Latest Industry News
- Victorian oil refinery fire may impact fuel supply April 15, 2026A fire broke out at the Viva Energy oil refinery in Geelong on the night of 15 April. Petrol production is expected to be impacted and authorities are warning the full extent of the damage is still unknown. Professor Yuan Chen in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Sydney said, “Australia’s […]
- Real-time monitoring reduces risk at pumping station April 15, 2026When a Scottish Water pumping station had to be taken out of service unexpectedly, the utility faced the risk of over-pumping. The team used real-time insights from a digital service to resolve the issue, avoid disruption and return the station to full operation. Scottish Water and Xylem were carrying out planned maintenance at St Nicholas […]
- Community food network closes its soft plastics recycling loop April 15, 2026When Australia’s supermarket soft plastics scheme collapsed in 2022, it exposed a structural weakness in the country’s recycling system. Soft plastics are among the least recovered materials in the country, largely excluded from kerbside recycling and reliant on voluntary drop-off schemes. Box Divvy, a community-based food network operating across NSW, Victoria and the ACT, has […]
- NSW closes EV gaps in regional areas April 13, 2026The NSW Government has released the 2026 NSW Electric Vehicle Strategy to help reduce emissions and make electric vehicles (EVs) — and their cost-of-living benefits — accessible to more people, with a focus on closing charging gaps in regional, remote and suburban areas. In NSW, there is growing interest in EV uptake, with sales making up […]
- Smart monitoring helps tram network cut water use by 70% April 13, 2026Yarra Trams cut water use at its New Preston Depot by almost 70%, saving 6.6 million litres of water a year, enough to fill 20 E-class trams after joining the WaterSmart program. The savings come after Yarra Valley Water installed data loggers at the depot as part of the Victorian Government’s program. The depot services […]
- Leafy greens identified as potential metal mining tools April 13, 2026Leafy vegetables could be used to extract toxic metals from contaminated soil for use in medical technologies and energy projects. University of Queensland geochemist Dr Amelia Corzo-Remigio said X-rays confirmed crops in the Brassicaceae family had strong ‘phytomining’ potential because of the mechanisms they evolved to extract traces of the metal thallium from polluted soil. […]
- Call for 10c increase on container return schemes April 9, 2026Environmental groups, community organisations and recycling industry leaders are calling on state and territory governments to increase their container deposit schemes’ refund amounts from 10c to 20c to increase the number of bottles and cans returned and give more money back to consumers, charities and community groups. The launch of the ‘20 Cents Makes Sense’ […]
- CCEP Australia strengthens producer responsibility April 8, 2026Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) Australia has installed a Return and Earn Reverse Vending Machine (RVM) at its Northmead production site in Western Sydney. The installation advances CCEP’s national strategy to expand access and convenience to recycling without increasing the cost to consumers. This underscores CCEP’s ongoing commitment to Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). Northmead is CCEP’s second consumer-accessible RVM […]
- Water transition key at Global Water Summit 2026 April 8, 2026At the Global Water Summit 2026 in Madrid (18–20 May), Alfa Laval will be part of the conversation driving innovation, collaboration and action to accelerate the water transition and empower industries to build operational resilience for a changing planet. The company helps customers not only reuse water but also recover valuable nutrients and energy from wastewater […]
- Veolia ANZ appoints new CEO April 7, 2026Veolia is moving into a new chapter in its development, leading to new appointments in its Australian and New Zealand operations. CEO and Managing Director Richard Kirkman, who has led Veolia ANZ for almost six years, will be succeeded by the company’s Chief Operating Officer Resource Recovery, Craig Barker. Barker has been with Veolia group for […]
- Canola may be key to Australia's biofuel April 7, 2026A new report by agribusiness banking specialist Rabobank highlights the key role the nation’s canola could play as a biofuel in future energy transition and security. The report, ‘Fuelling the future: How the new biofuel demand wave could reshape Australia’s canola sector’, said with the uptake of electric vehicles largely confined to passenger transport and having limited […]
- Map reveals hidden UV risk for next-gen solar panels April 7, 2026A global study by UNSW Sydney has revealed that ultraviolet (UV) radiation may be shortening the lifespan of next-generation solar panels by up to 10 years, with the study suggesting that current industry testing standards may not fully reflect real-world conditions. The researchers have developed a high-precision model to calculate how much UV radiation solar […]