2011
Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities
Hyder Consulting for the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities, 2011
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Executive summary
Hyder Consulting has conducted a desktop review into international and domestic experiences with, and approaches to, bans and restrictions on the disposal of wastes and recoverable resources to landfill. The intention of the review is to summarise information on landfill bans and restrictions so as to inform Australian waste policy and program development, including how restrictions can complement other policy measures such as product stewardship schemes.
The review describes the approaches to, forms of, and outcomes arising from, different approaches to banning or restricting flows of wastes and materials to landfill. This includes the interaction of landfill bans and restrictions with other waste policies, programs and initiatives, such as product stewardship schemes. International experiences as well as Australian examples of landfill restrictions (such as the South Australian pre-sort conditions) are covered.
Legal responsibility for the oversight of landfill in Australia lies with state, territory and local governments. This report is an information document and its key findings include:
- Landfill bans and restrictions on landfill disposal are common in many countries, including several examples in Australia.
- When well planned and implemented with sufficient time for adjustment, bans and restrictions can produce significant reductions in disposal of wastes, including for hazardous wastes, and increases in resource recovery.
- Landfill bans and restrictions can complement other waste and resource recovery policies, such as product stewardship schemes.
The views and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Australian Government or the Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities or the Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency. While reasonable efforts have been made to ensure that the contents of this publication are factually correct, the Commonwealth does not accept responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of the contents, and shall not be liable for any loss or damage that may be occasioned directly or indirectly through the use of, or reliance on, the contents of this publication.