Landfills have wasted no time in dumping carbon price on their customers.
Landfills have pushed up gate fees for the disposal of waste by more than 20 per cent as the carbon tax and the state’s waste levy combine to blow out the cost of dumping rubbish in NSW.
The move, which the industry says is necessary to fund its future carbon tax liability and higher operating costs, has been questioned by consumer advocates who say landfill operators must explicitly justify the increase to customers.
At the Eastern Creek landfill, where waste company SITA operates the weighbridge, the cost of dumping household rubbish jumped almost $47 to $224 a tonne on 1st July.
The 21 per cent price jump was attributed to the carbon tax, higher operating costs and the NSW waste levy, which in Sydney metro rose from $82 to $95.20 per tonne.
At the giant Veolia Woodlawn landfill near Goulburn, which takes about one-third of Sydney’s waste, said the carbon tax has added an extra $11.80 to the price of dumping a tonne of mixed municipal waste and commercial and industrial waste (C&I) streams.
Regionally the Wagga Wagga City Council, faces an estimated $660,000 annual carbon tax bill from its landfill site, has chosen not to raise gate fees this year.
Landfills which generate more than 25,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases a year will pay the carbon tax from mid-2013.
Recycling your waste streams to remove recoverables for recycling can help business and councils reduce there exposure to the increase waste disposal costs.
The REGYP process is 100% recyclable for plasterboard waste.
