When Orica, provider of commercial explosives and blasting systems, wanted to reduce operating costs and improve efficiencies at its manufacturing plant in Helidon, Queensland, the company went to Atlas Copco to seek advice. [ + ]

Marrickville Council’s successful remediation of Denison Road Playground in Dulwich Hill is complete, meaning the long-awaited community garden can now proceed. [ + ]

Bringing forward the emissions trading scheme (ETS) in Australia will affect landfill operators in two ways: by reducing certainty due to potentially volatile carbon prices and by reducing viability for Carbon Farming Initiative (CFI) projects due to the lower value of Australian carbon credit units (ACCUs) generated. [ + ]

CSR Roofing has been manufacturing terracotta roof tiles at its Vermont (Melbourne) factory for over seven decades. To replace its ageing compressor, the company chose an Atlas Copco VSD (variable speed drive) machine. [ + ]

Global water technology company Xylem has announced that its Flygt Experior system has reduced energy consumption and operating costs at a municipal water treatment plant in Cagliari, on the island of Sardinia, by 35%. [ + ]

The Environmental Bankers Association of Australia (EBAA) provides information on risk management, sustainable product finance, community responsibility and due diligence to its members. CEO of EBAA Grant Scott provides us with an insight into managing environmental risk from a banking perspective. [ + ]

Consumer preference, regulation, emerging valuation models, organisational change agility and the simple pragmatics of closing the product loop influence the development of the ‘green economy’ in the manufacturing sector. This thought piece unpacks some of those drivers as we begin the conversation to better understand what the challenges and opportunities of the green economy mean for Australia. [ + ]

Having been the Chief Executive of the Australian Water Association (AWA) for just over a month, my steep learning curve on the water industry has become apparent. However, I do have a clear direction for where the association is heading and what we should be doing to assist the Australian water industry. [ + ]

Construction companies that don’t consider the sustainability of assets in the original design phase of projects are missing out on a key piece of information that could significantly reduce costs and increase profits while increasing the sustainability of building practices and the buildings themselves. [ + ]

Australia’s Gulf region is on the verge of a boom that can be facilitated by greater investment in renewable energy, according to the CEO of Cairns-based development agency Gulf Savannah Development. Rob Macalister - one of the keynote speakers at All-Energy Australia 2013 in Melbourne on 9-10 October - is optimistic about the future in the area, which covers nearly 200,000 km, from Queensland’s Atherton Tablelands through to the Northern Territory border. [ + ]

Faced with continuing population growth, climate change and resource and financial constraints, governments around the world are introducing policies aimed at achieving productive, liveable and sustainable cities. From planning and design, to engineering and construction, the quest to deliver a high quality of sustainable living for Australians has become a key objective of both public and private organisations. [ + ]

In the early days of water treatment, naturally occurring zeolites (glauconite greensand) were used to soften and remove the iron and manganese from water. The greensand media was not ideal as it was a slow process which required periodic regeneration with potassium permanganate. Also, it couldn’t be used in lower pH waters and had relatively low operating temperatures. Therefore, in the 70s, scientists and researchers in Japan began to look for ways to apply oxidising technology to a silica-sand substrate and came up with the Quantum DMI-65 media. [ + ]

Ferngrove Wines has become a shining example of sustainable winemaking after installing one of Australia’s largest winery solar power systems. The Frankland River-based business has put the finishing touches to its $900,000 SunPowering Ferngrove project, the latest mark of its ongoing commitment to sustainability. [ + ]

Biogas can be burned directly in boilers for heat recovery and used for manufacturing, heating or cooling; this is the simplest method of direct biogas utilisation on site. Alternatively, it can be burned in engines to generate electric power (cogeneration). Combining hot water recovery with electricity generation, biogas can provide an overall conversion efficiency of 65-85%. [ + ]

Todae Solar has announced the completion of two of Australia’s largest rooftop solar systems, totalling 175 kW, on two clubs in NSW. A 99 kW system was installed on the roof of the Euston Club & Resort, while the Rules Club Wagga Wagga installed a 76 kW system. [ + ]