New Zealand’s Southern Cross Healthcare has embraced a recycling initiative in which its IV bags are given new life as a surface cover in children’s playgrounds. PVC IV bags from all 10 Southern Cross hospitals around Aotearoa are now being recycled and repurposed, with 4.25 tonnes of plastics recycled during 2023, according to Southern Cross Healthcare’s Head of Environmental, Social and Governance, Greg Nelson. “Each Southern Cross hospital has fully embraced the opportunity to recycle IV bags and reduce our environmental impact, so it’s amazing to think all this plastic, which otherwise wo ..read more

Siemens announces Beyond 1% Summit as a national event with global and local thought leaders in Sydney on 3rd and 4th July 2024. The two-day summit will unite leading industry, government and academia to discuss and map out how Australia can capitalise on opportunities with technology and digitalisation to grow business, strengthen the economy and contribute in a greater way to decarbonising the world. “Australia is responsible for about 1% of the global emissions. Our Net Zero 2050 commitment means that by 2050 the nation will have addressed those emissions. Embracing key technologies includ ..read more

In a Northwestern University study, a catalyst made from table sugar converted CO2 into carbon monoxide (CO), an important building block that could be used to produce a variety of useful chemicals. When the reaction occurs in the presence of hydrogen, for example, CO2 and hydrogen transform into synthesis gas (or syngas), a highly valuable precursor to producing fuels that can potentially replace petrol. With recent advances in carbon capture technologies, post-combustion carbon capture is becoming a plausible option to help tackle the global climate change crisis. But how to handle the capt ..read more

Engineers Australia has praised the Australian Government for taking a significant step towards sustainability through two new initiatives: the Circular Economy Ministerial Advisory Group (CEMAG) Interim Report and the Environmentally Sustainable Procurement Policy (ESPP). “These initiatives aim to create tangible benefits for everyday Australians. By transitioning to a circular economy and environmentally sustainable procurement, we are safeguarding our planet for future generations while driving economic prosperity for everyone,” said Engineers Australia CEO Romilly Madew AO. Taking effect ..read more

Integrated plastic packaging manufacturing and recycling company Pact Group has won the Circular Economy Award at this year’s Chemistry Australia Industry Awards for its efforts to recycle the equivalent of half a billion used milk bottles a year and turn them into new milk bottles. The CPA facility can recycle up to 20,000 t of used high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and polypropylene (PP) packaging each year at full operational capacity. This equates to around half a billion 2 L milk bottles. The facility uses state-of-the-art equipment to sort, shred, wash, sanitise and dry the material befo ..read more

Australian and European leaders in sustainability will come together in Sydney on 9 May for the inaugural Australian Product Stewardship Forum — an opportunity to share practical and strategic steps that manufacturers, brands, retailers and governments can take to produce and consume products without waste. Businesses and policymakers can expect to be inspired and challenged by a line-up of international and Australian speakers, with interactive panels furthering the discussion about what can be done to ensure products sold in Australia cause less harm to the environment and society across th ..read more

The VC & VR series of Galltec-Mela are rod-shaped compact sensors with high-grade steel housing. These sensors are developed to measure humidity and temperature in a wide range of applications and have been specially developed for use in extreme conditions. They are available with a 1.5 m connecting cable (VC series), without cable (VK series) or with a robust aluminium connecting head and terminal screws (VR series) for measuring relative humidity and temperature in air and other non-aggressive gases. The advantages of the series .../9 are its improved dynamics, in particular at low air ..read more

The Australasian Waste & Recycling Expo (AWRE) is back for its 15th year, taking place at ICC in Sydney from 24–25 July 2024. The event makes a welcome return as Australians grapple with the increasing complexities surrounding waste and recycling, compounded by the collapse of soft-plastic recycling firms like REDcycle. While the recycling rate in Australia is improving, the amount of waste we’re generating continues to increase as our population grows, according to the 2022 National Waste Report. The exhibition, featuring the AWRE Summit, will serve as a forum for leaders and profes ..read more

Gippsland Water provide quality Water and Waste Water services to the Gippsland Region of Victoria. At their Morwell Waste Water Treatment Plant, Gippsland Water have utilised two Gorman Rupp Ultra V series 3″ pumps as the inlet works pumps for the plant. Why did Gippsland Water select Gorman-Rupp Eradicator upgrade kit for this project? Until December 2020, the inlet works had a muncher prior to the pump suction lines. Following multiple position changes and two catastrophic failures, the last being the bottom bearing failing resulting in one side slipping down and chewing out all the teeth ..read more

In the realm of technology and digital transformation, data centres stand as critical infrastructures, powering the backbone of the internet, cloud computing, and the Edge. Yet, with great power comes great responsibility, especially in the context of sustainability and energy management. These facilities are among the largest consumers of energy worldwide; however, there lies a vast potential within them to redefine their energy consumption patterns and, in doing so, level-up their business operations. “Optimising the journey towards sustainability in data centres encompasses adoption of ren ..read more