reThink business waste FAQs
Frequently asked questions
What is an industry waste levy?
An industry waste levy is a charge on a landfill operator for each tonne of commercial and industrial or construction and demolition waste that is disposed of to landfill.
It is a levy on landfill disposal, intended as a means of encouraging better recovery of useful resources by everyone in the waste process.
What is considered to be commercial and industrial waste?
The waste generated from any activity, other than domestic activities, is considered to be commercial and industrial waste. Retail, office, service and manufacturing activities are all classed as commercial and industrial activities.
What about construction and demolition waste?
Construction and demolition wastes sent to landfill, and not diverted for recycling or reuse, will attract a $35 per tonne levy.
Is there a difference in the levy for regulated wastes?
Low hazard regulated waste, such as food processing waste, will attract a $50 per tonne levy, while high hazard regulated waste, such as by-products from foundries and chemical and fertiliser manufacturing, will attract a $150 per tonne levy. The levy will be adjusted according to the Consumer Price Index rate each year.
Why does Queensland need an industry waste levy?
A levy creates a financial incentive—a price signal—to help make waste reduction and recycling practices more viable. Currently, Queensland is the only mainland state that does not have a levy, and that makes the state a potential dumping ground for interstate wastes.
A levy will help expand the recycling industry’s investment in Queensland, and help ease the strain on existing landfill sites. It will also provide a source of funding for waste management programs, and for state and local government environmental initiatives.
How much is the levy?
The levy varies according to the type of waste.
Waste stream |
Levy amount per tonne disposed |
Commercial and industrial |
$35 |
Construction and demolition |
$35 |
Contaminated and acid sulfate soils |
$35 |
Low hazard regulated waste |
$50 |
High hazard regulated waste |
$150 |
Municipal solid waste |
$0 |
Some decisions are still being finalised, such as the high and low hazard regulated waste classifications. More information will be provided as these decisions are made.
Where will the levy apply?
The levy will apply in 34 local government areas, covering around 99 per cent of Queensland’s population. The remaining local government areas that fall outside the levy collection zone have relatively large areas and small populations.
Local governments inside the levy collection area (PDF, file unavailable)* include all councils in South East Queensland, Townsville and Mount Isa city councils, and Cairns, Tablelands, Mackay, Rockhampton, Bundaberg, Fraser Coast, Gympie, Central Highlands, North Burnett and Western Downs regional councils.
How will the industry waste levy be charged to business?
The levy will be charged on commercial and industrial, and construction and demolition, waste disposed of to landfill. The obligation is on the landfill operator to pay the levy to the state for all levyable waste disposed of.
How the landfills or the waste transporter recover these costs will be a commercial decision within their business. For example, landfill operators may raise their gate fee for waste disposal to incorporate the cost of their levy liability. This increased gate fee would be paid by the person delivering the waste who, in turn, may recoup these costs from business clients. Waste transporters will have their own method for charging back any of these additional costs.
Can the levy be avoided?
Materials that are recovered, reused or recycled (that is, not sent to landfill) do not attract the levy. The more material a business can divert to recycling or resource recovery, the less possible impact the levy will have.
Waste contractors or local councils can advise about recovery solutions, or visit the Business Recycling website for details of the nearest resource recovery operations.
When does the levy commence?
The new levy will commence on 1 December 2011. Supporting programs for business will be made available prior to the levy commencement.
Why won’t the levy apply to municipal solid waste?
Beyond recycling, the majority of households currently have little control over their waste management options, and no control over how much they pay for waste disposal—regardless of how much they recycle. This means that a levy on domestic kerbside-collected waste is not an effective price signal and could be viewed as an unnecessary cost that householders can not readily avoid.
Will the levy apply to waste self-hauled by a business?
Yes. Commercial and industrial, and construction and demolition, waste delivered to a landfill site within the levy zone, or that has been generated within the levy zone and disposed of at a landfill outside the levy zone, will be charged the industry waste levy.
What happens if people transport waste to a landfill outside the levy zone so that they don’t have to pay the levy?
The levy is based on the point where the waste has been generated and where it is disposed of. For instance, if waste is generated in the levy zone and disposed of outside the levy collection area, the levy will apply. Similarly, if waste is generated outside the levy zone and disposed of at a site inside the levy zone, the levy will still apply. The only time the levy does not apply is if the waste is both generated and disposed of outside the levy zone.
This will reduce the risk of people transporting the waste to a disposal site outside the levy area just to avoid paying the levy. Waste disposal site operators will be required to keep records of where the waste has come from so that any incidents of this nature can be monitored.
What about skip bin operators collecting waste from a domestic premise?
Household cleanups, construction and renovation activities all generate waste. Where these activities involve the use of a business to remove this material it is classed as a commercial activity and therefore the waste is classed as commercial and industrial waste.
Can businesses get help to rethink waste?
Yes. Funding from the levy will be set aside to move Queensland towards being a resource-efficient state. The levy will fund new programs and initiatives to help business and industry implement improved waste management and recovery practices, thereby reducing their exposure to the levy.
Particular programs will aim to:
- support small and medium businesses through the reThink Business Waste program
- develop new products and expand markets for recovered materials
- offer grants to support the introduction of new resource recovery options
- create waste reduction and avoidance initiatives for business
- support research and development to develop processes and innovative solutions to boost resource recovery.
Register here for updates on the support programs available to business.
How can business incorporate new services for resource recovery into existing service agreements?
A series of questions have been prepared to help businesses review their existing and new service agreements for waste and resource recovery. More information on how can business rethink waste is available.
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Last reviewed 3 April 2012
Last updated 26 October 2011