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Clinical and hazardous waste

Hazardous waste

Hazardous materials are any materials that have the potential to:

  • harm human health
  • damage property
  • cause harm to the environment.

Hazardous materials can be solid, liquid or gas. Many industrial, commercial, pharmaceutical, agricultural and domestic chemicals contain hazardous materials.

Some common examples include:

  • paint
  • cleaning chemicals
  • degreaser
  • detergent
  • pesticides
  • herbicides
  • fuel
  • welding fumes
  • energy efficient lighting (for example, compact fluorescent lamps).

Find out more about hazardous waste.

Disposing waste to landfill in the ACT

You can dispose contaminated waste to landfill in the ACT. To do this you need approval from the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA).

Classification of waste

The ACT's Environmental Standards control how waste is classified in the ACT. These standards aim to protect human health and the environment.

You can dispose of waste to landfill in the ACT if it classified as general solid waste or industrial (asbestos waste).

If the waste does not meet this classification (excluding asbestos), you cannot dispose it to landfill in the ACT, and you’ll need to transport it interstate.

Asbestos contaminated waste

If you’re applying to dispose of asbestos contaminated waste, read our asbestos guides:

Building and development

To help you follow EPA requirements when building or developing, read the following guides:

Apply for approval for landfill disposal

To apply for approval to dispose of waste to landfill you’ll need to:

To make sure your report meets our requirements, read the Report submission requirements.

Apply for approval to dispose of waste to landfill

Applications take about 5 business days to process.

Moving controlled waste

Controlled waste is waste that could cause harm to the environment or human health.

When you move controlled waste across states and territories it is controlled and monitored under the system for Movement of Controlled Waste between States and Territories National Environment Protection Measure.

This system tracks the movement of controlled waste to ensure it:

  • reaches an approved facility for treatment (recycling, storage or disposal) safely and securely
  • does not have a detrimental effect on human health or the environment.

To find out your responsibilities when transporting controlled waste, read the following guides:

Approval to move controlled waste into the ACT

Before you move controlled waste, you must apply for approval (called consignment authorization).

To get approval you’ll need to complete the consignment authorization application form.

To help you apply and transport waste, read our Guide to using a waste transport certificate (PDF 122 KB).

To apply:

  1. Download and fill in the application to move controlled waste interstate (Word 85 KB).
  2. Email it to us at environment.protection@act.gov.au.

Applications take about 5 business days to process. Once processed, we’ll email you the outcome of your application.

Scheduled waste

There are several chemicals in hazardous waste that we monitor closely as they are particularly damaging to the environment.

The Australian and New Zealand Environment and Conservation Council lists these chemicals under Schedule X.

Any waste which contains quantities and concentrations of these chemicals more than the specified thresholds is classed as a scheduled waste.

Schedule X chemicals are:

  • organic in nature
  • will not degrade by chemical, physical or biological means
  • toxic to humans, other animals, vegetation or aquatic life
  • bioaccumulative in humans, plants and animals.

Types of scheduled waste

There are three main groups of scheduled waste:

  • PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls)
  • HCB (hexachlorobenzene)
  • OCPs (organochlorine pesticides).

Examples of scheduled waste chemicals

Some examples of scheduled waste chemicals include:

  • DDT
  • Lindane
  • Chlordane
  • Heptachlor
  • Endrin
  • Aldrin
  • Entachlorophenol
  • Isodrin
  • Hexachlorophene
  • Pentachloronitrobenzene
  • 2,4,5-T.

How we manage scheduled waste

We manage scheduled waste at national, state and territory level.

The Scheduled Waste Management Network (SWMN) developed National Management Plans to deal with scheduled waste across Australia.

Plans for PCBs, OCPs and HCB have been finalised and are now being implemented.

Find out more about the National management plans.

PCB management plan

The ACT Government is implementing the PCB Management Plan, which involves:

  • identifying and treating PCBs
  • prioritizing treating PCBs that pose the greatest threat to human health or the environment.

Manufacture and import of PCBs has been banned for some time. Howeve,r there are quantities of it still in use.

The electricity supply industry often used PCBs in Australia. The ACT's electricity authority, ActewAGL, is advanced in removing PCBs from its equipment. PCBs were also used in a range of other applications, including:

  • capacitors on motors and domestic appliances
  • some fluorescent lighting.

This equipment is sealed and contains relatively small amounts of PCBs and does not usually pose an immediate risk. You can continue to safely use these items as long as:

  • they do not leak
  • you dispose of them properly.

A list of PCB-containing and non-PCB-containing capacitors has been developed and published

To help electrical contractors and members of the community identify electrical equipment which contains PCBs read the list of PCB-containing and non-PCB-containing capacitors.

HCB management plan

Most HCB in Australia is stored at a Plant in Sydney. There are no known stocks of HCB in the ACT.

OCP management plan

OCPs were used widely up until the late 1980's. Since then, their use in the ACT has been phased out. However, some stocks are still turning up in garden sheds. While it is not illegal to possess OCPs, it is illegal to use them.

If you’re not sure about whether you have a pesticide that is an OCP, please contact us for advice.

The list of Schedule X OCPs include:

  • 2,4,5-T Aldrin Chlordane
  • DDT
  • Dieldri
  • Endrin
  • Hexachlorobenzene
  • Hexachlorocyclohexane
  • Hexachlorophene
  • Isodrin
  • Lindane
  • Pentachloronitrobenzene
  • Pentachlorophenol.

Hazardous Materials Environment Protection Policy

Causing environmental harm is an offence under the Environment Protection Act 1997 (the Act).

Hazardous materials are usually managed in a responsible manner. However, there is still potential for environmental harm to occur due to unforeseen circumstances, accidents or criminal acts.

The Hazardous Materials Environment Protection Policy (EPP) was developed in line with the Act to:

  • help people understand their responsibilities to manage hazardous materials
  • minimize risk to the environment and human health.

The EPP guides businesses and individuals on hazardous materials manufacture, storage, transport, use and disposal. It includes:

  • how to manage these activities in an environmentally responsible manner
  • how we regulate these activities.

Clinical waste

Clinical waste is infectious waste from the treatment and care of people and animals.

Some common examples of clinical waste include:

  • sharp objects like hypodermic needles, scalpels and pipettes
  • tissue and fluid specimens
  • human, cytotoxic and veterinary drugs and pharmaceuticals - used or unused
  • drug and pharmaceutical waste.

It can also include materials that have been in contact with clinical waste.

Moving, storing and disposing clinical waste

If you are storing, treating, moving or disposing of clinical waste, you must follow the requirements in the Clinical Waste Manual 1991.

Apply for a licence to move clinical waste

If you’re a business in the ACT, you must have a licence to transport clinical waste.

The annual licence fee covers up to 3 vehicles, with a fee for each extra vehicle. You can find the fees in the 'regulations and instruments' of the Clinical Waste Act 1990.

Apply for a licence to move clinical waste

Contact us

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