) and achieves State Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Strategy 2030 targets. In the waste hierarchy, Energy Recovery is defined as preferable to landfill in achieving the objectives of the State's Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Strategy (2030).
