Disaster Waste Management Scoping Study - final report (2016)

The management of debris following a disaster can have real and lasting impacts on affected communities and the environment. Disaster waste management can: Greatly impact the speed and cost of recovery Provide local employment following the disaster Deliver recycled products to rebuild infrastructure in affected communities, and Have long lasting impacts on human health and environmental outcomes from the disaster. Experience from around the globe demonstrates that developing a disaster waste management plan can greatly improve outcomes by building capacity within individuals and organisations to undertake waste management activities. Without contingency planning, volumes of disaster debris have the potential to overwhelm a city’s waste and recycling infrastructure, impede disaster response and recovery activities, and contribute to poor outcomes for human health and the environment. his study, commissioned by the Office of Green Industries SA, reviewed the current status of disaster waste management in South Australia. It was found there is no set framework for managing disaster waste in SA. Rather, disaster waste management has been carried out effectively through the joint efforts of several organisations and individuals, and with waste quantities largely managed and disposed/recycled using local government resources.