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IRIS Tasmania  >  Infrastructure  >  Waste  >  Supply  >  Waste Types

Waste Types

Tools:

Maps – Waste

Definitions of the four waste types are below:

Solid Inert Material

Waste which will not degrade in the short term, and which has a negligible risk to the environment for example, inert building and demolition waste, clean fill, wood, bricks, inert synthetic materials, concrete, rocks and fencing material

Potentially Contaminated Materials

Materials that may contain metals, organic substances or other wastes that will have a harmful effect on the environment if disposed of in an inappropriate manner. There are four levels of soil:

  • Level One: Fill material;
  • Level Two: Low level contaminated soil;
  • Level Three: Contaminated Soil; and
  • Level Four: Contaminated soil for remediation (requires land farming to remediate to a lower level).

Soils may require testing by appropriately qualified and accredited personnel to determine the means of disposal.

Putrescible Waste

Waste containing major components able to be decomposed by bacterial action, often resulting in offensive odours. This includes:

  • Household domestic garbage;
  • Local council generated waste;
  • Food waste from industrial or commercial sources such as restaurants, food markets and supermarkets;
  • Paper and cardboard; and
  • Green waste.

Controlled Waste

Controlled waste is the most hazardous category of waste and includes those wastes that exhibit toxicity, chemical or biological reactivity, environmental persistence, or the ability to bio-accumulate or enter the food chain. These wastes need to be carefully managed and are closely regulated because of their potential adverse impacts on human health and the environment. Some controlled wastes, such as tyres, are not strictly hazardous but they may also need special management.

Some common examples of controlled waste generators include:

  • car repair workshops;
  • dry cleaning services;
  • chemical, paint and plastics manufacturing; and
  • dental surgeries and hospitals.

Controlled waste is covered in more detail.