From waste to wealth - Zero Waste

Environmental and
Economic Benefits
he plan being delivered by the Board will act
Tas a catalyst producing significant regional
economic and environmental benefits.
Economic benefits will come from investment in
infrastructure, an increase in employment, to a
flow-on effect in developing spin-off industries.
Environmental benefits will come from substantial
decreases in greenhouse gases and a reduced
dependency upon virgin and imported raw
materials.
Economic
A new economy based on the use of secondary
resources will stimulate investment into the
region of over $350 million and provide over
1,000 construction jobs. Revenue streams of
$60 million per year will create hundreds of new
permanent jobs.
As an example, one facility to reprocess mixed
household waste has the potential of directly
creating revenue streams in excess of $280
million over 20 years. The facility will employ 50
people and many more in associated spin-off
industries.
In addition, the saving of vast amounts of
materials from being wasted only adds to the
environmental invoice. The more materials reused,
the less virgin resources are needed.
!
The materials we discard
every year:
• 350,000 tonnes of wood
and timber
4
Another example is the building of nine Drive-
Thru Recycling Centres in the region which will
provide the opportunity for a $15 million
specialist electronic scrap facility to be built.
Environmental
Traditional landfilling of mixed wastes not only
impacts upon the immediate surrounding
environment but produces significant amounts
of greenhouse and other gases. It is estimated
that by avoiding this practice, we will reduce
greenhouse gas emissions in Western Sydney by
450,000 tonnes per year.
• 80,000 tonnes of paper
• 400,000 tonnes of domestic
waste
• 6 million tyres
• 175,000 tonnes of food
• 235,000 tonnes of construction/
demolition material
• 450,000 tonnes of waste from
the commercial sector