The old batteries were removed as part of maintenance and improvement strategies for uninterrupted power supply (UPS) systems and support plant in data centres operated by IBM in Victoria and New South Wales. In 2000 IBM NZ did not dispose of any government classified hazardous waste.

Nonhazardous Waste
IBM disposed of 1,260 tonnes of nonhazardous waste in 2000 from the eight key facilities. This comprised paper, cardboard, wood, glass, plastic, food scraps and general trash and grease sludge.

Nonhazardous Solid Waste
The global recycling target for nonhazardous solid waste was 67 percent in 2000:

• IBM generated 1,175 tonnes of solid nonhazardous waste.
• IBM was able to reuse or recycle 41 percent.
• Recycled paper represented almost 25 percent (356 tonnes) of the total quantity.
• Cardboard collected for recycling represented over eight percent (123 tonnes) of the total quantity generated.
• General trash and food waste accounted for what remained, 36 percent (531 tonnes) and 11 percent (163 tonnes), respectively. These waste streams have risen since 1998 as a result of growth in employee population.

The Key Performance Indicator for nonhazardous solid waste in IBM is the solid waste generated per metre square of floor area.

In 2000, IBM Australia averaged 13.8 kilograms of solid waste per metre square.

Any facility with a KPI greater than the country average becomes a candidate for focused waste avoidance and minimisation measures. The national distribution warehouse generated 22.6 kilograms of solid waste and thus became a focus for waste minimisation efforts. IBM's endeavours to address the quantities of materials being disposed at the national distribution warehouse are outlined further in this section.

At a country level, IBM has identified waste product packaging and waste office paper as materials requiring a focused waste reduction campaign.

Nonhazardous Liquid Waste
The global target for recycling of nonhazardous liquid waste was 35 percent in 2000:

• IBM generated 85 tonnes of grease sludge.
• 100 percent of IBM grease sludge waste was recycled in Australia, significantly exceeding target.
• This was achieved by using waste disposal service suppliers who used value add processes to produce a soil conditioner for land reclamation purposes.

No data was available for IBM operations in New Zealand in 2000. However, IBM has made arrangements to ensure nonhazardous wastes generated in New Zealand can be reported in future reports.

Several initiatives commenced during 2000 were undertaken to improve IBM waste management performance in respect of targets. One example follows.

Waste Audit for Rosebery Distribution Warehouse
In conjunction with the South Sydney Regional Waste Board, IBM conducted a detailed assessment and analysis of its facility waste streams at the company's national distribution warehouse during 1999 and 2000. The results indicated there was significant potential to improve avoidance, reuse and recycling activities at the site. A key objective of the partnership project was to develop and prepare a case study for wider application within the IT Industry.

The results demonstrated a number of potential avoidance, reuse and recycling options for the IT business: The report found that almost 83 percent of the general trash generated in a day could be diverted from landfill through improvements to existing waste collection systems on site and by finding new suppliers interested in potentially recyclable materials.

Solutions to greatly improve the existing waste collection systems on the IBM site are now being implemented, along with finding new suppliers interested in potentially recyclable materials.