Mass balance reporting

Mass balance reporting (MBR) comes into effect on 1 July 2021.

MBR requires waste facilities receiving over 20,000 tonnes of waste per annum (or otherwise directed by the EPA) to report to the EPA on a monthly basis total quantities of waste or other matter:

• received at the site
• transported from the site (to other resource recovery facilities or landfill)
• remaining stockpiled on site
• used on-site
• disposed on-site.

Further information and links to online portals for submitting reports will be added as they become available.

Reference materials

The following reference materials will be added as soon as they are available:

• Environment Protection (Mass Balance Reporting and other Measures) Variation Regulations 2020
• Waste reporting, record keeping and measurement standard
• Mass balance monthly reporting for waste depots
• Training information.

Background

Mass balance reporting will require certain licensed waste facilities including transfer stations, resource recovery facilities and waste disposal depots, to report on the monthly tonnages of waste and other matter that a site receives, stockpiles, uses onsite, disposes of or transfers from the site for sale or disposal.

Mass balance reporting requirements have been developed through ongoing consultation with the waste and resource recovery industry since 2015, including:

• 2015 discussion paper, Reforming Waste Management
• 2017 Explanatory Paper: mass balance reporting
• 2018 voluntary pilot trial
• 2020 consultation with mass balance reporters on the draft Waste Reporting and Record Keeping Standard (including conversion factors and waste types)

The Environment Protection (Mass Balance Reporting and other Measures) Variation Regulations 2020 were gazetted on 10 December 2020 and will commence on 1 July 2021, introducing necessary reporting, verification and record keeping requirements into the Environment Protection Regulations 2009.