Turn the raw legal text into a practical explanation grounded in Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative—Source Separated Organic Waste) Methodology Determination 2016.
Act means the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) Act 2011.
activity area means the area that contains the specific location or locations at which a source separation activity is implemented.
Note: The activity area for a source separation activity must be in one State or Territory only (see subsection 15(1)).
aggregated waste diversion activity has the meaning given by section 12.
amendment Act has the meaning given by subsection 19(5).
anaerobic digester means a system that consists of:
(a) one or more closed units designed to promote anaerobic digestion; and
(b) a biogas collection system; and
(c) any equipment associated with the transfer of biogas to a combustion device.
Note: Examples of anaerobic digesters include the following:
(a) covered anaerobic lagoons;
(b) plug‑flow reactors;
(c) continuously stirred tank reactors;
(d) fixed film digesters;
(e) upflow anaerobic sludge blanket digesters.
anaerobic digestion means a biological process in which organic matter is broken down by microorganisms in the absence of oxygen.
appropriate measuring requirements, in relation to a measurement or estimate, means requirements that are consistent with:
(a) requirements that apply in relation to similar measurements or estimates under the NGER (Measurement) Determination; or
(b) relevant standards and other requirements under the National Measurement Act 1960.
biobased product means a product that:
(a) is manufactured by a waste treatment facility or unit; and
(b) contains material that was previously eligible organic material diverted from landfill by a source separation activity.
Note: Examples of biobased products include the following:
(a) compost;
(b) landscape mulch;
(c) mine site remediation material;
(d) soil conditioner.
biofilter means an engineered system that contains living compost‑like material through which biogas passes for methane oxidation.
biogas collection efficiency means the percentage of biogas generated in an anaerobic digester that is sent to a combustion device.
biosolids means a mixture of mainly water and organic materials that:
(a) is produced entirely from domestic or commercial waste water treatment processes; and
(b) has undergone further processing to significantly reduce disease‑causing pathogens and volatile organic matter; and
(c) has been stabilised for beneficial use.
charity diversion activity has the meaning given by section 14.
combustion device means:
(a) a boiler, or an internal combustion engine, that is operated in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions; or
(b) a flare that has a monitoring and control system and is operated in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions; or
(c) a device:
(i) that combusts biogas with a destruction efficiency of at least 98%; and
(ii) that is operated in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions; and
(iii) the combustion process of which is controlled using a monitoring and control system.
commercial and industrial waste means waste generated from fixed point sources related to manufacturing, wholesale, retail, professional services and administration sectors.
commercial food waste activity has the meaning given by subsection 13(2).
composting process means a biological process in which organic matter in solid waste is broken down by microorganisms in the presence of oxygen, whether or not the process includes the use of pasteurisation to produce a suitable biobased product.
construction and demolition waste means waste generated from construction and demolition activities.
declaration day, for an SSOW project, means the day the project is declared to be an eligible offsets project.
dwelling means a self‑contained suite of rooms, whether comprising the whole or a part of a building, that:
(a) contain cooking and bathing facilities; and
(b) are intended for long‑term residential use;
but does not include a suite of rooms in a building that offers institutional care or temporary accommodation.
Note: A hospital is an example of a building that offers institutional care, and a motel, hostel or holiday apartment is an example of a building that offers temporary accommodation.
eligible organic material means material (other than biosolids or wastewater) that consists of any of the following waste mix types:
(a) food;
(b) textiles;
(c) garden and park;
(d) wood and wood waste;
(e) sludge;
(f) nappies;
(g) rubber and leather.
Note: Paper and cardboard are not eligible organic material.
eligible waste treatment technology means any of the following:
(a) enclosed composting technology;
(b) open windrow composting;
(c) one or more anaerobic digesters and the transfer of biogas to a combustion device for destruction;
(d) process engineered fuel manufacture.
enclosed composting technology:
(a) means a semi‑enclosed, or fully enclosed, alternative waste or composting technology in which the composting process occurs within a reactor that:
(i) has hard walls or doors on all 4 sides, or uses engineered soft covers; and
(ii) sits on a floor; and
(iii) has a permanent positive or negative aeration system; and
(b) may include open windrow composting to further refine compost products after the composting process mentioned in paragraph (a) is completed.
Note: Examples of enclosed composting technology include the following:
(a) composting tunnels;
(b) composting digesters;
(c) composting maturation halls.
expansion waste diversion activity has the meaning given by section 11.
intention notice time has the meaning given by subsection 19(5).
major venting event: a major venting event occurs when biogas in the storage capacity of an anaerobic digester is released to the atmosphere in a way that does not represent the proper operation of the anaerobic digester, including:
(a) when the biogas is released intentionally (for example, for safety or maintenance purposes); and
(b) when the biogas is released unintentionally (for example, as a result of a system failure).
monitoring and control system, for a flare or other device, means a system that consists of:
(a) a monitoring system that detects combustion and monitors if the combustion is operating at the manufacturer’s specifications for the complete combustion of methane; and
(b) an associated control system that shuts down biogas flow to the flare or other device when the flare or device is not operating at the manufacturer’s specifications for the complete combustion of methane.
Note: An example of a monitoring and control system for a flare is a flare management system that incorporates a UV detection sensor.
monitoring requirements means the requirements set out in sections 59 and 60.
municipal food and garden and park waste activity has the meaning given by subsection 13(5).
municipal food waste activity has the meaning given by subsection 13(3).
municipal garden and park waste activity has the meaning given by subsection 13(4).
municipal solid waste means waste that is:
(a) generated from the domestic sector; and
(b) collected in household garbage, recycling, mixed organics, garden organics or local government clean‑up collections; and
(c) classified as either municipal solid waste class I or municipal solid waste class II (within the meaning of the NGER (Measurement) Determination).
new waste diversion activity has the meaning given by section 10.
NGA Factors document means the document entitled “National Greenhouse Accounts Factors”, published by the Department and as in force from time to time.
NGER (Measurement) Determination means the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting (Measurement) Determination 2008.
NGER Regulations means the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Regulations 2008.
nominated waste treatment facility or unit, for a source separation activity that is implemented by an SSOW project, means a waste treatment facility or unit at which eligible organic material diverted from landfill by the activity will be processed, nominated as such in:
(a) the application made under section 22 of the Act in relation to the project; or
(b) a notification given to the Regulator by the project proponent under section 53 or 54 of this determination.
non‑monitored period has the meaning given by subsection 62(1).
open windrow composting means a composting process in which open air windrows are managed to maintain aerobic conditions, whether by regular turning or aeration.
original activity has the meaning given by subsection 16(1).
potential activity has the meaning given by subsection 17(1).
process engineered fuel manufacture means a process:
(a) by which a solid or liquid combustible fuel substitute is produced from eligible organic material that would otherwise enter landfill; and
(b) that may include further sorting of waste that was separated at the point of generation, separation of recyclable material, size reduction and screening.
registered charity means an entity that is registered under the Australian Charities and Not‑for‑profits Commission Act 2012 as the type of entity mentioned in column 1 of item 1 of the table in subsection 25‑5(5) of that Act.
relevant 24‑month period, for an SSOW project, means the 24‑month period ending:
(a) if the project meets the substitute newness requirement mentioned in subsection 19(3)—at the intention notice time; or
(b) otherwise—on the day before the application under section 22 of the Act is made in relation to the project.
separated at the point of generation has the meaning given by section 6.
source separation activity has the meaning given by subsection 8(2).
source separation bin means a container that is intended to contain:
(a) a particular waste mix type; or
(b) a particular combination of waste mix types.
Note: A container for mixed organics that is intended to contain a combination of food and garden and park waste is an example of a container that is intended to contain a particular combination of waste mix types.
SSOW project (short for source separated organic waste project) has the meaning given by subsection 8(3).
sub‑activity has the meaning given by subsection 12(2).
substitute newness requirement has the meaning given by subsections 19(2) and (3).
trial waste diversion activity: a trial waste diversion activity is undertaken in an activity area by a project proponent if the trial waste diversion activity:
(a) involves eligible organic material being separated at the point of generation and diverted from landfill; and
(b) is undertaken at no more than 20% of sites at which a source separation bin is to be located in the activity area.
waste audit means a waste audit undertaken in accordance with section 61.
waste mix type means any of the following:
(a) food;
(b) paper and cardboard;
(c) textiles;
(d) garden and park;
(e) wood and wood waste;
(f) sludge;
(g) nappies;
(h) rubber and leather;
(i) inert waste (including concrete, metal, plastic and glass).
waste stream means any of the following:
(a) municipal solid waste;
(b) commercial and industrial waste;
(c) construction and demolition waste.
waste treatment facility or unit means a facility or unit that:
(a) accepts and processes waste using eligible waste treatment technology; and
(b) produces biobased products from the waste processed; and
(c) if Commonwealth, State or Territory legislative requirements apply to the operation of the facility or unit—is operated in accordance with those requirements.