WASTECO
South Island Resource Recovery Limited included a supporting letter from WasteCo in their resource consent application to build the Project Kea incineration plant. The September 13, 2022, letter provided by WasteCo Technical Services Manager Rik West, addressed to Paul Taylor, director of SIRRL, states, “I can confirm that WasteCo can safely collect and transport the metal hydroxide from the Energy from Waste plant in Glenavy. The metal hydroxide will be taken to our hazardous waste treatment facility, which is currently being designed. Our chemists have reviewed the chemical composition of metal hydroxide and can confirm that it can be treated to enable safe disposal in landfills. It is anticipated that the hazardous waste facility will be operational in late 2023/24 in advance of the energy from waste plant being commissioned.”
WHO IS WASTECO GROUP LIMITED?
WasteCo Group Limited is listed on the NZX main board
The WasteCo Group (WasteCo) owns and operates a range of business activities associated with waste and refuse collection, recycling and disposal, street cleaning, and other industrial services.
The business operations of WasteCo comprise:
- Environmental services, which comprise of the following operations:
- Waste collection via front-load bins, hook bins, skip bins, and wheelie bins from both commercial and private customers.
- A large gantry collection operation in Christchurch.
- Road sweeping for councils and commercial customers. WasteCo operates an extensive sweeping operation in the South Island.
- Waste sorting and diversion. WasteCo operates a 3,600-square-meter dedicated sorting facility in Christchurch with a strong focus on diversion from landfills. WasteCo is currently achieving global diversion in excess of 50% of waste away from landfills.
- A new specialised facility for the collection and treatment of medical and quarantine waste has recently been implemented by WasteCo.
- Training services. WasteCo provides internal and external training courses, both to its own staff and to third-party organisations.
- Industrial services, which comprise the following operations:
- High-pressure water blasting, urgent spill response services, vacuum loading, septic tank cleaning, and portaloos. These services are offered on a 24/7/365 basis. WasteCo is one of the largest providers of industrial services in the South Island.
- Port services. WasteCo provides maintenance, cleaning, and auxiliary services to several ports and shipping companies in the South Island.
MEDICAL WASTE TREATMENT
Below was taken from WasteCo Group ltd annual report 2023.
Our medical and quarantine service is an example of a new WasteCo initiative. When WasteCo listed on the
NZX the company was in the early stages of commissioning its specialised medical and quarantine waste facility and has since added some significant customers, including private hospitals, ports, and airports, as well as vets and other related companies. They are now one of only two medical and quarantine waste treatment, remediation, and disposal providers in New Zealand.
NO RESPONSE FROM THE COMPANY
Since SIRRL lodged their resource consent in November 2022, Why Waste Waimate has contacted WasteCo on several occasions through the company website with questions about the treatment facility mentioned in the support letter. We are still waiting to get a response.