Soil Recycling in Australia

Explore how Soil Recycling Co. improved soil management with ALLU’s DN 3-12 TS 25 Axe bucket, enhancing efficiency in recycling practices.

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Case study

Soil Recycling Management in Australia

Victoria, Australia

Material Soil

Industry Agriculture, Landscaping, Recycling, Soil Remediation

Application Soil Screening and Recycling

Function Screening, Crushing, Aerating

Model DN 3-12 TS 25/50 Axe Variable Drum

Soil Recycling Co. is at the forefront of soil screening in Australia, dedicated to promoting the reuse of soil as a valuable resource rather than disposing of it in landfills. This innovative company specializes in soil handling and recycling, collaborating with major waste management firms like ResourceCo to transform organic waste into usable products such as soil mixes for gardening and landscaping. Currently, Soil Recycling Co. is working at the South Gippsland Highway, Hampton Park in Victoria.

Founded in 2012, Soil Recycling Co. emerged from a passion for soil and organics, recognizing the inefficiencies in how materials were handled. The company saw countless trucks transporting soil and organic materials, only for them to return to the site soon after. This inefficiency sparked the mission to make onsite resources usable, eliminating unnecessary transport and fostering sustainable practices in the industry.

When Chris Keay, the Director of Soil Recycling Co., faced the challenge of processing wet, clumped soil that affected the performance of the Terex Ecotec Trommel, he recognized the necessity for a more effective solution. Two main issues arose due to the damp and wet soil:

Less aerated soil resulted in clumps clogging the hopper and Trommel.
The operator, Craig Jameson, had to clean the trommel multiple times a day, leading to significant downtime and fatigue, thus affecting productivity.

Initial attempts with another type of screening bucket featuring outdated drum technology failed to break down the lumps and dense soil, resulting in clogging and drastically reduced production. In search of a more reliable option, Chris Keay reached out to Walkers Hammers on September 16th, 2024, and discovered the innovative screening solutions from ALLU.

After reaching out to Walkers Hammers, Chris was introduced to Sami Rahman, the ALLU area sales manager based in Melbourne, Victoria. Together, they identified the ALLU DN 2-12 with TS 25 Axe as the optimal bucket for the demo. Sami, along with Carlo Costanzo from Walkers Hammers, prepared the rental bucket for a demonstration scheduled for September 17th. Upon arriving at the site, it became clear why the Trommel Screener had been struggling; persistent rain had saturated the soil, complicating the processing.

Once installed on the Hidromek excavator, the ALLU bucket quickly demonstrated its capabilities. The unique TS drum setup, designed for anti-clogging, optimal flow and self-cleaning, allowed for effective processing, leading to significant improvements in output. Impressed by its performance, Chris decided to keep the rental bucket for ongoing use, ensuring he had the right equipment to tackle his challenges effectively.

To further enhance productivity, the decision was made to switch from TS 25 to TS 50 blades, allowing for better fragmentation of larger soil lumps. Carlo from Walkers Hammers took the bucket back for the blade change, although it could have been done onsite. The bucket was delivered the next day with the blades changed to TS 50, ready for action.

Operational Highlights:

September 18: ALLU bucket installed in the morning; processed 310 m³ of topsoil for the remainder of the day (measured from the monitoring system installed on the Terex Ecotec Trommel).

September 19: Next full day of operation with the ALLU bucket, processing 280 m³ of topsoil due to the poor weather with heavy rain.

September 20: To be able to compare the customer decided to use the GP bucket the full day which resulted in approximate 20% lower efficiency than the ALLU bucket, and required frequent cleaning due to clogging issues.

The following are production figures with ALLU and GP bucket after the demo/test:

In addition to enhancing productivity, the ALLU Variable Drum allows customers to bid on smaller jobs, reducing reliance on larger trommels. Immediately, the productivity of the Terex Trommel increased by 10-20% with the smaller ALLU rental bucket, and with the new purchased DN 3-12 TS VD further great efficiency is anticipated. This capability not only streamlines operations but also promises a quick return on investment, making it an attractive option for contractors looking to optimize their resources.

This collaboration highlights the strong partnership between ALLU and Walkers Hammers, reflecting our commitment to delivering efficient solutions. Together with Walkers Hammers and our valued customer, Soil Recycling Co., we are dedicated to providing sustainable solutions and efficient waste management.

Screening Bucket – D-Series

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Versatile DN-, DS- and DH-Series Screening Buckets serve in a wide range of applications ensuring high-quality material processing on-site.

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Screening Bucket DN 2-12 transforms manure and straw into rich compost by efficiently separating contaminants like stones, and string while enhancing aeration. In Australia, this solution has helped farmers reduce the need for multiple machines, delivering nutrient-rich compost.

Case study

Compost Happens

Victoria, Australia

Material Farm waste, manure, straw, compost

Industry Aerating, Agriculture, Composting, Farming

Application Composting, soil improvement, farming

Function Convert farm waste into nutrient-rich compost, separate contaminants, enhance aeration

Model DN 2-12 with TS 16 Axe

A Central Victorian contractor and ALLU buckets are giving nature a helping hand to create healthier soils.

To the right is a ramshackle pile of, well let’s be blunt, manure. Straight from the farm, it’s mixed with straw, dirt, and all manner of contaminants. And a little unpleasant on the nose.

Just a few meters away is a mound of compost. A dark earthy brown in color, it’s rich and moist to the touch and smells natural. It’s difficult to believe that both piles looked the same just weeks ago. Even a seasoned farmer such as Gino is impressed by the result.

“It looks a picture,” Gino says. “The quality of the product is amazing once you send it through that bucket.”

That bucket is an ALLU Transformer DN 2-12 Screening Bucket which, for the past two years, has lived up to its name and transformed Gino’s compost. Through his Natural Compost Co. in central Victoria, Gino is cultivating a move away from synthetic farming and giving nature’s processes a helping hand, working with farmers to convert manure to compost on-site.

Working on-farm means there are contaminants in the compost piles—stones, string, and steel are the usual culprits. Early attempts to run the piles through a hired trommel proved expensive and often difficult to organize.

Gino even bought a shaker bucket—“a big bucket with holes in it”—but it wasn’t up to the job. (He’s since put a metal plate in the bottom of it and is using it as a digger.)

A bit of research led him to ALLU buckets and, as the saying goes, the rest is history.

“Sami Rahman, Area Sales Manager for ALLU, called me the next day to talk about the problems I was having and what he thought could do the job,” Gino says. “He got the measurements of what machine I was using, organized a trial on-site, and soon after had two buckets on a trailer to Newbridge.”

Gino spent that afternoon “playing” with the recommended buckets. He says he was so impressed; Sami and Carlo Costanzo, a service technician with Walkers Hammers who commissioned the demonstration buckets, went home that day with just one bucket—Gino was going to rent the other.

The next day, he ordered a new bucket with TS 16 Axe blades, enabling a homogenous end product.

“The compost fell out of the bottom of the machine like rain,” Gino says. “It looks like a picture, all nicely processed and sifted. Any contamination and oversize items – we’ve got it set to 40 mm – are left sitting in the bucket.”

“It’s magnificent.”

The ALLU screening bucket is set to 40-millimetres to provide a consistent
end product. (Image: Natural Compost Co)

Rows of compost on site. Customers are noticing the difference in quality since the ALLU screening bucket has been used. (Image: Natural Compost Co)

The ALLU Transformer D-Series bucket is compatible with excavators, loaders, and other earth-moving machinery. It’s designed to screen and separate various materials including soil, sand, gravel, compost, and demolition waste on-site, reducing the need for extra equipment and transport costs while minimizing environmental impact.

Carlo provided support with the installation of the new bucket and operator training, a service Walkers Hammers offers to all Victorian businesses that purchase ALLU products.

Gino uses the bucket on two excavators. To make switching the bucket between the machines easy, ALLU built a head bracket to cater for the two different pin sizes and spaces. He says it makes what is already a productive machine even more so.

Last year, Gino was contracted to process about 5,000 tonnes of compost for farmers. He’s currently working with a wastewater facility to convert sludge removed from a dam several years ago into compost that can be used on-site. He says since buying the Transformer bucket in 2021, his clients are also noticing the difference in the quality of compost produced.

He cites a local farmer who in 2022 had three rows of compost on his farm, one of which was processed through the ALLU bucket. When Gino returned recently to consolidate the rows, the farmer singled out the ALLU-processed row.

“The other two rows, they were good,” Gino says. “But that row that was sifted was like sand. From a quality perspective, running it through that bucket made a difference. Nature will get it there, but the bucket helps me get it there quicker.”

Manure screening and composting in Australia with ALLU screening bucket — Natural Compost Co is using the ALLU bucket to make compost from manure on central Victorian farms.
(Image: Total Rockbreaking Solutions)

Credit: Originally published by Waste Management Review Magazine.

For more information, visit: www.attachmentspecialists.com.au/allu