Photo / Liam Clayton / The Gisborne HeraldA trade waste bylaw will for the first time in New Zealand be used to stop the "culturally offensive" practice of mortuary wastewater being discharged into rivers and the ocean. Mortuary waste is made up of arterial blood and chemicals that mostly arise through the embalming process. The wastewater management committee endorsed the draft trade waste bylaw at the Thursday meeting. Council lifelines director David Wilson said staff identified the trade waste bylaw as the "cleanest method to remove mortuary waste from the public waste stream". It did not list risks associated with the bylaw, saying it was the first time a trade waste bylaw had been used to prohibit mortuary waste in New Zealand, and was therefore "untested".

Source: New Zealand Herald December 04, 2020 23:28 UTC