Waste management for business

Environmentally relevant activities (ERAs) are industrial activities with the potential to release contaminants into the environment. For information on waste disposal and recovery ERAs and their approval processes go to the environmentally relevant activities page.

‘Waste’ is made up of general waste, such as household waste, and regulated waste which requires a higher level of management to prevent harm to the environment or human health. For more guidelines and information sheets on regulated waste see management of regulated wastes.

A waste can be approved as a resource under the end of waste framework if the department considers that it has a beneficial use and it meets the specified resource quality criteria for specific use under a code or an approval. For more information go to the end of waste (EOW) framework page.

Queensland is developing a new, industry-led waste strategy. Read more about the waste strategy.

Waste minimisation aims to eliminate waste before it is produced and reduce its quantity and toxicity. For more information on commercial and domestic waste reduction see waste minimisation.