Eurobodalla
Indicator: Hazardous Waste
Results for this indicator are also available for [an error occurred while processing this directive]
Please note: Text or data highlighted in this colour represent an update to this indicator for the period 2008/09.
What the results tell us for Eurobodalla
The Shire Council does not hold a licence to collect 'controlled' hazardous waste. It does not handle ‘hazardous waste’ it does not know how much total hazardous waste is imported into the Eurobodalla or exported from it for disposal. Shire Council believes that the way it disposes of its own hazardous waste (paints and emulsions, for example) complies with the National Environmental Protection Measure (NEPM), but it does not know if all hazardous waste disposed of complies with NEPM requirements.
The Shire Council is licensed to accept and dispose of asbestos at its landfill sites. Shire residents can also drop off some types of hazardous material at Shire Council landfill facilities. Both waste cooking oil and motor oil are collected and recovered as a free service by contractors.
In recent years, the Council has participated in the regional annual Household Chemical Cleanout organised by SERRROC (the South East Resource Recovery Regional Organisation of Shire Councils).
Changes and trends
The Shire Council accepts asbestos at its landfills for burial, and disposes of some 200 tonnes of asbestos annually in this way.
Residents may also drop off hazardous material (mostly from households) at three collection sites (Table 1). The types and amount of waste left at Shire Council drop-off sites for each year of operation are shown in Table 1. Oil and contaminated vegetation were the most common drop-off materials, and Shire Council itself dropped off over 1,000 tonnes of biosolids in 2007-08.
| Waste type | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oils | 19,000l | Estimate from contractor | |||
| Putrescible/organic waste (contaminated vegetation) | 91.33 | including noxious weeds | |||
| Soils/sludge (Biosolids, tonnes) | 1200 | 502 | 1277 | 1078 | Shire Council generated |
| Clinical & pharmaceutical | 4.74 |
* Source: Eurobodalla Shire Council
As a service to residents, Shire Council introduced an annual household hazardous waste / Chemical Cleanout collection service in 2001 (Table 2). The annual Household Chemical Cleanout in the Shire collected some 17 tonnes of hazardous material across a number of locations across the Shire in 2007-2008. Paint, batteries, oil, gas cylinders, fuel and pesticides accounted for the largest volumes. Over the reporting period the volumes of all these types of hazardous waste increased. Overall, the volumes collected almost doubled from eight tonnes to 15 tonnes. Shire Council has noted that participation in the annual cleanout has increased over the period. However last year the collection was brought forward by 2 months to August 2008 and householders may have become accustomed to the collection occurring later in the year. This may have accounted for the reduction in tonnage from 2007 to 2008.
| Waste No | Waste Type | Net Wt (Kg) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | ||
| 1 | Acid | 31.3 | 91.50 | 102.70 | 61.70 | 117.50 |
| 2 | Alkali | 58.5 | 12.50 | 51.75 | 105.25 | 76.75 |
| 3 | Arsenic | 1.5 | 0.50 | 19.25 | 4.60 | 3.60 |
| 4 | Asbestos | 41.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||
| 5 | Automotive products | 116.10 | 247.15 | 141.90 | ||
| 6 | Batt - lead acid | 2707.9 | 2266.70 | 4395.00 | 4471.10 | 2100.00 |
| 7 | Batt - nicad | 9.25 | 13.60 | 13.60 | ||
| 8 | Batt - Nihyd | 0.00 | 0.50 | 1.00 | ||
| 9 | Batt - Normal | 15.5 | 6.00 | 23.75 | 71.90 | 17.00 |
| 10 | Cyanide | 0.00 | 3.00 | 0.00 | ||
| 11 | Fire Ext - halon | 6.50 | 4.90 | 2.50 | 14.00 | |
| 12 | Fire Ext - other | 2.5 | 14.00 | 54.00 | 37.00 | 28.58 |
| 13 | Flares/Ammunition | 2 | 12.50 | 10.80 | 8.00 | 23.00 |
| 14 | Fluorescent tubes | 0.00 | 7.15 | 7.50 | ||
| 15 | Gas Cylinder - propane | 577.9 | 604.00 | 1433.00 | 1101.75 | 2496.50 |
| 16 | Gas Cylinder - other | 139 | 80.50 | 203.50 | 184.00 | 97.30 |
| 17 | General household chemicals | 31.1 | 53.50 | 254.70 | 121.30 | 135.30 |
| 18 | Halogenated Solvents | 6.6 | 8.50 | 14.55 | 15.73 | 13.20 |
| 19 | Heavy Metals | 2.50 | 0.00 | 14.20 | 1.00 | |
| 20 | Hydrocarbons and fuels | 200.3 | 124.00 | 818.90 | 466.87 | 238.53 |
| 21 | Inert liquids | 56.7 | 5.50 | 74.90 | 30.50 | 0.00 |
| 22 | Inert solid | 54 | 123.50 | 236.30 | 241.35 | 190.70 |
| 23 | Smoke detectors | 1 | 1.50 | 3.00 | 8.50 | 1.70 |
| 24 | Oil (>61°C) | 698 | 1516.50 | 1974.59 | 2023.90 | 1224.18 |
| 25 | Organoperoxides | 1 | 1.00 | 46.00 | 0.50 | 0.75 |
| 26 | Oxidising agents | 63 | 11.50 | 8.75 | 14.35 | 19.70 |
| 27 | Paint - water | 584.7 | 1977.00 | 4748.48 | 5862.00 | 3113.60 |
| 28 | Paint - Oil | 2061.3 | 454.00 | 776.15 | 937.20 | 1333.13 |
| 29 | Paint - metal | 0.00 | 0.00 | 86.00 | ||
| 30 | Paint - other | 707.00 | 50.05 | 7.50 | 12.40 | |
| 31 | PCB material | 17.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||
| 32 | Pesticide - general liquid | 506.1 | 276.00 | 268.17 | 396.08 | 174.90 |
| 33 | Pesticide - general solid | 122.75 | 52.40 | 52.20 | ||
| 34 | Pesticide - organochlorine liquid | 28.5 | 14.00 | 24.13 | 4.50 | 11.85 |
| 35 | Pesticide - organochlorine solid | 149.50 | 3.50 | 2.50 | 1.00 | |
| 36 | Reactives | 2.00 | 4.50 | 8.40 | 1.80 | |
| 37 | Toxics | 108.1 | 71.50 | 52.60 | 28.50 | 59.50 |
| 38 | Pharmaceuticals | 17.1 | 4.50 | 49.20 | 24.20 | 13.40 |
| 39 | Photographic chemicals | 20 | 24.50 | 6.60 | 76.90 | 68.50 |
| 40 | Unknown Liquid | 56.3 | 123.00 | 570.31 | 217.60 | 569.45 |
| 41 | Unknown Solid | 60.00 | 64.25 | 29.50 | 22.00 | |
| 42 | Aerosols | 36 | 38.50 | 7.40 | 97.75 | 88.75 |
| 43 | Other | 56.60 | 1.50 | 0.00 | ||
| Total | 8065.9 | 8844.2 | 16718.38 | 17002.93 | 12571.8 | |
* Includes only controlled wastes generated in and exported from the Shire of which Shire Council has knowledge; Source: Eurobodalla Shire Council and Chemsal Contractors
Imports and exports
A licensed contractor transports and delivers all the waste which is collected in Shire Council's annual hazardous waste collection service to a licensed facility outside the Shire for treatment and disposal. Commercial properties have private arrangements with chemical collection contractors to process and dispose/recycle their hazardous waste material; most of the material is taken out of the Shire. Total volumes of hazardous waste generated or accumulated within the Shire and exported for disposal are not known.
The transport of material from the Shire is monitored through the New South Wales Environment Protection Authority.
About the data
Eurobodalla Shire Council provided data from Shire Council records.
Under the NEPM licensing arrangements, private contractors are required to comply with the NEPM for the collection, transportation and disposal of 'controlled' waste. Shire Council has no control over these practices. The NEPM includes a list of Controlled Wastes which are subject to procedures for information collection and sharing between jurisdictions (see http://www.ephc.gov.au).
