It is the size of 25 rugby fields and is the height of a seven-storey building – around 50 metres high.
The Hastings District Council is telling residents: "we are running out of time; change is needed now".
"The concern is that the landfill may be filled up unnecessarily fast, which may have an impact on future generations and how they dispose of waste," Hastings District Council waste planning manager Angela Atkins said.
"When Omarunui Landfill is full another location will need to be used to manage waste and it is unlikely to be conveniently located to the cities as Omarunui is," she said.
HDC waste planning manager Angela Atkins points out the areas of the landfill. Photo / Warren Buckland
In 2019 the landfill, which takes waste from both Napier and Hastings including commercial and industrial waste, received 93,000 tonnes of waste.
Five years ago, the landfill was receiving around 70,000 tonnes annually.
Atkins said when there is economic growth people tend to buy more and subsequently waste more.
She estimates in 2020 the amount of waste the landfill received will reach 100,000 tonnes.
A 2019 solid waste survey showed more than 60 per cent of household rubbish which is sent to the landfill could either be recycled or composted.
The 2016 Hawke's Bay Solid Waste survey showed that organics, plastics and paper were the top three items which made up general waste in the Omarunui Landfill in February and April 2016.
107 tonnes of organic waste is collected a week, making up 23.9 per cent of the landfill, 95 tonnes of plastic a week makes up 21.4 per cent of the landfill and 65 tonnes of paper a week makes up 14.5 per cent of the landfill.
Paper can be recycled and while it may seem as if it can break down easily, Atkins said a 20-year-old newspaper was once found in the landfill completely intact.
It didn't break down due to the conditions of the landfill.
Leachate is removed from the landfill through pipes to be separated and managed in an onsite leachate pond. Photo / Warren Buckland
Rubbish in the landfill is compacted to a density similar to concrete by a 45-tonne compactor and the liquid produced by the rubbish called leachate leaves the landfill via pipes at the bottom to sit separately in the leachate pond where it can be managed.
Without oxygen and moisture, things don't break down fully.
Organic waste – green waste and food waste - makes up over half of the household rubbish which enters the landfill.
When green and food waste rots it produces methane.
Methane is managed onsite in a gas to energy plant which uses methane gas to run a V12 turbine which generates 1MW of electricity supplied to a power grid.
Methane is also sent to a flare which burns the gas to release CO2 which is less harmful to the ozone layer than methane.
As Hastings District Council rolls out new recycling bins and a wheelie bin for rubbish there will be a focus on removing green waste from general rubbish and composting instead.
The upcoming kerbside changes are part of the joint Napier City Council and Hastings District Council's 2018 Waste Management and Minimisation Plan.
This concerning pattern of growth prompts Atkins to say that "people just need to be conscious consumers".
The waste issue she said starts at the top with large companies.
"The strongest voice is consumers, individuals as consumers can push back".
Waste which can be recycled needs to be cleaned and sorted correctly which is why Hastings District Council is introducing three separate recycling bins for residents from May 1.
Plastic waste is sorted by hand by four people who sort 600 pieces a minute.
Paper and cardboard in Hawke's Bay are recycled into fruit trays by Hawk Packaging but waste must be clean and kept separate from any glass so correct sorting of recycling is important.
"People need to value the [recycling] material as a commodity or resource," Atkins said.
Atkins also said "wish cycling" was an issue.
This is where people put things in the recycling which they think could be recycled.
When this occurs, these items must be sent to the landfill.
