Ipswich City Council

Waste

Landfill Case Studies

Whitwood Road Landfill, Ipswich

A project based on collecting gas emissions from Ipswich landfill sites is currently in place at Whitwood Road. The project, a partnership between Ipswich City Council and Landfill Gas Management Systems Pty Ltd (LMS), is utilising the landfill gas which is being used to generate ‘green power' instead of total reliance on fossil fuels. This obviously has a number of environmental benefits leading to a healthier, happier environment.

Whitwood Road Landfill is currently producing enough green power from the landfill gas to service around 4000 Ipswich homes! This means that 12% of Ipswich's community is benefitting from 'green energy'! Although generating ‘green energy' from our landfills is good news, even better is to find alternatives to just throwing rubbish out.

Our landfill in Ipswich has been operating for about 25 years and has only around 6 years of operation left. After this time, when the landfill is full, another large area will have to be found in which we can dump our rubbish!! We can all help by thinking more carefully about what we throw out. Lots of rubbish that is ending up in landfill could actually be recycled, reused or composted...so please think before you throw!!!

The Ti-Tree Bioenergy Facility

Located near Ipswich, the Ti-Tree Bioenergy facility is finding another use for our waste. It is similar to a landfill but it uses bioreactor technology to dramatically accelerate the rate of waste stabilisation and helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions by using the biogas as a renewable energy source. For more information, go to http://www.titreebioenergy.com.au/.

Thiess Services' Swanbank Landfill

Swanbank landfill is also at the forefront of the ‘green' energy revolution as part of one of the largest waste-to-energy projects for a single landfill in Australia. Landfill gas from the Swanbank Landfill has directly supplemented black coal fired power generation at Swanbank Power Station. For more information go to http://www.thiess-services.com.au/home/index.htm.

In addition, Filbert's Place is an environmental interpretive education centre located at Thiess Services' Swanbank Waste Management Facility. The centre along with the Swanbank Environmental Education Experiences (SWANEEE) program has been developed to provide teachers and students with a unique perspective into waste management, energy production and greenhouse gas avoidance. Tours are available between Tuesday and Friday.

For more information or to book, contact Keep Australia Beautiful Queensland at http://www.keepaustraliabeautiful.org.au/.

Last Updated 8 Aug 2008 |

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