Contaminated land

Cleanfill, landfill and managed fill sites

Materials placed onto or into land is either cleanfill or landfill, depending on the materials deposited:

• a cleanfill site is a commercial operation/site that accepts cleanfill material; material that has no contamination. This includes clay, soil and rock
• a managed fill site - accepts soil with low levels of contamination, which, when buried, does not have a significant effect on people or the environment. This is controlled through a consent process
• a landfill site is a commercial operation/site that accepts landfill material; material that's both organic, inorganic and generally non-hazardous.

Over time, especially with the increased pressure on land-use, the term cleanfill has been stretched and modified. Many cleanfills mistakenly accept a multitude of construction and demolition waste, contamination soils, green waste and other materials that can result in adverse effects on the environment.

The Ministry for the Environment (MfE) has produced a Cleanfills Guide that lists the acceptable, conditionally acceptable and non-acceptable waste materials.

Cleanfill sites that have accepted non-cleanfill materials may be required to obtain a long-term discharge consent which may require ongoing monitoring.

Visit the waste and recycling section if you'd like more information about how much waste is created within the region.

Click on the following link to download the 'Cleanfill Factsheet'.