BCME - Winter 2008

Dale Robbins, General Manager - Eco Cycle (which is a subsidiary business to CMA) Centre, Cr Mohamad Abbouche the Mayor of Hume City, and right, Hon Gavin Jennings, Minister for the Environment and Climate.

CMA Corporation (ASX: CMV) is pleased to announce the opening of its new $10 million mercury recycling facility at Campbellfield in Victoria.

The new state of the art facility is part of the CMA EcoCycle division and is the only EPA-licensed mercury recovery and distillation plant in Australia.

It is capable of processing and recovering the mercury, aluminium and glass found in most of the 90 million energy efficient light globes and fluorescent tubes disposed of each year in Australia and all dental amalgam waste generated by Australian dentists. The new facility will support a major growth push from existing levels, with CMA aiming to build throughout from 2 per cent of disposed globes currently to 10 per cent by the end of 2008.

A major chunk of the growth is expected from a new contract with retailing giant Woolworths that will see CMA EcoCycle processing approximately 70 tonnes per annum of their discarded tubes and globes.

CMA Managing Director Doug Rowe said the company believed the Campbellfield facility had the potential to be a substantial contributor to CMA, with the first earnings contribution expected in FY09.

“We are looking to significant growth based on the existing market and regulatory settings,” said Rowe.

“However, there is fast-growing community and political support for the mandatory recycling of end of life, mercury containing lighting products and amalgam waste from dentists. This would provide a further major boost to both CMA and the wider community.”

In opening the facility, Victorian Environment Minister Gavin

mercury recycling

FAcility lAunched

Jennings said that generally light globes end up in landfill and while modern landfills are constructed to strict standards that minimise any risk of mercury being released into the environment, the globes also contain valuable resources such as aluminium, glass and plastics that can be re-used.

“From a resource efficiency perspective, as well as to safeguard our environment, the ideal solution is to recycle the materials in these globes when they reach the end of their life,” he said.

Jennings congratulated CMA EcoCycle on investing in a first class facility.

CMA EcoCycle’s facility will be served by collection and crushing plants in all major Australian cities as well as mobile units capable of handling more remote areas.

Rowe said CMA’s EcoCycle business was growing quickly though the awareness of the dangers of mercury entering landfills and sewer systems.

“We see an enormous future for CMA EcoCycle,” said Rowe.

“Support from Government, councils and industry is encouraging and we are starting to see some momentum with compliance and control.

“Even though it’s promoted that there is only a small amount of mercury in fluorescent tubes and globes, the total amount is significant when you consider that 90 million are thrown out each year.

“This can add up to many tonnes of mercury entering our landfill.

“We all agree that mercury waste in landfill is environmentally damaging and bad for the community.”

Rowe said the Australian Dental Association in Victoria in conjunction with the EPA and water boards had also recently launched a program of voluntary compliance in relation to the recycling of mercury-containing dental amalgam used in fillings.

He said further target markets for mercury recycling were the petrochemical and mining sectors.

For further information visit www.cmaecocycle.net

AccurAte
visuAlisAtion

Blending design models with real world photographs for photomontage and 3D computer simulations has been achievable for some time now.

Australian company Whelans InSites has developed this technology with actual physical data pertaining to any property, anywhere, to return the ultimate ‘what-if’ scenario in a 3D photomontage.