Human Settlements
Page 69
In the Commercial and Industrial waste stream within the City of Port Adelaide
Enfield the predominant ZeroWaste waste categories were
Food/Kitchen
(20.50% by weight),
'Garbage bags'
(16.53% by weight),
'Soil/Clean Fill'
(16.25%
by weight). The categories with the greatest change as a proportion between the
2004 and 2007 audits were
Soil/Clean Fill
which increased from 6.48% to
16.53% by weight, and paper and cardboard which increased slightly from 2.46%
to 2.61% and 5.75% to 5.81% by weight respectively (SA Government Zero
Waste 2007).
The three industry types generating the highest quantity of waste within the City
of Port Adelaide Enfield were manufacturing (36.72%), mixed small to medium
enterprises (18.68%) and retail/trade (16.47%) (SA Government Zero Waste
2007).
Hazardous Waste
Council does not provide a ‘special waste’ service or manage commercial
hazardous wastes. Industries are responsible for managing this waste. To assist
the appropriate collection and disposal of hazardous wastes from residential
premises, Zero Waste SA conducts two or three hazardous waste collection
service days per year at central locations within the Port Adelaide Enfield,
Charles Sturt, and Prospect Councils. The Councils assist in the organisation and
promotion of this service.
Given the high concentration of industrial manufacturers within the Council area,
collection of information regarding hazardous wastes and effective management
of this waste stream is important. A coordinated inter-agency approach to risk
management is necessary for environmental and public health protection.
E Waste
Due to the rapid technological advances in the last decade, electronic waste or
‘e-waste’ is an emerging problem worldwide, with soaring consumer demand for
items such as computers, mobile phones, televisions, ipods and other electronic
devices. It is estimated that every year 20-50 million tonnes of e-waste is
generated worldwide. The high toxicity of some components can result in
significant damage to human health and the environment if not appropriately
disposed of. Certain electronic products contain heavy metals that include lead
cadmium, mercury, and arsenic which, when disposed of, can leach into the
water table. Printer inks and toners often contain toxic materials such as carbon
black and cadmium. It is these environmental health implications that have put e-
waste under the spotlight of international governments and environmentalists
alike (ABC Science News, 2003).
