Glass specifications and documents

You must provide enough relevant documents with your application for us to assess your application.
The documents you provide must support what you put in your application.

If you don’t provide enough relevant documents, we will ask you for them. This may cause delays as we can only start to assess your application when we have them.

All documents you provide must be both:

Specifications

Your waste glass must be processed to a relevant specification before you export it. In your licence application, you nominate the specification/s that your glass will be processed to for the duration of your licence.
These specification/s could be:

  • listed on our website (listed specifications) and/or
  • not listed on our website (unlisted specification), for example, your importer’s specification.

If you nominate an unlisted specification, you must provide it with your application.

If suitable, we may ask to publish your unlisted specification on our website as a listed specification. Other exporters of the glass waste can then use it.

All specifications must include certain details.

Specification requirements

All glass specifications must:

  • identify the intended use of the processed waste glass in the importing country, for example, for reuse as water filtration or blasting media or for re-manufacture into new glass containers
  • specify colour, if required
  • include testing, sampling and inspection requirements
  • specify thresholds for size.

They should also specify thresholds for contaminants, including but not limited to:

  • organics
  • ferrous and non-ferrous metals
  • prohibited materials
  • non-metal, non-glass inorganics such as ceramics, stones, porcelain, pyro-ceramics
  • moisture content.

We will consider whether the specification you nominate provides a suitable level of processing for the intended use of your processed waste glass.

Listed glass specifications

Listed specifications are:

Evidence of processing capability

For every specification you nominate in your application, you must prove that you can process your glass waste to it. To do this, you could provide:

  • an independent technical analysis (such as one undertaken by a laboratory accredited by NATA for the testing required) or an internal audit report confirming the processed glass meets the specification
  • business processes that show how the glass will be processed to the specification. For example, information about the process, machinery and equipment, photographs and flowcharts
  • purchase records, clear photos, and technical specifications (that show make, model and purpose) of the equipment or machinery and how it is used to process the glass to the specification.

This evidence might show:

  • your magnetic, eddy or other separator can remove ferrous and non-ferrous metals and ceramics
  • your glass breaker, trommel or hopper system can sort and break waste glass to a specified size
  • the decontamination process can remove contaminants such as metals and ceramics.

Evidence of commercial arrangements with the importer

You must provide evidence of the following:

  • that you have a commercial arrangement or are in the process of securing a commercial arrangement with every importer of your glass waste. The evidence should include the name of the specification you process the glass to.
  • how the glass will be used in the importing country. The intended use must align with the relevant specification.

To do this, you could provide:

  • signed and/or stamped existing or previous contracts with importers of the same type of glass waste
  • proposed contract with the importer/s
  • records of exports to existing or previous importer/s of the same type of glass waste
  • correspondence with the importer/s confirming their intent to enter into a contract with you, for example, an official email
  • a declaration that you are in the process of entering into a commercial relationship
  • letters from importers, or purchase orders, bills of lading, quotes or invoices that state how the processed glass will be used.

If these documents don’t show how the glass waste will be used in the importing country, you could provide a statement, website address, photos or process flow that shows how it will be used. If your importer is a trader, we will need information on how the waste will be used by on-buyers.

Provide the most recent evidence you have.

Note: If you show that you are in the process of securing a commercial arrangement, we may ask you to prove that you have secured this arrangement before you export.

In your application, you select the countries you export or will export to. Select only the countries you can prove you have, or are in the process of securing, a commercial relationship with.

Identification documents

Provide identification documents of the person completing the application as proof of their identity. The person who registers in the WELD portal should be person who completes the application.

Documents not in English must be accompanied by an official translation of the document from a National Accreditation Authority for Translators & Interpreters (NAATI) accredited provider.

You must provide at least:

  • one primary identification document and
  • one secondary identification document.

The documents must add up to at least 100 points.

Primary identification documents (70 points)

  • Full birth certificate
  • Citizenship certificate
  • Current passport (Australian or another country)
  • Expired passport (not cancelled), which was current in the last two years (Australian or another country)
  • Other document that has the same characteristics as a passport such as diplomatic documents and some documents issued to refugees.

Secondary identification – must include name and photograph (40 points)

  • Driver licence issued by an Australian state or territory
  • Licence issued under a Commonwealth, state or territory law, (e.g. a boat licence)
  • Identification card issued to a public employee
  • Identification card issued by the Commonwealth or a state or territory government as evidence of the person’s entitlement to a financial benefit
  • Identification card issued to a student at a tertiary education institution.

Secondary identification – must include name and signature (35 points)

  • A document held by a cash dealer giving security over your property
  • A mortgage or other instrument of security held by a financial body
  • Council rates notice
  • Document from your current employer or previous employer within the last 2 years
  • Land Titles Office record
  • Document from the Credit Reference Association of Australia.

Secondary identification – must include name and signature (25 points)

  • Marriage certificate (must include maiden name)
  • Credit card
  • Foreign driver’s licence
  • Medicare card (signature not required)
  • Membership to a registered club
  • Membership to a motoring organisation (e.g. NRMA, RACQ)
  • EFTPOS card.

Secondary identification – must include name and address (25 points)

  • Electoral roll complied by the Australian Electoral Commission and available for public scrutiny
  • Records of a public utility (phone, water, gas or electricity bill)
  • Records of a financial institution
  • A record held under a law other than a law relating to land titles
  • Lease or rental agreement
  • Rent receipt from a licensed real estate agent.

Secondary identification – must include name and date of birth (25 points)

  • Record of primary, secondary or tertiary educational institution attended by you within the last 10 years
  • Record of professional or trade association of which you are a member.

Fit and proper person documents

We ask a number of questions about being a fit and proper person in your licence application. If you answer ‘yes’ to any of them, you must:

  • detail the reason for your response in the application
  • provide documents such as bank statements or other documents about the issue that may help your application.

A 'yes' answer does not necessarily mean you will fail the check.

Contact us

If you’re not sure what documents to provide:

  • phone us on 1800 852 974