Meet the Chemists Making Dangerous Waste Safe

When it comes to safely disposing of New Zealand’s most hazardous chemicals, who do you call? WM New Zealand’s Technical Services team — the experts dealing with the toxic, the hazardous, and occasionally, the explosive.

At the Neales Road facility in Auckland, chemists Luani Bernadi and Rishard Zuhair manage some of the most challenging waste streams in the country. From acids and alkalis to reactive metals, their work ensures hazardous materials are made safe for treatment or disposal — all while protecting people and the environment.

Highly skilled and qualified

Luani has worked at the Neales Road site for six years. Originally interested in biology, she soon discovered chemistry offered a more diverse career path. After graduating from a prestigious university in Brazil, she moved to New Zealand nearly a decade ago — and is now completing her Master’s in Sustainable Resource Recovery at the University of Auckland.

Rishard, who joined Technical Services nearly five years ago, holds a PhD in Chemistry from Texas A&M University. His career has spanned teaching and research roles in the United States, Sri Lanka, Kuwait, and most recently at the University of Waikato. Seeking new challenges, he transitioned into private industry — drawn by the complexity and impact of WM’s work.

“We deal with such a huge variety of hazardous waste that you wouldn’t see elsewhere,” says Luani. “Most manufacturers only handle a narrow range of chemicals — here, we see it all.”

Dealing with the toxic and the hazardous

Every day, the pair test, classify, and treat incoming waste — ensuring each substance is handled appropriately. One of Luani’s key roles is neutralising dangerous liquids inside one of three massive 45,000-litre reactors on site.

By carefully combining acidic and alkaline waste streams, the team can neutralise them into a stable, pH-balanced slurry — often without needing any extra chemicals. It’s a process that embodies WM’s commitment to safe and sustainable waste management.

For non-hazardous materials such as water-based paints, oil sludge, or printer inks, the team mixes them with absorbent wood shavings to form a solid, inert mass suitable for safe landfill disposal. This option is only used when treatment or recovery isn’t possible — reinforcing their hierarchy of safety first, landfill last.

…and the explosive

Then there’s the Exploderator — a solid steel containment box used to safely treat water-reactive metals like sodium, lithium, and potassium. In their pure form, these metals can violently react with water, but inside the Exploderator, they’re neutralised in a series of small, controlled detonations.

“It’s the safest way to handle materials that could otherwise be extremely dangerous,” explains Luani. “By adding them slowly to water inside the sealed box, we can control the reaction and ensure no risk to people or the environment.”

Safety above all else

While the work may sound dramatic, Rishard says it’s all about prevention, not explosions.

“People often ask if we blow things up,” he laughs. “You could say we know how to blow things up — so we can make sure they don’t.”

The team’s deep understanding of chemical reactivity allows them to manage risk precisely — ensuring each process remains tightly controlled and compliant with strict safety standards.

And while the focus is always on safety, the team still finds room for a little chemistry-themed fun. In years past, they’ve run “Flaming Fridays” — small, controlled demonstrations designed to show colleagues how reactive certain compounds can be, reinforcing both education and respect for the work they do.

From the Exploderator to the reactors, every process at Neales Road reflects the same principle: safety first, science second, sustainability always. Thanks to experts like Luani and Rishard, New Zealand’s most dangerous waste is managed safely — one reaction at a time.