Council said the new landfill covering system would revolutionise daily waste management practices.

“The new equipment provides an innovative and cost-effective solution for the temporary covering of waste at the landfill site each evening to reduce the impact of vermin, litter and odour,” a statement from the council said.

Council’s commercial enterprises manager Andrew Pearce said the new landfill system would result in significant savings through eliminating the need to load, cart, deposit and spread a layer of soil over the active landfill site at the end of each day, as is current industry standard.

“The process only takes 15 minutes at the start and end of each day using council’s existing landfill compactor compared to the use of soil which takes around an hour per day and involves the use of various types of machinery,” Mr Pearce said.

“By eliminating the need to apply this daily layer of soil we are also saving up to 80 cubic metres of valuable landfill cell space each day.”

Council said the commissioning of the new equipment at its Buttonderry Waste Management Facility had generated national interest as it was the first system of its type to be imported into Australia.

Representatives from various waste management businesses around Australia attended the commissioning of the new equipment in Wyong, travelling from as far as Port Headland and Darwin.  

The equipment comprises a fabricated metal frame supporting 800 square metres of polypropylene tarpaulins, engines and hydraulics which all attach directly onto council’s landfill compactor.

The system meets the EPA’s requirements for covering waste to prevent odour and vermin and is the only type of alternate day cover that consumes no airspace and leaves nothing in the landfill.

“Managing increasing levels of landfill is a challenge for us all,” Mr Pearce said.

“We see this as a cost effective, safe, time-saving and environmentally friendly solution to our waste landfilling operations.”