If you run a commercial or industrial business, you would recognise the importance of correctly handling and disposing of hazardous waste. However, navigating the rules and regulations can be confusing and time-consuming. This blog will outline correct hazardous waste disposal in Brisbane and how Ace Waste can help your business stay safe, cost-effective, and compliant.
QUICK LINKS
- What is hazardous waste in QLD?
- How can I ensure my business stays compliant?
- How do I correctly store & dispose of my hazardous waste in Brisbane?
- An intelligent & eco-conscious hazardous waste management solution
What is hazardous waste in QLD?
In Queensland, hazardous waste is referred to as regulated waste. Regulated waste requires a stricter level of management as it has the potential to cause considerable harm to human health and the environment.
Hazardous waste includes any solid, liquid, gas, or mixed that contains toxic, reactive, flammable, or corrosive properties. For example, paint, solvents, oil, cleaning products, coolants, and acids are hazardous substances. It does not include infectious materials (Clinical Waste).
The Environmental Protection Regulation 2019 categorises regulated waste by risk (high, medium, low), providing specific handling, transportation, and disposal instructions for each. Businesses must follow these regulations and implement a stringent hazardous waste management solution to reduce their environmental impact, prevent injury and avoid costly infringements.
How can I ensure my business stays compliant?
Businesses producing hazardous chemicals and substances should already have a management and disposal plan and, ideally, a professional collection service. However, we highly recommend performing a Waste Audit to ensure your strategy is the most sustainable, compliant, and cost-effective it can be.
Waste audits are a detailed breakdown of the type of waste your company generates. The analysis includes the overall composition and contamination rates and pinpoints opportunities to reduce waste production and unnecessary costs.
Our dedicated team is highly skilled and experienced in all aspects of hazardous waste. They can assess your current business setup and identify ways to streamline the disposal process, ensuring your plan aligns with your state and government requirements and keeps your community safe.
How do I correctly store & dispose of my hazardous waste in Brisbane?
Whether at home or within a large company, hazardous waste must be separated from other materials and debris to avoid injury, cross-contamination, environmental harm, or disaster (e.g. fire). You must never dispose of it in regular rubbish bins, drains, or gutters.
All Queensland businesses must do the following:
- Store all chemicals and other contaminated materials in clearly-labelled, leak-proof containers.
- Have a designated area to secure all hazardous substances from spillage and unauthorised access.
- Dispose of all regulated waste in an approved storage container, with clearly marked signage and Dangerous Goods labels (where applicable)
- Organise a professional waste service provider to collect these bins and safely transport them to an Department of Environment and Science (DES) approved facility for destruction.
Ace Waste stocks and delivers a diverse range of waste containers and receptacles which are compliant and trackable. Our advanced live tracking system supports our commitment to transparency and efficiency, by allowing you to view our service in real-time. We also proudly own and operate two of Australia’s most advanced incineration plants (QLD & VIC) to safely dispose of all hazardous waste. Keep reading to learn more!
An intelligent & eco-conscious hazardous waste management solution
According to the Queensland Government Environmental Protection (Waste Management) Regulation 2000, hazardous waste must be processed by a licensed facility.
High-temperature incineration is one approved method for the destruction of certain hazardous wastes (namely clinical and related). This process reduces the overall volume and toxicity by converting the waste to usable energy and breaking down certain substances to their basic chemical elements.
Ace Waste’s Willawong (Brisbane) facility features a primary chamber that incinerates waste at temperatures between 800° C and 1000° C, with the secondary combustion ranging from 1000° C to 1250° C to guarantee total destruction.
Our technologies and self-sufficient incineration plants create 85% less landfill waste than other treatment-to-landfill methods. In addition, our technique harnesses energy from the incineration process, resulting in less reliance on fossil fuels and external inputs and a more sustainable, cost-effective result.
So, if you’re looking for a new and improved hazardous waste disposal service in Brisbane, reach out to the Ace Waste team today! We look forward to working with you.
