The proposed Woodlawn Alternative Waste Technology (AWT) facilities will have a yearly direct emission of 28,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide at full production. In addition to the demonstrable benefits of the proposed AWT facilities in terms of diversion of waste from landfill, the facilities provide significant environmental benefits in terms of the energy required to manage municipal solid waste and commercial waste from the Sydney Metropolitan Area.

The use of rail to transport Sydney waste to the proposed facilities, as well as the separation, processing and re-use of organics, traditional recyclables and waste plastics, can reduce the energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions per tonne of waste by more than 90%. Greenhouse gas emission from the proposed AWT facility equates to a carbon dioxide emission of approximately 0.1 tonne per tonne of waste processed. By comparison, treatment of waste in a conventional Sydney landfill would result in a net emission of 2.50 tonnes of carbon dioxide per tonne of waste landfilled.

The proposed AWT facilities will have a large buffer zone of 6,000 hectares. This large separation from the nearest residential receptors will serve to minimise any adverse impacts from the facility.

In addition to an assessment of energy usage and greenhouse gas emissions from the proposed AWT facilities, an Air Quality and Odour Assessment is currently being undertaken for the proposed AWT facilities, and will form part of the Environmental Assessment Report to be submitted to the NSW Department of Planning. This assessment includes a detailed study of both existing odour from the Bioreactor and potential odour from the proposed AWT facilities, and has taken into account Collex's ongoing consultation with residents surrounding Woodlawn.

The study has indicated that odour concentrations from continued operation of the Bioreactor and from the proposed AWT facility will be within the guideline values specified by the Department of Environment and Conservation. The odour study also notes that the odours detected by residents surrounding Woodlawn in recent months are the result of a one off, accidental contamination event, where leachate from the Bioreactor moved into the stormwater management system for the Bioreactor. Personnel at Woodlawn are currently working in consultation with the residents surrounding Woodlawn to return the stormwater management system to its original state.