Resource Recovery + Recycling

A key part of waste management is working out what can be reused or repurposed. Many forms of recycling occur every day some of which can even be done at home. Food scraps can be used to create compost and feed your plants, plastic milk containers can be used as garden planters. You can even recycle paper at home.

Recycling Plants

Once we have collected, sorted and determined that waste such as plastic, aluminium, tin, paper & glass are able to be recycled we transport them to our recycling plants otherwise known as ‘Material Recovery Facilities (MRF).’

There the materials are sent through various conveyor belts and pass through a larger cylinder device called a Trommel. The Trommel spins around and has a series of holes which heavier recyclables like glass, cans & plastics will fall through whilst paper will continue through to be packaged up and recycled.

The remaining materials will then go through a large magnet to remove any metals, and then through an air classifier to sort all the lighter materials like cans and plastic away from the glass.

Each sorted material is then ready to begin a new life again at manufacturing plants.

Compost Farms

Towards Zero also operate a series of compost farms to help breakdown biodegradable wastes such as tree & lawn cuttings, food scraps, and animal manure. We use a process called Windrow Composting where we create long rows of organic material which are then periodically turned over by a Compost Windrow Turner. These vehicles drive along the rows, turning over parts of the compost to make sure that oxygen vital in the breakdown process is spread throughout the row, as well as making sure the row is at a stable temperature. This also allows any of the decomposing gases to safely escape.

Other green waste such as branches and tree trunks can also be mulched up, creating tan bark or mulch which can then be used in gardens or public areas to help conserve water and protect the soil.