At BlueScope, maintaining responsible products and supply chains is one of our five sustainability outcomes. In line with this commitment to the environment and the communities in which we operate, we undertake a thorough waste-classification process and partner with external companies to initiate the recycling of materials.

In this video, you'll meet Elli Lockhart (Technical Specialist) and Kyle Moran (Analyst) from our Central Laboratories in Port Kembla, Australia, who perform such waste classification sampling. Elli and Kyle explain how analysis is required when material needs to be transported from its current location to be recycled or disposed of on- or off-site, which can include process by-products or material from excavation or cleaning. The material shown in this video is an example of a stockpile of material, which was excavated from an area where a new road was to be laid at the Port Kembla Steelworks.

Once a representative sample has been collected, the sample is packed up and sent to Clearsafe Environmental Solutions for asbestos analysis, followed by National Measurement Institute, Australia (NMI). NMI returns an analysis report, which is then compared to the NSW Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) Waste Classification Guidelines.

Subsequently, the waste is classified as general waste, restricted waste or hazardous waste.