The council began reviewing its Waste Management and Minimisation Plan in 2016 and adopted the vision of minimising the amount of waste to landfill jointly with Tauranga City Council.
The review was looking at a change to the council's role in managing the district's waste, including the investigation of a council-procured waste management contract and overseeing kerbside collection of rubbish and recycling for all residents.
The council's current involvement in waste services extends to the provision of education, community recycling and green waste facilities, public refuse bin collections at parks and reserves, fly-tipping clean-up and abandoned vehicle collection.
According to the council, Tauranga and the Western Bay sent close to 90,000 tonnes of waste to landfill in 2014 and 2015.
"This waste includes a significant quantity of material that, if separated, could be recycled and put to beneficial use," a council spokesman said.
The decision to recycle and compost was made at an individual household level. For example, about 72 per cent of kerbside rubbish collected from households could be recycled or composted instead of being sent to landfill.
This review was a timely opportunity for the council to investigate options for reducing the amount of waste going to landfill and to take a more active role in protecting the district's environment in an efficient way.
For more information visit, haveyoursay.westernbay.govt.nz
