Waste tracking for waste producers
Waste tracking helps stamp out illegal dumping, prevents waste going to the wrong facility and stops unfair competition.
The following information will help you understand your responsibilities as a waste producer and determine what you need to do to comply with tracking waste.
Your responsibilities for tracking waste
Waste producers* are responsible for ensuring that high-risk waste is transported only after all the necessary documents and checks have been completed.
Note: These tracking requirements also apply to operators of facilities who consign waste that was previously received from another site.
Types of waste that must be tracked
The types of waste that must be tracked are listed in Schedule 1 of the Environment Protection Act 1993. For more information see the fact sheets Characterising your waste and Waste that must be tracked.
Consignment authorisation
A consignment authorisation is issued to a waste consignor (usually the waste producer or someone acting on their behalf) by an approved receiving facility or by the EPA. It allows the transport of specified waste from a consignor to a receiving facility. It can cover multiple loads and remain valid for up to 1 year. A separate paper transport certificate must accompany each load of waste that is being transported.
Transport certificate
A paper waste transport certificate is a document containing required information about a load of waste and must accompany that load of waste during transport. It includes information about the waste, the consignor, transporter and receiving facility. Users of the EPA’s online waste tracking system can create a transport certificate using the system.
Penalties for non-compliance
Failure to comply with a licence condition is a breach of section 45(5) of the Environment Protection Act 1993. This may result in the EPA taking regulatory action against the licensee for contravening a condition of an environmental authorisation (maximum penalty $120,000).
There are significant penalties for those caught illegally dumping waste. For individuals, penalties can be as high as $500,000 or four years imprisonment. For a corporate body the penalty can be as high as $2 million.
Waste producers or transporters who dispose of waste illegally could be fined up to $120,000 and face up to two years imprisonment and corporations face fines of up to $250,000, under clause 10 of the Environment Protection (Waste to resources) Policy 2010. Poor operators could even have their EPA licence revoked.
It is an offence to provide false or misleading information and can result in a maximum fine of $60,000.
Waste transported out of SA
If the waste is to be transported out of SA, contact the environment agency in the destination jurisdiction for a consignment authorisation.
What do you need to do?
Before waste is transported from your premises:
- ensure that you correctly characterise your waste
- ensure that the facility where the waste is being transported to is legally able to accept the waste.
- obtain a consignment authorisation by contacting the waste facility that is receiving the waste or contact EPA
- ensure that a waste transport certificate is completed for the load of waste
- provide the waste transport certificate to the waste transporter
- ensure that the waste transporter is licensed or legally allowed to transport the waste.
Record-keeping
Waste producers who do not use an approved online tracking system must keep copies of waste transport certificates for at least 12 months.
If you are using an approved tracking system you may not need to keep certain records such as copies of transport certificates. Most notifications required under the regulation can be done online using the EPA online tracking system.
Online tracking system
The EPA online tracking system provides a method of meeting your obligations for waste tracking in SA. Online tracking helps reduce the burden of paperwork on businesses, and makes enforcement and compliance easier. For example, businesses tracking waste movements online are not required to submit paper forms, as the EPA can automatically collate the required data.
The EPA online tracking system can be used for waste transported within SA or into SA from other states or territories.
Find out more about the online tracking system.
