New EPA standards for construction waste

The NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) has released public consultation draft amendments to improve the quality and quantity of re-usable construction and demolition (C&D) waste material in NSW.

The proposed reforms introduce new targets for the sorting, recycling and disposal of C&D waste at facilities that receive more than 6000 tonnes per year and that deal with majority of C&D waste in NSW. C&D waste includes excavated material such as rock and soil, waste asphalt, concrete, plasterboard and timber.

Proposals also include enhanced requirements around asbestos transport and disposal to reduce potential harm, improved practices at landfills including addressing waste exhumation, and clarifications around the administration and application of the waste levy.

NSW EPA Executive Director of Waste and Resource Recovery Steve Beaman said the proposed changes will help to protect the NSW environment and human health and achieve the 80% recycling target by 2021.

“By improving the quality of recycled construction and demolition product before it leaves the waste facility, we can reduce the potential for load contamination and increase the amount of material that can be recycled back into productive re-use opportunities,” Beaman said.

“We are also helping to protect the health of our environment by ensuring that contaminated waste is identified, separated and appropriately disposed of before it leaves the recycling yard and is not mixed in with recycled waste purposed for re-use in our communities.

“To help set the bar for improved recycling, the reforms also include minimum annual resource recovery targets of 75% for a facility that receives more than 30,000 tonnes of C&D waste per year and 50% for facilities that receive between 6000 and 30,000 tonnes per year.

“These facilities are processing the majority of construction and demolition waste in NSW.

“In a modern waste environment such as ours, these standards are both expected and achievable.

“This public consultation period is an important time for the waste industry, stakeholders and interested members of the public to have their say on the proposed changes and I encourage them to provide their comments,” he said.

The proposed changes are outlined in the paper 'New minimum standards for managing construction and demolition waste in NSW’, available on the EPA website. Consultation will be open for public comment from 21 October until 17 November. The EPA will also be holding industry forums in the coming weeks.

More information, including the consultation paper, how to comment and details of the forums, can be found here.