Prescribed industrial waste landfills
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Overview
With the closure of Tullamarine landfill recently, there is only one landfill in Victoria, Lyndhurst Landfill, licensed to take a wide range of prescribed industrial wastes.
Other landfills across the state are licensed to accept certain low hazard wastes, for example low-level contaminated soil, packaged asbestos and odorous wastes such as seafood processing wastes.
From 1 July 2007 EPA's requirements that set stricter standards for wastes accepted at landfills came into effect. This has meant that some wastes have required improved treatment to reduce their hazard level before being sent to landfill.
All prescribed industrial wastes intended for landfill disposal must be classified into one of three categories Category A (highest hazard) Category B and Category C (lowest hazard). Only Category B and C wastes will be accepted at Lyndhurst landfill; Category A wastes must be treated to reduce the hazard level before disposal.
The Lyndhurst landfill licence (and also Tullamarine Landfill licence previously) have been amended to restrict waste receival to Category B and C wastes.
The Lyndhurst Landfill is required to provide annual reports on its operation. It is also required to undertake annual environmental audits by an independent environmental auditor appointed under the Environment Protection Act 1970. These audits primarily look at possible impacts from landfill operation on beneficial uses of groundwater in the surrounding the area, and provide recommendations for monitoring, control and further improvements.
How much prescribed industrial waste is disposed to landfill in Victoria?
Victoria has a strategy to accelerate reductions ( 
PDF 203KB) in disposal of prescribed industrial waste through increased regulation, cost incentives and supporting industry to reduce waste.
In order to track industry's progress on reducing waste, EPA is reporting monthly on quantities of Category B and C manufacturing waste disposed to landfill from July 2007.
More on monthly disposal figures for manufacturing waste ( Adobe PDF 142KB)
EPA will report quarterly on quanties of Category B and C contaminated soil as well as asbestos waste disposed to landfill from July 2007.
More on quarterly disposal figures for contaminated soil and asbestos waste ( PDF 140KB)
EPA will continue to report annually on the disposal of manufacturing waste, contaminated soils and asbestos disposed to landfill.
Prescribed industrial waste disposed to landfill – annual trends
Manufacturing Waste
In 2007 around 748,000 tonnes of prescribed industrial waste was transported to Victorian landfills for disposal. About 77,000 tonnes, or 10 per cent, is from the manufacturing industry, producing everyday goods and services. As can be seen from the graph below, the quantity of manufacturing waste requiring disposal to landfill has continued to decrease to approximately 63 per cent of the amount disposed in 2000. Through avoidance and resource recovery programs, EPA is working with industry towards further reductions in manufacturing waste, using both voluntary and mandatory programs.
| Trends in manufacturing waste sent to landfill (tonnes) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing waste sent to landfill* | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 |
| Tullamarine and Lyndhurst | 122,000 | 108,000 | 103,000 | 85,000 | 79,000 | 83,000 | 82,000 | 78,000 | 73,000 |
| Other Victorian landfills | 14,000 | 14,000 | 13,000 | 13,000 | 13,000 | 13,000 | 7,000 | 7,000 | 4,000 |
| All Victorian landfills | 136,000 | 122,000 | 116,000 | 98,000 | 92,000 | 96,000 | 89,000 | 85,000 | 77,000 |
*This data has been obtained from EPA's transport certificate database. As most of the data is assigned by the waste generator, there are limits on its accuracy. A standard conversion factor of 1 cubic metre = 1000 kilograms or 1 tonne has been assumed.
The Tullamarine and Lyndhurst landfills accept most manufacturing wastes, as they are the only landfills in Victoria licensed by EPA to receive a broad range of wastes, including category B prescribed industrial waste. A number of other landfills are licensed to accept lower hazard category C prescribed industrial wastes like scallop shells, or solid wastes from the manufacture of food.
Contaminated Soils
Contaminated soils come from the redevelopment of old industrial sites including petrol stations and major projects such as rail and road developments. Prior to 1 July 2007 soil was categorised as either high or low level, based on an analysis of the levels of contaminants. Following implementation of the Hazard Classification system on 1 July 2007, contaminated soils are categorised as category A (high-hazard and banned from landfill), category B (higher hazard) and category C (lower hazard) contaminated soil. The graph below shows that most soil disposed to landfill in 2007 was low-level, or category C contaminated soil.
| Trends in contaminated soil disposed to landfill | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contaminated soil sent to landfill* | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 |
| Contaminated soil (high level) | 45,000 | 226,000 | 149,000 | 36,000 | 47,000 | 33,000 | 110,000 | 60,000 | 83,000 |
| Contaminated soil (low level) | 155,000 | 206,000 | 276,000 | 332,000 | 362,000 | 326,000 | 353,000 | 310,000 | 551,000 |
| Total contaminated soil | 200,000 | 432,000 | 425,000 | 368,000 | 409,000 | 359,000 | 463,000 | 370,000 | 634,000 |
*This data has been obtained from EPA's transport certificate database. As most of the data is assigned by the waste generator, there are limits on its accuracy. A standard conversion factor of 1 cubic metre = 1000 kilograms or 1 tonne has been assumed.
Around 634,000 tonnes of contaminated soil was deposited in landfills in 2007. This is an increase on 2006 levels. On 1 July 2007 the State government increased the landfill levy payable for the disposal of prescribed industrial waste. It is considered likely that a disproportionate quantity of contaminated soil was disposed to landfill prior to the levy increase, resulting in an elevated quantity disposed when compared to annual averages.
Asbestos
The final category of prescribed industrial waste disposed to landfill is asbestos of industrial or commercial origin. Asbestos waste is a legacy from the period where it was used in construction and manufacturing products as a fire retardant. This waste stream is generated through building demolition or renovations. Quantities are expected to trend down over the long term as asbestos is replaced with other materials.
| Trends in asbestos disposed to landfill (tonnes) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asbestos waste sent to landfill* | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 |
| All Victorian landfills | 38,000 | 79,000 | 47,000 | 50,000 | 35,000 | 30,000 | 34,000 | 39,000 | 37,000 |
*This data has been obtained from EPA's transport certificate database. As most of the data is assigned by the waste generator, there are limits on its accuracy. A standard conversion factor of 1 cubic metre = 1000 kilograms or 1 tonne has been assumed.
All the information presented in the graphs above is obtained through EPA's transport certificate system. This system ensures that waste disposed to landfills is accompanied by a certificate which specifies the type and quantity of waste. In 1999 most of the quantities written on certificates were estimates of the volume (cubic metres) of waste in the truck. Over the past several years there has been a transition to the use of weighbridge weights (in kilograms) as this provides a more objective, verifiable quantity. The older certificates with a quantity in cubic metres have been converted to kilograms assuming that 1 cubic metre = 1000 kilograms or 1 tonne. This is a reasonable estimate for wastes such as contaminated soils, but could overestimate the weight of light, bulky wastes such as plastic containers with chemical residues.
More information on the amount of prescribed industrial waste disposed of at landfills in Victoria, can be found in the Progress Review (Adobe PDF file, 120KB).
Contact details
EPA Victoria
GPO Box 4395QQ
Melbourne Victoria 3001
Telephone: (03) 9695 2722
Fax: (03) 9695 2932
prescribedwaste@epa.vic.gov.au