Entech Environmental Services, Australia

The Problem

One of the most valuable mineral exports from Australia is coal for use as a fuel primarily in the Asian region. The mining, processing and distribution of coal is a complex process with the coal producers always looking for ways to minimise their impact on the environment and improve efficiency.

One of the most valuable mineral exports from Australia is coal for use as a fuel primarily in the Asian region. The mining, processing and distribution of coal is a complex process with the coal producers always looking for ways to minimise their impact on the environment and improve efficiency.

Our Solution

Waste and by-product management has become a major issue for organizations globally. This is focused in the areas of cost minimization, regulatory compliance and environmental performance. In recognition of this, Entech Environmental Services has developed a state of the art Total Waste Management Information System, "The TWM® System".

The TWM® System has been designed so that all waste including by-product materials, can be optimally managed from the point of generation through to their final point of disposal. TWM® System also provides organisations with the capability of determining green house gas reductions associated with recycling and reuse initiatives.

TWM® is a web application built using Microsoft .NET technologies and allows users to access the system over the world wide web so that all reporting functions can be performed from anywhere at anytime providing the user has an internet connection.

TWM® is a powerful tool for optimising waste minimisation strategies, reducing waste disposal costs and streamlining corporate and statutory reporting requirements.

The Outcome

The coal producer adopted Entech Industries TWM® system as the waste management and reporting system for the entire operation. The first stage of implementing the system involved conducting a waste audit using the TWM® system to benchmark current waste practices as well as all waste streams. This included inputting all current waste transporters and disposal locations of each waste stream. This resulted in the creation of a waste register report from the system that ranked each waste stream from most important to least important in terms of the combined effect of environmental significance and cost. Inputting all waste streams into the system, also acted a waste manifest for the site.

From the information gained from this process in particular the waste register, the coal producer implemented a process of continual improvement for their operation. This included a focus on cleaner production and waste reduction measures including recycling, waste reuse and resource recovery, to divert materials away from landfills.

Once these new systems were in place the coal producer continued to use the TWM® system as an integrated waste tracking process, that tracks the movements of waste both onsite and offsite, including producing all statutory waste tracking. The system also acted as a due diligence process, to ensure only waste contractors who were licenced to transport/treat/dispose of the waste materials were able to be chosen in the system.

The coal producer now views waste management as an integral part of it’s continual improvement process. Their use of the TWM® system allows them to track their performace against set targets and benchmarks. The reports that are generated from the system are compiled and used to meet corporate reporting responsibilities. This approach to corporate reporting is being commonly adopted by triple bottom line focused organisations.

Greenhouse gas and energy reporting is identified as a future integral part of an organisations reporting requirements as such reporting will be the basis of Australia’s imminent Emission Trading Scheme. Entech’s TWM® system will allow clients to accurately report on waste management activities that could be associated with Greenhouse Gas Emmissions’ offsets, such as waste reuse and recycling.