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PEFCO Pellets

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Turning Waste Into Zero-Carbon Energy

PEFCO (Process Engineered Fuel Company) is dedicated to transforming the way New Zealand and beyond manage municipal solid waste. Using proven WastAway technology from Tennessee, USA, we process non-recyclable waste into high-density engineered fuel pellets. A direct, low-carbon substitute for coal and other fossil fuels.

Each PEFCO plant is designed to divert up to 85% of municipal waste from landfill, producing up to 140,000 tonnes of fuel pellets annually . This not only reduces greenhouse gas emissions and landfill dependency but also delivers a sustainable, secure, and scalable energy source for heavy industry, steel mills, cement kilns, power stations and food manufacturing factories.

A common Question is, when does waste stop being waste? and where does this product sit in the ETS scheme?

In America the product made by WastAway is classed by the EPA as having a negative carbon footprint.

In New Zealand we are in active productive discussions with Authorities and Ministers to confirm our view that Waste STOPS BEING WASTE after it comes out of our steam sterlisation process and therefore has a zero or at worst a minimal ETS rating.

The answer depends on legal definitions in each jurisdiction, but the general principle is:

Waste stops being waste when it has been processed, recovered, or transformed into a product, fuel, or material that:

  • Meets product/fuel specifications (quality standards, technical criteria).
  • Has a commercial use — i.e., can be sold or used in the market as a resource.
  • Poses no greater risk to people or the environment than comparable conventional products.
  • Is no longer intended for disposal (landfill, or incineration)

Examples:

  • In the EU, under the Waste Framework Directive, waste ceases to be waste once it meets “end-of-waste criteria” — e.g. recovered paper, metals, and fuels can qualify if they meet standards.
  • In New Zealand, the RMA and Waste Minimisation Act don’t have a bright-line test, but regulators usually ask: has it been treated into a product? For example, compost, wood pellets, or process-engineered fuel can be classified as products rather than waste, if they meet a fuel standard and have a defined use.
  • In Australia, similar “resource recovery orders” exist: if you meet those, the material is no longer considered waste.

PEFCO, owned by Pacific Waste Holdings, is leading the development of engineered fuel from municipal waste.

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