Sustainability Covenant between Veolia Environmental Services and EPA
Working in partnership to support innovation and reduce hazardous waste generation and subsequent disposal to landfill.
On 21 Sep 2007 Veolia Environmental Services (VES) and EPA formally partnered to reduce the volume and hazard level of waste sent to landfill.
As part of the Victorian government’s commitment to eliminate hazardous waste going to landfill by 2020, all waste is now tested and classified according to its level of hazard. In July 2007, the levies associated with disposal of hazardous waste were increased significantly. These are scheduled to increase further in July 2008.
The waste treatment industry disposes approximately 55% of the total 86,000 tonnes of hazardous waste sent to landfill in 2006. VES, Brooklyn site is one of the major facilities in the state that collects for treatment, recovery and disposal the hazardous waste.
VES have committed to a major upgrade of its Brooklyn facility and is investing $4.7 MILL over the next 5 years. This upgrade will transform hazardous waste collection and management procedures to support reduced generation and greater resource recovery and reuse of customer waste:
- Install technology to its facility and improve collection and management procedures to support greater resource recovery and reuse of customer waste, and
- Provide an enhanced service to customers through expertise knowledge on the avoidance of and/or reduction opportunities of PIW (at customers’ sites and VES’ site).
EPA has committed $2MILL of the landfill revenue to accelerate this industry project and deliver reduction outcomes that are good for the Victorian environment and good for Victorian business. This project is one of the first major projects approved that reinvests significant money associated with the increased levies received from 1 July 07.
This partnership and upgrade project will assist the Victorian Government in eliminating high hazard waste going to landfill and anticipates a 32,000 tonne reduction over the next 5 years.
Download a copy of the Sustainability Covenant (PDF file, 425KB)