New strategies to deal with Far North’s rubbish and waste

Earlier this year Northland Waste starting a new kerbside recycling service in the Mid North, Kerikeri and Waipapa areas. Far North District Council has introduced changes it says will make managing trash and recycling easier

Far North residents and visitors are being urged to ‘do the right thing’ with their rubbish and waste.

The Far North District Council is making changes it says will make it easier to manage trash and recycling.

The council says doing the right thing with your title="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/northland-age/news/50m-far-north-rubbish-contract-awarded-to-northland-company/DT3HGCD2WRF6VO2U4ZWJ34BAYQ/">rubbish and recycling is about to get simpler across the Far North.

Focus is shifting from throwing things away to keeping materials in use for longer, reducing what goes to landfill and protecting the environment for future generations.

At its September meeting, the council officially adopted the Solid Waste Strategy 2025–2050 and Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2025–2031.

Together, the two documents provide long-term vision and the six-year action plan for creating a cleaner, smarter waste system.

The largest portion of Far North landfill waste comes from construction and demolition, making up 31% of landfill waste.

Private kerbside rubbish makes up 25%, industrial/commercial/institutional waste makes up 23%, organic waste, mainly food scraps, account for 18% and landscaping and earthworks make up 3%.

Illegal dumping is also a problem across the district, with around 1351.5cu m of illegally dumped waste - mainly dumped in bush or roadside - collected a year at a cost to ratepayers of $116,000 annually.

The council wants to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills and decrease illegal dumping.

Directed by the Solid Waste Strategy, the Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2025-2031 will lead to positive, practical changes that make it simpler for people to do the right thing with their waste. This includes expanding resource recovery centres and implementing a pilot contestable waste grant for community and business projects that help reduce waste.

The Solid Waste Strategy 2025–2050 looks 25 years ahead and is guided by four key goals:

• Reducing waste to landfill
• Normalising resource recovery
• Building local circular economies
• Protecting and regenerating the environment.

By 2050, the vision is for a Far North where waste is minimal, resources are continually reused, and the environment thrives supporting strong and resilient communities.

To stay responsive to change, but ensure the long-term goals remain relevant, the Waste Management and Minimisation Plan must be reviewed every six years, meaning it will be updated four times over the 25-year lifetime period of the Solid Waste Strategy.

This will help the council adapt to new technologies, changing community needs, and national priorities.

Kerbside rubbish and recycling services in the Far North are currently provided independently by a private waste management company. These services are not funded or contracted by the council.

The Solid Waste Strategy 2025–2050 and The Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2025–2031 can be found on the council’s website.