State waste dump crisis

TASMANIA has a waste and recycling dumping problem on a Queensland scale because of low to non-existent landfill levies, an industry participant claims.

Tasmanian company Envorinex says in a submission to a Senate inquiry that major businesses are having their waste collected by operators who are dumping it at landfill sites despite the offer of free collection of some wastes.

Envorinex produces polymer products using recycled materials.

Managing director Jenny Brown said the situation gave businesses no incentive to “do the right thing”.

“People can dump it for less than what we can pay them to take it away and actually recycle it,” Ms Brown said.

“It’s a big issue, it’s an Australia-wide one but Tasmania has this issue because many of the landfills just don’t charge.

“And there’s so many different operators — councils, private operators — it’s a system that is open to corruption.”

Ms Brown said there were several sites in southern Tasmania where there was dumping.

The inquiry was set up in the wake of revelations other states allegedly were sending waste by road and rail to Queensland — where it is free to dump in landfill — to avoid paying fees.

In the submission to the inquiry, Ms Brown said while the Bass Strait meant Tasmania would not receive the waste of other states, there was a problem in its own backyard.

“There are thousands of tonnes of plastic waste which is currently being dumped, burnt or stockpiled due to the lack of disposal support and incentives,” she wrote.

“Envorinex have identified 2317 tonnes of plastic waste stockpiled in just four sites with location advice on many more similar sites.”

Ms Brown said there was a big difference in what landfill sites in Tasmania charged compared with interstate locations — if they even charged a fee at all.

“A semi-trailer can drive on to the weighbridge at a landfill site with only four tonnes of waste black poly pipe and pay $600 in Victoria while in Tasmania only $40 but while that semi-trailer load is 43.2 cubic metres, the plastic waste will not break down for over 600 years,” she said in the submission.

The State Government will make its own submission to the inquiry.