Waste and consumption
In 1990, Australia produced over 14 million tonnes of waste – nearly one tonne for each person (domestic waste comprises 45%; commercial and industrial, 37%; and construction and demolition, 18%). Most of this waste was dumped into landfill, short-circuiting any likelihood of re-using or recycling materials, while causing contamination of large areas of land.
In line with many other States and in response to the Federal Government’s call to reverse wasteful practices, the NSW Government introduced legislation to reduce waste in NSW by 60% by 2000. It introduced the notion of a 3Rs hierarchy of waste management practices which calls for reduced consumption, greater re-use of products, and more recycling of goods.
Hierarchy of Waste Minimisation Practices – the 3Rs:
Reduce consumption. Buy only according to need.
Re-use products. To find new uses for old items is to create something new, saving both money and resources
Recycle. Energy used in manufacturing products is only partially recovered in recycling, but is never recovered when thrown away. Recycling reduces our demand on natural resources.
The 60% by 2000 is still a long way from being achieved. The Centre wants the NSW Government to support extended producer responsibility (EPR). Unless we insist on government legislation that obliges industry to take a leading role in responsibility for waste, industry will not seriously introduce waste reduction into its products and packaging. Manufacturers should take a cradle-to-cradle approach to the goods they produce, ideally never terminating ownership of goods but leasing them over their useful life to be returned and reworked and made productive once more. The Centre promotes its policy on waste through:
Participation in campaigns to promote sustainable resource-use through decreased waste.
Representation on the Southern Sydney Waste Board and on the Sutherland Shire Council Waste Committee and the Nature Conservation Council’s Waste Crisis Network.
Lobbying for container deposit legislation, an effective method of implementing EPR.
Highlighting problems with current consumption and disposal practices through education campaigns and competitions.
Calling for a ban on greenwaste to landfill.
Promoting the principle of zero waste which will negate the need for waste landfill sites.
This last factor is among the most controversial and long-running campaigns on waste management the Centre has been involved in.
Landfill Sites
Lucas Heights Waste Depot or “landfill” or “tip” is located in the Sutherland Shire Council area. This facility is controlled by NSW Waste Service and comprises Lucas Heights Landfill No. 1 (LH1), closed since 1985 and in the process of rehabilitation as a sporting/recreation area; Lucas Heights Landfill No. 2/Lucal Heights Waste Management Centre (LH2/LHWMC), the largest tip in Australia; and Lucas Heights Conservation Area (LHCA), which is no longer intended for landfill use.
In 1996, an attempt to expand LH2 ended in mediation (Report by the Commissioner John Woodward). Sutherland Shire Council and the Centre joined in that mediation process and conceded an expansion of 8.225 million tonnes, conditional on certain basic requirements. The Centre has the following policies with regard to those conditions and on management of waste to landfill in general
The door should be permanently closed on the issue of expanding the Lucas Heights tip beyond the conceded 8.225 million tonne expansion.
Waste Service NSW must live up to its agreement regarding the annual reduction of putrescible waste into LH2/LHWMC from approximately 1,000,000 tonnes down to 575,000 tonnes after 31 December 2000.
If Waste Service NSW is able to increase recycling capacity of LH2/LHWMC by about 55,000 tonnes per annum, it must not be allowed to increase the overall amount of waste into LH2/LHWMC.
Severe penalty fees imposed on Waste Service for exceeding annual tonnage must adequately reflect the long-term cost to Sutherland Shire of reduced tip life.
The number of Councils using the LH2/LHWMC site should be decreased by 40% from its current 23 before 31 December 2000. ยท There should be no incineration or receival of incinerator residues at the LH2/LHWMC.
Waste Services NSW should implement a quarterly waste reporting program to enable Sutherland Shire Council and the community to monitor quantities of waste received from each member council using Lucas Heights.
All references to pollution levels complying with EPA standards should be “below the limits of detection”.
All water and other sampling should be non-routine, without prior notice to tip authorities, and carried out by independent agencies.
Leachate must be managed on site and disposed of to prevent potential downstream impacts.
Tip odours should be sourced and controlled.
LHCA was handed over to Sutherland Council ownership on 4 September 2000 and Council must now expedite Waste Services’ redemption of the site for hand over to National Parks and Wildlife by 2002.
A plan of management of the area should be drawn up and implemented. This should include cleaning up the old landfill sites near the LHCA.. The Commonwealth and State Governments must accept responsibility and begin clean up of little forest burial ground.
All options to encourage small-scale waste-derived produce ventures within the LH2/LHWMC boundaries should be pursued.