WesCEF - Circularity

The disposal of unwanted waste generated from WesCEF’s manufacturing plants is managed via the adoption of circular economy principles, which include reducing the use of non-renewable inputs, lowering carbon emissions and decreasing waste production. 

There are several opportunities to find new markets for WesCEF’s waste, in terms of recycling and potential reuse. A total of 87.4 per cent of waste was diverted from landfill in the 2023 financial year, compared to 85.9 per cent in the previous year. An example of reuse is WesCEF’s nutrient-rich wastewater at its CSBP Kwinana site in Western Australia, which is utilised by an external compost-producing facility. Progress was also made to repurpose wastewater at the CSBP Geraldton site in Western Australia, which involves incorporating the wastewater into a new low-strength liquid fertiliser being trialled with a regional grower. In addition, used bulk containers normally used for chemical storage continue to be returned to the supplier for reuse or recycle.

Further improvements include the collection of data to track the type and quantity of inputs used in production processes to identify if more sustainable alternatives are available, as well as improving WesCEF’s governance structure to deliver a mature circular economy strategic approach.