A smarter solution to landfill – advanced waste processing
Key points
- With landfills in South-East Melbourne filling up and no more planned to be built, we teamed up with 8 other Councils to find a smarter solution for managing our household waste using advanced waste processes.
- Advanced waste processing (AWP) solutions are modern, proven technologies that recover valuable materials or produce electricity and heat from rubbish.
- Through a commercial procurement process, Maryvale EfW Facility has been chosen to provide the community with this vital alternative to landfill. The facility is scheduled to be operational by 2029.
Why advanced waste processing?
Landfills in south-east Melbourne are filling up and there are no future landfills planned to be built.
That, along with increasing waste production and landfill costs and the environmentally damaging and unsustainable nature of landfills, a smarter solution is needed.
Advanced waste processing (AWP) solutions are modern, proven technologies that recover valuable materials or produce electricity and heat from rubbish.
AWP facilities are already being used safely and reliably around the world, including in the United Kingdom, Europe, Asia and North America.
AWP will mean a lot less rubbish being sent to landfill which benefits our community and the environment. Alongside recycling and separating green and food waste for composting, advanced waste processing is a smarter solution for household rubbish in the future.
For more information, see the SEMAWP About AWP fact sheet.
Project overview
We teamed up with 8 other councils across South-East Melbourne to establish a company called South-East Metropolitan Advanced Waste Processing (SEMAWP) Pty Ltd, to find a smarter solution for managing our household waste using advanced waste processes.
In 2020, a commercial procurement process for an AWP alternative began with an Expression of Interest. Three industry candidates were selected, prepared detailed proposals and reviewed by the evaluation panel.
In July 2024, the procurement process finished with SEMAWP choosing Maryvale EfW Facility to provide the community with this vital alternative to landfill. The facility is scheduled to be operational by 2029.
For more information go to council’s media release.
What does this mean for the Cardinia Shire?
Once the facility is operational, our household waste that cannot be diverted to other appropriate disposal and recycling locations will be taken to Maryvale EfW Facility.
The facility uses the most common AWP technology (waste to energy) with hundreds of facilities operating safely and reliably throughout the world.
For more information, see the SEMAWP Waste to Energy Technology fact sheet.