On October 25-26, free-to-attend Waste Expo Australia will create a platform for industry discussions around the theme of “Advancing Towards Sustainable Resource Recovery”.
The annual conference boasts 60 conference sessions and 100 expert speakers covering four streams including Local Government and Policy, Commercial Demolition and Commercial and Industrial (CD&CI), Circular Economy and Waste Innovation, and Waste to Energy; fostering an environment that encourages innovation, robust discussions and idea generation among industry leaders.
The adjacent exhibition plays host to more than 100 international and domestic suppliers including Bucher Municipal, EEA Group, Repurpose It, Komatsu, Eldan Recycling and TOMRA Collections, making it the ultimate sourcing platform for the waste and resource recovery sector.
With a growing focus in corporate and business circles on waste management, the circular economy and sustainable resource consumption, Waste Expo Australia 2023 comes at an opportune time for leaders to discuss trends, challenges and opportunities for the sector.
Michael Wood of Oakwood Consultants is chairing a panel session in the Circular Economy stream, discussing how a circular approach to food waste can drive useful horticultural solutions.
“Keeping food waste out of landfill sounds easy enough at face value, but it takes full cooperation from the food waste hierarchy to achieve meaningful progress in this area. Food waste can be a valuable resource for compost and other horticultural products, but it requires education and a consistent approach to waste,” said Mr Wood.
“Our panel discussion aims to bring together leaders at different levels of that food waste hierarchy and shine a light on best practices that can be integrated into daily life, promoting environmental stewardship,” said Mr Wood.
In the Waste to Energy stream, consultant and innovator Scott McArdle is contributing over several sessions, addressing new technologies on the waste-to-energy scene. Mr McArdle’s company, Zerogen, is investing in waste to hydrogen (WXH) technology, which he says has a key role to play in decarbonising both the waste economy and regional economies.
“The waste-to-energy sector is an under-utilised area of impact when it comes to addressing waste management challenges and supporting sustainable solutions. There are several key issues facing the industry in Australia, including policy and regulatory challenges, waste composition and investment.”
“Over several sessions at Waste Expo Australia, I’ll be guiding industry discussions through the present challenges, future direction and the big-picture end goal – a circular, net zero society that is focused on collaboration and “inside-out design” to make the impacts that we need,” said Mr McArdle.
Outside the conference streams, a plenary will kick off the conference, with keynotes from the Hon. Ingrid Stitt, Victorian Minister for Energy, Tony Circelli, CEO Recycling Victoria, Lee Miezis, CEO EPA Victoria, Matt Genever, Interim CEO Sustainability Victoria, and more.
With over 2,500 attendees expected including representatives from waste services, material recovery facilities, facilities management, landfill, government and consultancy, Waste Expo Australia stands out as an essential gathering for networking, procurement, and learning opportunities.
Waste Expo Australia Exhibition Director Samantha Martin says this year’s conference promises to be a meeting of minds in the waste management sector, driving discussions that have the potential to create real change.
“I’m particularly excited about the quality of speakers we have confirmed for this year’s Waste Expo Australia conference, as it will provide a genuine platform for insights across all aspects of the industry while driving best practices and new ideas that will shape the future of the sector. With access to plenary sessions and thought-provoking panels alongside the comprehensive exhibition, time invested in attending Waste Expo Australia will be well-spent,” said Ms Martin.
Both the conference and exhibition are free to attend, with registrations open now. Find the full conference program and register to attend Waste Expo Australia 2023 at https://bit.ly/WEAUtility
Utility Magazine is a Media Partner of Waste Expo Australia.
