You must classify your priority waste and take reasonable steps to:
- contain it so it cannot escape
- isolate it to enable resource recovery to occur
- provide information about it to the next person in the supply chain so that they can meet their duties.
This includes reportable priority waste.
Industrial waste duties also apply if you are managing priority waste. To learn about priority waste, visit Understand your waste obligations and duties.
Duties of persons managing priority waste, section 139, Environment Protection Act 2017(opens in a new window).
Who it applies to
A business or person who manages or controls priority waste.
You manage or control priority waste if you:
- produce or generate it
- collect, consign, transfer or transport it
- receive, handle or store it
- undertake resource recovery or process it
- dispose of it.
What you must do
You must:
- correctly classify your industrial waste
- take reasonable steps to contain your waste to prevent escape or contamination
- take reasonable steps to isolate your waste to enable resource recovery.
You must also take reasonable steps to provide information for the next person who collects, consigns, transfers, transports or receives your priority waste. This information must include:
- the nature and type of the priority waste
- risks of harm to human health and the environment from the priority waste
- any other information that helps the person to meet their duties.
There are penalties if you do not meet this duty.
Example
Jan operates a facility that makes fruit juice. Juice that isn't sold becomes industrial waste.
Jan checks the classification of this waste. She finds it is pre-classified as priority waste under code K200 – Liquid organic wastes.
Jan makes sure:
- the waste juice is properly contained in a tank so it doesn't leak out
- the waste juice is not mixed with other wastes which can limit its resource recovery potential.
A nearby pig farmer agrees to take the waste juice as feed for the pigs. Together, Jan and the farmer complete and sign a declaration of use. Jan provides all relevant information about the waste to the farmer.
Jan makes sure that the transporter of the waste juice is given all relevant information. She checks that the transporter uses an appropriate vehicle (a tanker) to contain the liquid waste.
Updated