services

APC offers a complete range of solid waste management consultancy services, utilising our extensive knowledge, experience, networks, proprietary modelling solutions and detailed on-ground expertise. Our staff has more than 130 years of combined practical solid waste management experience, meaning we can meaning we can provide innovative, reliable and cost-effective waste solution for your organisation.

We cover the full spectrum of solid waste and resource-recovery solutions and provide services and advice across our core focus areas, including:

Waste Characterisation Audits

APC’s Director pioneered waste auditing in 1993 and today APC is the leading waste auditing and characterisation consultancy in Australia. We have completed more than 400 solid-waste audits covering domestic, commercial, special event, public place, litter, landfill, transfer station, MRF and AWT feedstock audits in metropolitan, regional, rural and remote areas throughout Australia and in the UK.

APC completed the first and only national solid waste characterisation study of residential dry recyclable and residual waste streams in 101 councils across Australia in 1997 for the Beverage Industry Environment Council (BIEC). This was, and remains, the largest and most extensive assessment of domestic waste composition ever undertaken.

We conduct unique waste characterisation assessments for clients, including particle size distribution and moisture testing key considerations in AWT, as well as waste-to-energy feedstock assessments.

Other technical audits include determining the impact of collection vehicle compaction on glass breakage and dry recyclables in both CDS and non-CDS states and assessing more than 500 truckloads of garden organics and dry recycling to determine contamination and composition.

The APC database holds the largest domestic waste composition data in Australia and the only time–series data set covering the past 16 years, which allows us to provide time–series trend data and undertake performance benchmarking.

APC employs a statistician to provide data quality assurance and detailed, verifiable data sets to our clients. This value-added service provides peace of mind and certainty to our clients who rely on quality data to make informed decisions.

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Waste Management Plans & Strategies

APC has a proven track record in developing and implementing innovative, pragmatic and sustainable approaches to waste management.

Our team has been employed in local, state and federal government, and industry and community sectors throughout Australia and internationally. We understand the specific needs of each sector. We adopt a bottom-up approach, based on ascertaining facts, collecting data and leveraging these to recommend practical, reliable and innovative outcomes. Our combined team has delivered world best practice waste management strategies and resource-recovery solutions throughout Australia. Our experience and skills allow APC to deliver unique and complex projects to meet your every need.

We specialise in regional, rural, remote and isolated areas and have pioneered and overseen the development and implementation of strategic waste plans and programs in some of Australia’s most challenging and iconic locations, including the World Heritage-listed Lord Howe Island, Norfolk Island, Rottnest Island, Kangaroo Island, the Gascoyne region of Western Australia incorporating the Ningaloo Reef coastline, Warraber Island in the Torres Strait and Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY Lands) in South Australia.

We have developed holistic strategic waste management plans for communities and councils, as well as specific plans targeting the domestic, C&I, C&D waste streams nationally.   We have been responsible for strategic plans targeting litter, public place and special event waste streams, including the development of the Waste Strategy for the Urban Domain (Sydney Olympic Village) for the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.

More recently, architects and private developers have engaged APC to assist in the planning and design of waste management, resource-recovery and reuse programs for large-scale domestic and commercial development projects around Australia, including a Master Plan for the Sydney Olympic Park Authority and programs for university campuses and other tertiary educational institutions.

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Community Consultation and Stakeholder Engagement

A cornerstone of our approach and what differentiates us in the waste management industry is the extensive community consultation and stakeholder engagement we undertake to hear first-hand the views and opinions of both individuals and groups when undertaking waste projects. We believe that community, staff and stakeholder engagement is key to gaining support and detailed understanding to drive innovative and pragmatic solutions to waste management issues.

Market research is undertaken using surveys designed and approved by our statistician to further understand and drive viable options for waste management and to gain insight into the needs of the community at hand.

We facilitate workshops, forums, focus groups and public meetings on issues ranging from resource management, design for recovery, waste collection and disposal options, landfill development proposals, carbon and pollution management.

We have undertaken extensive stakeholder consultation to fully understand, appreciate and negotiate desired outcomes.

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Resource Recovery and AWT Options Assessments

APC’s staff has been directly involved in the waste and resource recovery sector since 1978, both within Australia and internationally. We have designed and facilitated the introduction of recycling programs for households, workplaces, public places and special events and have assisted public and private clients to develop, monitor and measure system performance against local, state, national and Australian Packaging Covenant targets.

APC has been involved in the development of feasibility assessments, the preparation of tender documents and the assessment of AWT and thermal technologies for the Australian waste industry. We have undertaken waste characterisation studies, moisture testing and size composition studies for AWTs, calorific value assessments of waste for thermal treatment facilities and have an intimate understanding and appreciation of the various waste treatment technologies available and their capabilities for the Australian market.

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Asset management

APC provides specialist waste asset management services, including audits of council bins, facilities and vehicles to assist with effective asset management and planning. Our experience in the verification and accuracy of databases for council rates and bin infrastructure has provided certainty and contract specification assurance to our clients when planning for waste management infrastructure and budgets for their communities. The provision of such data also allows for contractors to accurately quote and specify costs in tender responses, saving councils money.

APC has conducted audits of waste asset infrastructure in large urbanised areas down to small-scale commercial bin infrastructure audits for council commercial trade waste collections.

We have undertaken operational reviews of kerbside collection systems, regional waste management systems and landfill operations across Australia to increase efficiencies and improve performance, including privately owned landfill/transfer stations, MRF and AWT facilities. We take a multi-faceted approach, reviewing site operations, administrative functions, regulatory liabilities, operational, quality, compaction and contractual matters that are vital to the waste and resource recovery sectors.

Our experience in metropolitan, regional, remote, island and indigenous communities is integral in ensuring that the right solutions and opportunities are identified and delivered, based on the prevailing needs of the wider community.

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Operational and Infrastructure Assessments

APC has undertaken a range of operational reviews including assisting public and private sector and their contractors by providing an independent review of  current waste and recycling services and infrastructure including collection vehicles, bins numbers, size and service frequency, processing and sorting equipment, training needs and educational resources

We have identified potential recycling opportunities and developed strategies and operational plans to separate waste at source by introducing new resource recovery programs. We have assessed current waste streams and through a cost benefit demonstrated economic and environmental savings.

We have assisted clients develop and respond to new contractual arrangements, identified preferred sites for the installation of public litter and recycling bin enclosures, undertaken time and motion study for council services where day labour staff are used and evaluated the performance of the waste management system.

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Tendering Services

We have extensive experience in the development, assessment, and oversight of domestic, commercial, public-place and facility waste collection and processing contracts. We act as an independent assessor on tender evaluation panels for collection contracts and AWT technologies, and have written tender documents for government and private-sector clients.

Our detailed, hands-on experience in all areas of the waste industry, including landfill management, gives APC the advantage in developing the right tender solutions our clients. Our understanding of the tender submission and evaluation process provides clients with a winning edge, where we work with you in preparing your tender and quotation responses.

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Education and Training

APC has expertise in the development and delivery of waste education and training programs. Education is an essential component in informing, engaging and motivating the community. APC has led research on how eight different nationalities and indigenous groups receive typical waste and recycling messages. We have developed waste education materials and resources for councils, commercial enterprises, educational facilities, indigenous communities and major waste operators around Australia.

We facilitate workshops, forums, focus groups and public meetings on issues ranging from resource management, design for recovery, waste collection and disposal options, landfill development proposals, carbon and pollution management.

Our staff have been published widely in both industry and academic publications and have delivered numerous public presentations and conference papers to broaden the understanding of both the industry sector and the community as part of our wider waste management initiatives.

APC can develop education materials or training packages to suit the needs of individual councils or corporate clients. We work closely with our clients to ensure the right messages and information are conveyed and tailor our programs to suit any stakeholder, for example community, schools, industry, staff, elected members or management.

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Australian Packaging Covenant Compliance

APC has an intimate knowledge of the Australian Packaging Covenant and its compliance requirements. APC’s Director sat on the National Packaging Covenant Council from 2006 to 2009.

We provide technical support and assistance to ensure signatories meet their obligations under the current Covenant and negate any issues surrounding signatory compliance.

We assist clients to: 

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Product Stewardship and Supply Chain Sustainability

The staff at APC has long-term experience in assessing product stewardship and supply chain situations across a range of industries and products. We provide technical assistance for decision-making and to support strategic planning for environmental and business improvements related to design, sourcing, operations, products and their ‘end of life’ management.

APC has been involved with local and international supply chains and has assisted businesses with supply chain sustainability planning, assessment of their operational and supply impacts on waste volume and management, and the adoption and implementation of Sustainable Packaging Guidelines (SPG) by suppliers. Staff members have also completed training and product assessment projects to help businesses understand their products’ environmental impacts resulting from design, manufacture and end-of-life scenarios. We have assisted businesses with design and implementation of management systems to support a broad range of applications, including labelling, environmental assessment of packaging and environmental management at International Standards Organisation (ISO) level. APC can help organisations understand the requirements of these systems and the relevance and opportunities they present.

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Indigenous Waste Management Solutions

APC has pioneered work in indigenous communities endeavouring to leave a lasting legacy of sustainable waste management for present and future generations.

APC has spent four years designing, developing, implementing and monitoring improved waste management practices with 14 indigenous communities in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY Lands) and on Warraber Island in Torres Strait.

These projects  clear direction for government and all stakeholders on what the parameters for improved waste management programs should be in all indigenous communities. It is hoped that the outcomes of these projects will set new standards and benchmarks for improved waste management in other remote indigenous communities across Australia.

We have undertaken cross-cultural training to be both sensitive and aware of the cultural and social issues when working with indigenous communities.

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Data collection and analysis

APC can collect and collate data to your requirements and to meet third party standards. Our highly experienced senior staff with over 30 years’ experience can undertake detailed interpretation of your results.   We employ a statistician to provide data quality assurance and detailed, verifiable data sets to our clients. This service provides peace of mind and certainty to our clients who rely on quality data to make informed decisions and comply with prescriptive regulatory and other reporting requirements.

The APC database holds the largest national domestic waste composition data in Australia and the only time–series data set covering the past 16 years. This allows us to provide trend data and undertake performance benchmarking. We also hold data on the composition of over 500 truckloads of recyclables and more than 200 days of visual waste load assessments at transfer station and landfills.

We have verified national recycling rates for LPB and newsprint through a combination of desktop analysis and physical audits.

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Carbon Management

APC has assisted numerous government and private sector clients to not only determine and understand their greenhouse gas emissions profiles and liabilities, but also the mitigation strategies, adaptation measures and management plans available to manage their liability.

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Remote and Island Waste Management Solutions

>While much progress has been made in many areas of outback and island life, waste in many localities is still managed as it has been since the early 1900s. This is due in part to conflicting priorities, competition for extremely limited funds, limited resourcing and an ‘out of sight, out of mind’ mentality.

APC has pioneered work in remote and island communities and have a proven track record of delivering world best practice outcomes, having overseen the development, planning and implementation of waste management strategies, plans and programs in some of Australia’s most challenging and iconic remote and isolated areas, including World Heritage-listed Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island as well as Rottnest Island and Kangaroo Island.

On behalf of the South Australian State Government, APC reviewed the current and future waste management needs of the unincorporated areas of South Australia, an area that covers more than 64 per cent of the state’s landmass.

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