Waroona recycling is safe from landfill

Waroona’s recyclable waste is safe from being thrown into landfill after a last minute agreement was reached with a Perth-based facility.

Waroona Shire Council is one of about 20 regional councils in WA with a contract with Cleanaway, which had its operations affected by a fire.

Waroona shire president Mike Walmsley said the deal meant recycling would not go to landfill.

“Shire staff have been liaising with Cleanaway to find a solution to this issue,” Cr Walmsley said.

“It appears none of our recycling has gone to landfill.”

Last week a spokesman from the waste-management company confirmed an agreement had been reached to process Cleanaway’s recyclables using the Southern Metropolitan Regional Council’s facilities.

The processing of recyclables by Cleanaway has been in doubt following fires at three of the company’s processing plants in three months.

In November the company’s $20 million South Guildford recycling plant, the biggest in the southern hemisphere, was destroyed by fire.

On January 7 the Kwinana Beach recycling plant went up in flames, followed by a fire at the company’s Dardanup facility less than three weeks later.

Due to the nature of the materials at these sites, authorities issued a hazardous smoke warning for the affected areas.

The fires left the company unable to clean and process recyclable materials in preparation for export.

Along with other councils from around WA, Waroona’s recycled waste was at risk of going to landfill until the South Guildford facility could restart operations in about 12 months.

Cleanaway staff have been in negotiation with other waste processors in the hopes of using other company’s facilities to process their recyclables until the rebuilding work has been completed.

A Cleanaway spokesman said the company had reached a verbal agreement with the Southern Metropolitan Regional Council last week, which had been agreeable in both price per tonnage and length of contract.

“Late Friday afternoon a verbal agreement was reached between Cleanaway and SMRC,” he said.

“The terms and conditions are still being finalised.”