Summary of recommended actions on sources of dioxin

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Source	Current % of total	Recommended actions
Waste combustion	56
Landfill fires	39	NES banning dioxin discharges to air from landfill fires. Develop educational material.
Domestic waste burning	11	NES banning dioxin discharges to air from the outdoor burning of certain wastes, including agricultural wastes. Develop educational material.
Municipal waste incineration	0*	NES setting a dioxin limit on discharges from waste incinerators (including co-incinerators).
Medical waste incineration	6	NES setting a limit on dioxin discharges.
Hazardous waste incineration	< 0.1	NES setting a limit on dioxin discharges.
Sewage sludge incineration	< 0.1	NES setting a limit on dioxin discharges
Fuel combustion	31
Industrial combustion of coal and virgin wood	10	No action required.
Industrial combustion of contaminated wood	3<	Monitor burning of contaminated wood.
Industrial combustion of gas and used oil	< 0.1	No action required.
Domestic fuel combustion	16	Educate on environmental benefits of enclosed solid fuel burners, and energy efficiency improvements.
Vehicle fuel combustion	2	No dioxin-specific action required.
Metallurgical production	5
Iron and steel manufacture	0.4	No national action required.
Non-ferrous metals processing	5	NES banning dioxin discharges to air from the burning of insulated copper wire. Monitor foundries.
Other sources	8
Crematoria	0.7	Best practice note on operating conditions, including reducing entry of plastics in the furnace.
Accidental fires	7	Monitor international changes in use of chlorinated plastic in buildings.
Minor miscellaneous sources	< 0.2	Do nothing.

* There are no municipal waste incinerators in New Zealand, therefore the size of this source is assigned as 0%. However, some waste is thought to be co-incinerated in smaller boilers on an ad hoc basis. The extent of this practice is unknown.

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