There are many operational and behavioural changes that can be made to reduce the carbon footprint of facilities at a minimal cost, according to Dan Hoffman, one of the international keynote speakers at the upcoming Total Facilities expo. [ + ]

Around half of the primary energy consumed in industrial processes is currently wasted. Even steel produced by recycling scrap metal in electric-arc furnaces, for instance, requires approximately 370 kWh per metric tonne. In this type of furnace an electric arc is struck between several electrodes. The resulting heat causes the steel to melt before emitting a mixture of gases at up to 1700°C - a huge waste that might otherwise be used in the process or to generate electric power. [ + ]

The Almond Board of Australia released the findings of its study in March, partly funded by the Australian Government, which examines ways to reduce the almond industry’s energy use by using almond waste products as fuel to generate energy. [ + ]

Tenix has been awarded Australia’s first ever Infrastructure Sustainability (IS) Design rating, achieving an ‘Excellent’ rating level for the design of two sewage treatment plants (STPs) at Cannonvale and Proserpine in North Queensland. [ + ]

The National Sustainability Council has used the launch of its first public report to challenge Australians from all walks of life to become involved in a national conversation about the kind of Australia we want for ourselves and future generations. [ + ]

The International Ultraviolet Association (IUVA) and the American Water Works Association (AWWA) working group has released a new communication related to low-wavelength, medium-pressure disinfection. Berson UV systems are already in compliance. [ + ]

A €4.88 million research project at Queen’s University Belfast is aiming to recover valuable materials from the estimated 5.2 tonnes of waste we generate per person each year. [ + ]

SULO Australia is known for the manufacture of mobile garbage bins (MGBs) and operates one of the largest plastic injection moulding plants in Australia. Its facility is one of the most highly automated large tonnage injection moulding plants in the country. It produces 900,000 wheelie bins a year and has delivered in excess of 10 million units into the Australian market. [ + ]

SITA Australia introduced the WastED Time program to provide waste education to primary schools. [ + ]

A breakthrough innovation, designed to purify water through the rapid removal of oily pollutants, could have major environmental benefits in the agriculture and manufacturing industries. [ + ]

The Gold Coast desalination project, owned by the government statutory authority Seqwater, was the first large-scale desalination facility on Australia’s eastern seaboard. ABB supplied a wide range of automation and power products and systems which ensure that the plant is operated at a high level of efficiency and reliability. [ + ]

Air movement specialist Fanquip is supplying its Australian-made equipment to mining, steel and energy industries specialist Corky’s Sustainable Energy - a company developing systems to offset the carbon tax liability for some of Australia’s biggest emitters of greenhouse gases. [ + ]

Re-using the by-products of fruit and cereal processing could help promote the sustainability of the food industry, as long as its overall environmental fingerprint is clearly evaluated. [ + ]

Water Services Association of Australia (WSAA) has released a tool called AdaptWater that enables water utilities to identify what infrastructure is likely to be at risk during events like floods, bushfires, high winds and heatwaves, and assess different costed adaptation options to manage that risk. [ + ]

A project to push the efficiency of nanoplasmonic solar cell technology has received a $4 million grant under the Science and Industry Endowment Fund (SIEF). [ + ]