Archived publication
This publication is no longer current or has been superseded.
Introduction
There are approximately 500,000 businesses and industries in New Zealand and the majority are small to medium-size. These businesses need good information to help them make sure their wastes are managed in the most environmentally sound way. Good information is also needed to help those who regulate these businesses and manage the wastes (air emissions, liquid and solid) once they leave the business, be it down a sewer pipe or by truck. Information is also an essential ingredient for those in local and central government who develop the policy that shapes the management systems for waste.
Nationwide, there is little easily accessible information about the specific types of waste produced by different businesses, where the waste goes and the effects it has on the environment. This report takes the first step in filling this gap.
1.1 Purpose
The purpose of this report is to provide trade businesses with information to help them deal with their waste by:
- identifying processes giving rise to wastes
- identifying the key constituents in the wastes that have the potential to affect the environment
- identifying how businesses currently manage the disposal of industry waste and where applicable, identifying alternative options
- categorising wastes according to the New Zealand Waste List (L-code), with new entries added if necessary
- where available, providing cleaner production examples used by businesses.
Information gathered from industries in the Ministry for the Environment’s What’s in your waste? A Resource for Trade Businesses draft report [2001], has been developed into specific information resources which link into the Hazardous Waste Management Programme. After the draft was published, further work has expanded the number of industries and the Ministry anticipates that more industries will be surveyed in the future.
This report is primarily an information resource for trade businesses who want to understand what is in their waste and how to manage it. It will also help businesses to identify their waste and apply a standard coding method currently being developed by the Ministry for the Environment. This coding method is based on the New Zealand Waste List and identifies codes for different types of wastes, including hazardous wastes. This waste list can be accessed online at www.mfe.govt.nz/wasteline
Ultimately, the information in this report will provide the basis for an online database that can be used by anyone to find out what wastes are generated by different businesses, the potential effects of these wastes if they are managed improperly, and possible options for the management of these different types of wastes. The database, tentatively named “NZ Waste-Line”, will be linked to the New Zealand Waste List website.
1.2 The Report Format
The information in this report has been summarised by industry in the following way:
- ‘waste’ table, including a summary of New Zealand Waste List entries
- industry contacts, where in many cases they are the industry associations
- New Zealand and Australian Cleaner Production examples from businesses within the industry.
The ‘waste’ table contains the following information:
| Industry – this is the industry originally taken from the list included in Schedule 1C of the Model Trade Waste Bylaws. The 7-digit code is the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification Code (ANZSIC). | ||
| Column | Description | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Process | Main types of processes used | The information in the process section is a very broad, all-encapsulating categorisation of the industrial processes. For a number of industries there are only one or two processes described that produce a large number of wastes (e.g. auto dismantling). |
| Raw materials | Raw materials used in processes | Information is provided where there is uncertainty as to the waste constituents produced by the industry. This uncertainty is generally caused because the chemical composition of the waste may vary each time the process is conducted. In some cases the raw chemicals from Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) were used to approximate waste constituents. |
| Waste stream | Broad category of the generic waste | |
| Types of waste | State of the waste (whether solid, liquid or gaseous) | |
| Waste constituent | Expands the waste stream showing the individual constituents | The information relating to waste constituents was compiled using a combination of industry feedback and the US EPA Sector Notebooks. |
| Current management practices | How the waste is managed including how the waste leaves the industry site, and where available, how the waste is discharged or disposed of | The data collected on the current management practices for waste constituents is only representative of the methods used by the industry representatives contacted. Where possible, best practice is identified in bold. However, the methods identified may not be indicative of all the different ways of disposing of waste. |
| The New Zealand Waste List Entry | A unique 6-digit code | The listing of each type of constituent under the New Zealand Waste List. This is a 6-digit code that uniquely identifies wastes according to the processes that operate them. Each waste constituent has a classification under the New Zealand Waste List. Listings marked with an asterisk (*) indicate potentially hazardous waste. The description of the 6-digit New Zealand Waste List code is included. |
1.3 Industry List
|
Food related industries Seafood processing Dairy production |
Photography and printing industries Photo processing – mini labs Photo processing – sheet fed offset printer |
|
Medical and related industries Dentistry Doctor’s surgeries Mortuaries |
Textile and related industries Drycleaning Tanning Textile manufacturing |
|
Motor vehicle services Auto dismantler Auto engine reconditioning Panelbeater Radiator specialists Petrol stations Car and truck wash |
Other manufacturing industries Electroplating and metal fabrication Aluminium production Steel milling Wood processing Petroleum refining Fertiliser manufacturing |
1.4 How you can help?
The Ministry for the Environment plans to expand the number of industries [surveyed in this report] included in the "NZ Waste-Line". The Ministry is conscious that the information must be as accurate as possible and that it is important that industry representatives and others in trade businesses are involved in the review of information collected. The Ministry will update these resources periodically, and seek feedback on the accuracy of the information presented. Your help is needed during these updates, so that the Ministry can provide the best resource possible to businesses that need guidance and advice about what is in their waste and how best to manage it. Feedback can also be given through www.mfe.govt.nz/wasteline.
