Posted 1 November 2021
Mount Hotham Resort Management Board’s innovative treatment and re-use of recycled glass has been recognised in the 2021 Premier’s Sustainability Awards, with the organisation announced as a finalist in the “Waste Reduction and the Circular Economy” category.
“We’re thrilled to be a finalist and appreciate the recognition for our teams, who are constantly working on innovative ways to improve the sustainability of the resort,” said Amber Gardner, CEO of Mt Hotham Resort Management Board (RMB).
The RMB installed an automated sorting station and glass pulveriser in 2020, and is expected to save about $15,000 per year in costs associated with manually sorting and removing glass waste from the resort.
The resulting crushed glass aggregate that can used for road sealing, in concrete, and as a grit for icy roads and on tracks and trails.
With up to 70 tonne of crushed glass to be generated each year, there will be enough aggregate to potentially seal 2000 to 3000 square metres of surfaces at Hotham.
Greater efficiency and a better result for the environment
Sorting previously required the resort’s waste team to pick through bags of recyclables and move between several skips to dispose of the different items.
The new sorting station sees bags emptied onto a conveyor belt and the waste carried up to a platform from where it is separated into individual bins.
It cuts the time previously spent sorting recyclables in half, improving workflow and efficiency while offering occupational health and safety benefits too, by removing previous labour-intensive practices and the unnecessary handling of contaminated products and broken glass.