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The proposed Sydney waste plant will convert non-recyclable rubbish from local businesses and households into energy. This plan aims to reduce Western Sydney’s annual landfill dumping volumes by 500,000 tonnes.
Diverting substantial amounts of rubbish from the landfill to generate energy and provide electricity to thousands of homes and businesses nearby is what Sydney’s planned waste plant aims for.
However, the proposal has faced opposition from some environmental groups as they question the effects of building a new waste plant in the region.
On the other hand, Australia’s largest rubbish management company, which proposed the new waste plant, has committed to an inclusive consultation and approval process. This ensures that the creation of energy from waste will be safe and will not produce harmful emissions.
If the project becomes successful, it will give way to the world’s best combustion technology that would turn tonnes of rubbish, which may have ended up in landfills, into a clean and sustainable electricity source.
But many people are still unsure about Sydney’s planned waste plant and won’t support the proposal, thinking that it will only bring more harm to the environment. Major plans like this will always come with significant pros and cons. So, here’s to give you some of these things to clear your mind.
Pros
This planned waste plant is advantageous in many ways, from environmental, economic to social. It brings promising benefits, showing that it’s tangible and would technically improve Sydney’s waste management system and practices.
The following are a few advantages of establishing this new facility in the region:
New Job Opportunities for the Community
Once approved and the construction begins, several new jobs will open for Sydney’s community. The project will roll over the next three years and will need around 900 direct and 1,200 indirect construction workers for the building process.
When the waste plant is ready for operation, it will require fifty highly skilled and trained individuals to run the centre.
Reduction of Waste Sent to Landfills
As mentioned earlier, this new plant proposal aims to divert up to 500,000 tonnes of rubbish from landfill every year. This volume is about a third of the local area’s annual red bin waste production.
Besides, the Sydney region is running out of landfill space, and there are only two remaining areas that can accommodate general household rubbish. Hence, establishing this planned waste plant would reduce the region’s dependency on landfills through methods of turning rubbish into energy.
A Decrease in Methane Gas Emissions
Waste materials on the landfills produce methane gas when decaying. If the rubbish loads in these areas continuously increased and left uncontrolled, they may blow up and cause further global warming.
Unlike landfills, Sydney’s planned waste plant will not produce methane. Instead, it helps in reducing the volume of methane gas released in the environment by over 390,000 tonnes per year, making the project a lot safer than turning to the landfills.
Reduce Waste Management Cost
This energy-from-waste proposal presents a much lower waste management cost for the local councils, communities, and businesses. It cuts transportation, human resources, and handling time costs while ensuring a safer and quicker way of eliminating enormous loads of rubbish.
Production of Energy or Electricity
Creating electricity out of rubbish is one of the major objectives of this project. The proposed waste plant will produce up to 58 megawatts of energy that will power over 79,000 households and local businesses in the Western Sydney region.
New Educational Hub
The waste plant proposal includes an on-site Visitor and Education Centre. It will allow the community to visit the facility, tour around, and learn how rubbish reduction works. Visitors can also get some significant knowledge and ideas about recycling and reusing, resource recovery, circular economy, and energy-from-waste.
Cons
A major proposal like this one also involves disadvantages, and here are some of those:
Disputes Over the Merits of Burning Rubbish to Generate Energy
While this waste-to-energy plant may likely emit low toxin levels with its state-of-the-art filters, precipitators, and pollution control system, it will only become useful when properly operated and regulated.
On the other hand, opposition groups insist that this proposed waste plant will only produce more greenhouse gases and add to the pollution, further harming the environment.
But the other party contradicted this assumption and said that the technology is reliable and safe as many countries have successfully utilised it for a good purpose.
Sure, the waste plant will generate approximately 321,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year. However, this volume will get released in the form of fossil fuel electricity and significantly lowers toxic pollutants in the environment.
Expensive Capital Investments
It’s not surprising to know that building and operating this planned waste plant costs a lot of money. The project needs an estimated investment of over $700 million. This is because it will utilise the finest international practices and technology.
The said technology has a proven track record of being safe, known as the moving grate combustion. Above all, it includes the world’s most advanced and comprehensive air pollution control systems.
Conclusion
People may either doubt or support the local council’s plan to establish a waste-to-energy facility for many reasons. Major actions and proposals like this typically involve underlying benefits and detriments.
We’ve known that the Western Sydney region dumps residual rubbish of about 2,400 Olympic sized swimming pools on the landfill every year. This situation makes the community deal with the tangible pressure to improve waste management and find a more sustainable way to handle such matters.
Turning rubbish into energy to supplement reusing, recycling, and waste avoidance might be the sustainable method that we need. With today’s more advanced technology, the region gains an opportunity to become one of the leaders in smart waste management.
However, it’s important to consider the plans’ restraints like oppositions and costs as they can significantly affect the project’s outcomes.
If everything gets settled and the proposed waste plant becomes a success, it will be a significant milestone for the local councils and the entire community.
Learn more about Sydney’s waste management plans and programs through Aussie Junk. You may call our team at 0435 569 921 or email us at info@aussiejunk.com.au.
We are one of the leading rubbish removal service company in the region. Our team knows almost everything about handling and disposing of waste materials. We are also capable of sorting and removing various sorts of unwanted items in your area.
If you have concerns about rubbish loads, you can talk to us anytime.
