Queensland's waste tracking legislation regulates the transport of environmentally significant waste. Trackable wastes are regulated wastes described as commercial or industrial in source or nature. Schedule 11 of the Environmental Protection Regulation 2019 lists specific, trackable waste and the subsequent waste codes.

Waste generators, transporters, and receivers have specific obligations when handling regulated and trackable waste to ensure the waste is appropriately transported and managed and does not cause environmental harm. Waste tracking documentation must be completed for each movement of trackable waste, with details submitted to the department.

If disposed of, liquid hazardous wastes must generally be solidified, immobilised or chemically fixed, beforehand.

This requirement is reflected in the relatively low disposal levels for traditional liquid waste, such as paints, solvents, and pesticides. Once solidified, the waste is disposed of in a landfill using the category of solid wastes requiring special handling. This category also includes asbestos, filter cake, fly ash, and waste treatment and disposal residues. As such, this category accounts for approximately 71% of all trackable waste disposed to landfill.

Of note is the steady decline over the past four years in the disposal rates of the waste category inorganic chemicals (0.7%). This category includes waste streams of increasing value, such as lead from used batteries.

Overall, during the 2020-21 to 2023-2024 financial year, the disposal of trackable waste has remained reasonably constant, with normal fluctuations evident, ranging from 360,000 to 504,00 tonnes per annum.