NSW EPA public consultation on the future use of waste

In 2019 the NSW Environment Protection Authority conducted a public consultation on the future use of household general waste red-lid bin outputs, known as Mixed Waste Organic Outputs (MWOO). The state government offered a $24 million transition funding package to help councils and alternative waste treatment operators shift toward improved kerbside separation of food and garden waste and develop more sustainable uses for this organic material.

The EPA revoked the resource recovery exemptions permitting MWOO’s use as a soil amendment due to the presence of chemical and physical contaminants such as plastics and glass. Independent, peer-reviewed research involving CSIRO, the Department of Primary Industries, University of Sydney, University of New England, and other agencies found limited agronomic benefit at permitted application rates, combined with contamination risks and a lack of technology to remove persistent pollutants. The EPA concluded that further use of MWOO on agricultural, forestry, or mining rehabilitation land was inappropriate without effective control technologies.

The EPA instead supports the development of alternative products and technologies, including high-quality compost produced from source-separated food and garden organics, refuse-derived fuel, and other resource recovery options. The funding package aims to support these shifts by helping upgrade treatment facilities and promote best practices in organic waste processing.