2009
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About the report
This report has been prepared by BDA Group to provide estimates of the costs of disposing of waste to landfill, expressed in financial terms. These costs include both private costs for landfill establishment, operation and end of life management, as well as impacts on the environment, human health or social amenity not captured in private costs and market transactions. The non-market or external costs quantified by the study are greenhouse gas emissions from the decomposition of organic wastes, other air emissions, emissions to soil and groundwater and disamenity.
The report provides a review and summary of Australian data and methods for estimating the costs of the disposal of waste to landfill, a comparison with international data and methods, and estimates for the cost of the disposal of putrescible waste to landfill in Australia. Estimated costs of the disposal of putrescible waste to landfill range between $45 and $105 per tonne of waste in urban areas and between $42 and $102 per tonne in rural areas depending on the level of management controls and prevailing climate.
The report forms part of a suite of research reports used to inform the National Waste Policy - Less waste, more resources.