SITA Environmental Solutions (SITA) is one of Australia’s leading waste management and recycling companies. Our industry knowledge and experience combined with our comprehensive service range enables SITA to provide customers with integrated ‘cradle to grave’ environmental and sustainable waste management solutions.

SITA Environmental Solutions is a subsidiary of SUEZ Environment, which operates in 30 countries and has an extensive research and development facility that provides access to leading edge technology and the latest advice on a range of waste management issues.

For SUEZ, the increasing importance of the environment, due to consumer demand and the requirements of local authorities, the commitment by many companies to a sustainable development policy and changes in regulations creates a number of research challenges. In 2005 Suez Environment has dedicated a budget of 52 million Euros to Research and Innovation.

Waste: a resource

Determining the best way to minimise waste and maximise the potential value of residual products requires specialist skills, dedicated resources and facilities, and leading-edge systems. SITA tailors integrated, best practice waste reduction solutions to suit specific operational needs.

Today, one of the greatest challenges for SITA is to make our customers understand that waste can be a precious resource.

Waste can be recovered in different ways:

- Material recovery from waste requires in using all, or part of, the waste materials generated so that, once transformed, they can become raw material for new products.

- Energy from waste is achieved by using waste's calorific power, by burning and then recovering the energy produced to heat buildings or produce electricity. For example, Biogas – a fuel resulting from the fermentation of organic waste – can be used to produce electricity and heat, or as a clean fuel. The two principal sources of Biogas are sewage plants and domestic waste landfills.

- Biological recovery can be used to enrich depleted soils. The process consists of treating and recycling biodegradable waste: the organic matter contained in waste, after composting or methanation. Products can then be used as fertiliser for agriculture or gardening consisting of household bio waste, organic waste from industry, agricultural waste, sludge from sewage plants, etc. Biological recovery provides an alternative to chemical fertilisers.

For more information, please visit SUEZ-environnnement.com