Rubbish and recycling
Rubbish and recycling
We generated 3614.20 tonnes of rubbish last year. In 2023/24 we sent 56% to landfill. With renewed focus on reducing waste and emissions, recent changes to legislation and regulations have seen a big change in the way rubbish and recycling is managed in New Zealand.
Through the Emission Reduction Plan (ERP) there are further changes afoot, and the community interest in waste minimisation is also gaining momentum, making it cool to be green and environmentally minded. Our Waste Management and Minimisation Plan has a Zero Waste target by 2038.
What's on the horizon?
Opportunities
- Investigate opportunities to separate an increased range of wastes such as e-waste and batteries.
- Local community group providing composting workshops.
- Providing other workshops to demonstrate how to sort and minimise waste.
- Community groups with strong interest in collaborating to achieve better environmental outcomes for our communities.
- Improving our transfer station sites for safety and experience.
Challenges
- The pending closure of Tirohia Landfill when it has reached capacity, means waste to landfill will have to be transported further increasing our costs.
- Closure of recycling facilities for paper and cardboard meaning the only option is export.
- Increasing costs as Central Government increases both the ETS and waste levies annually for waste disposed of at landfills and these funds are returned to Government.
Council's response
- Collect kerbside recycling and refuse and general waste from around 10,000 properties within our three main towns and rural residential areas. This includes household packaging (paper, cardboard, plastics 1, 2 and 5, steel and aluminium cans), rubbish and food scraps.
- Own and operate three refuse stations, that accept recycling, general waste, green waste, batteries and e-waste which will is now managed in-house by KVS, our works department business.
- Support waste minimisation initiatives with our waste levy funds.
- Our new kerbside collection contract started in September 2023. This service shifted to a targeted rate funded service, and was expanded to include rural residential areas.
What do you stand for?
- How can we partner with others to drive behaviour change towards achieving better environmental outcomes for our communities?
- Who should pay for it?
