New Plymouth District Council sorting depot diverts 1300 tonnes of waste

New Plymouth District Council's sorting depot has diverted 1300 tonnes of commercial waste from landfill.

The New Plymouth District Council’s (NPDC) sorting depot has reached a new milestone.

The Colson Rd depot, which opened 12 months ago, has diverted 1300 tonnes of commercial waste from landfill. Since the facility opened, it has processed more than 3500 tonnes of waste, including treated and untreated timber, plasterboard and other construction and building materials.

NPDC infrastructure manager Rui Leitao said businesses had an important role in waste minimisation, with 45,000 tonnes of Taranaki’s yearly landfill waste coming from businesses.

“The construction and demolition sectors are primary sources of waste in Taranaki, accounting for about 60% of what ends up in landfills.”

Leitao said the sorting depot kept tonnes of valuable materials out of landfill.

“And we’re not stopping there; we’re actively looking into new markets for other materials we don’t currently take, like polystyrene, to keep pushing towards a more sustainable future.”

Of the material processed at the depot, treated timber makes up about 70%, followed by metals (11%), untreated timber (5.5%) and plasterboard, gib and gypsum at 4.5%.

“The more businesses we have using the site, the faster our journey toward a circular economy system will happen, the more resources and materials can be reused reducing our dependence on landfill,” Leitao said.

To help encourage construction companies to use the depot, the council is partnering with Mitre 10 and 3R to host a free breakfast day for tradies.

For more details about the sorting depot, visit www.npdc.govt.nz/SortingDepot

The Details

What: Sustainability on-site breakfast

When: July 26, 6.30am to 9am

Where: Mitre 10 Mega, 5 Vickers Rd, Waiwhakaiho, New Plymouth

Tickets: Free admission but ticket needed. Visit eventfinda for tickets