Tasmanian small businesses helping protect our environment

TasWater is working closely with Tasmanian business in helping upgrade our trade waste systems – the ultimate aim is to protect public health, the safety of our staff and the environment.

Trade waste is all the material from businesses which finds its way into the sewage network. It can be food scraps, fats, oils, or chemicals which may enter the system in ways as simple as from a car wash or cleaning the floors. Even everyday activities like buying fish and chips, going the local bistro or visiting the hairdresser result in waste which needs special handling before entering the sewer. Garage and retail automotive businesses need to take extra care to ensure oils and solvents don’t go down the drain. Michael Grubb of Specialist Auto Group is one auto business owner who has installed systems at his three Hobart area workshops to meet current compliance standards for trapping and managing liquid waste. Michael says it’s not that hard once you have the right equipment in place. “Here at Specialist Auto Group we ensure that all oil and solvents are captured within the building and discharged via a vertical gravity separator. This means there can never be a spill which could contaminate the sewer or storm water system from within. “Yes, it was a significant investment, but customers these days expect business to do things properly when it comes to protecting the environment.” Malcom Little of the Tasmanian Automobile Chamber of Commerce says his organisation supports the TasWater initiative to eliminate oil, metals and coolant from the waste water stream. “As a community we all recognise the need to care for our environment and for the retail automotive industry, managing our trade waste is the most significant contribution we can make.”

It’s better to ensure that what we put into the sewage system is safe in the first place. — Michael Grubb, Specialist Auto Group