Two Australian jurisdictions collaborated to create a nationally consistent hazardous waste traceability solution, to fuel the future of the circular economy.
This article was first released by Circularity Live on 15th December, 2023
Efficiently managing hazardous waste movement within Australian jurisdictions has long been a challenge due to varying approaches and disparate systems for waste regulation across the states and territories.
Hazardous waste management in Australia has long been hindered by the lack of uniformity in regulations, compliance reporting requirements and tracking systems. Each jurisdiction has its own set of categorisations, definitions, codes, and coverage, and this inconsistency has complicated waste tracking, leading to inefficiencies and compliance issues. Intrastate movements bear the brunt of this misalignment, making it difficult for government policy makers, regulators, and decision-makers to target interventions effectively.
The urgency of addressing this issue was highlighted by a catastrophic incident—the chemical fire at Bradbury Industrial Services in Victoria in 2019. This disaster not only had devastating consequences for the environment, residents, and workers but also exposed the weaknesses in the existing tracking solutions and the cost of not implementing early detection and preventative waste tracking solutions. Illegal stockpiling of millions of litres of chemical waste and improper transportation of toxic chemicals were enabled by the absence of robust tracking data and systems.
Recognising the pressing need for a harmonised tracking system, the NSW EPA, in collaboration with QLD DES, engaged KPMG to design, develop and operate a solution that would bring about national consistency in hazardous waste tracking. The collaboration resulted in a comprehensive solution that addresses the complexities of waste management and offers a platform that can adapt to the unique legislative requirements of each state and territory.
The KPMG Origins traceability platform emerged as the cornerstone of the solution. This platform not only establishes national consistency but also seamlessly integrates with existing business systems, such as waste operators, logistic, waste and weighbridge management software as well as government license databases and billing systems. It simplifies the process for industry players to meet their regulatory tracking requirements and enables a low-cost model for modern regulatory compliance. Furthermore, by leveraging the latest analytics technologies, the new solution provides real-time insights for disclosure requirements and market intelligence purposes that assists regulators to efficiently identify operators and facilities that may require further compliance investigation.
One of the key strengths of the solution is its high configurability, making it adaptable to the specific regulations of any state or territory. The KPMG Origins platform operates to provide essential services like an AI assisted help desk support, maintenance, monitoring, incident management, service level reporting, and the ongoing development of training and education materials.
The development of IWTS followed a rapid six-month design and development program. Four distinct agile teams within KPMG were established to support project management, application development and configuration, transition-in and operations, and service management. Waste and resource recovery industry experts from KPMG were part of the core team to ensure rapid development and engagement of stakeholders effectively.
Industry engagement was a pivotal aspect of the process, with over 2,500 waste industry participants and an Industry Reference Group established for ongoing testing and feedback on the solution requirements and features. An agile project management approach was implemented that integrated requirement discovery, feature design , feature feedback and iterations, development, testing, and pre-production industry trial access on a fortnightly basis.
KPMG Origins is a ground-breaking solution marks a significant step forward in hazardous waste management, offering a robust framework for end-to-end tracking and compliance.
By addressing the lack of alignment among jurisdictions and providing an integrated, configurable platform, this solution can assist to ensure that hazardous waste is managed efficiently, transparently, and responsibly. It represents a powerful tool for regulators, industry players, and environmental protection, helping to safeguard both the environment and public safety. As we continues to drive innovation in this critical area, we look forward to a future of improved hazardous waste management and a cleaner, safer environment.
Beyond hazardous waste tracking, the KPMG Origins platform’s versatility extends far into a circular landscape. As the world embraces digital passports and as traceability becomes pivotal in supply chains, especially for recycled content, this adaptable solution presents an exemplary model for track-and-trace solutions across all materials. Its design echoes the principles of the circular economy, ensuring transparency and efficiency in material flows and resource utilisation.
We are committed to revolutionising traceability and regulatory compliance solutions, and we eagerly anticipate the transformative impact it will bring to Australia’s circular economy. Our bespoke methodology, proven successful in this project, can be tailored to elevate management processes across various sectors.
Together, let’s pave the way for a more accountable, transparent, and circular future.
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