Waipā kerbside food scraps collection coming

Waipā District Council waste minimisation advisor Sally Fraser out in the community during consultation on the draft plan. Photo / Supplied

Council will also begin investigating a ratepayer-funded, pay-as-you-throw rubbish collection service, more than 20 years after rubbish collection in the district was privatised.

Both issues were discussed at council’s service delivery committee today, following the results of a consultation on the six-yearly draft waste minimisation and management plan. Feedback on the plan was sought in March and April, drawing hundreds of responses.

Waipā District Mayor Susan O’Regan noted more than half of respondents wanted the council to prioritise investigating a kerbside food scrap collection. Organic waste makes up nearly half of all Waipā household rubbish and ends up in landfill, producing methane.

“It is ironic that at the same time council was consulting on this very issue, the Government confirmed councils like Waipā must collect food scraps by 2027 anyway,” Susan said.

“While we now have no choice but to implement a kerbside food scraps collection for urban households, it does look to me like there is a lot of interest in food waste and also a level of support. That’s a great starting position to be in.”

Two-thirds of respondents agreed the council should investigate a council-provided rubbish service and those investigations will now begin. At present, council does not rate rubbish collection; instead, household rubbish is picked up by private companies.

Rubbish collection and food scraps collection options will need to be factored into long-term plans, Susan said, noting “neither will be cheap and neither will happen overnight”.

“We have no choice when it comes to food waste — the Government has made that clear. But if there is to be a change to the way household rubbish in the district is collected, we’re going to need to talk to our community about that so there’s a lot of water yet to go under that bridge.”

Susan was pleased to see good support for most proposed actions in the draft plan and was particularly pleased to see people getting involved in the process.

“I know staff worked really hard to get the word out and make it as easy as possible for people to have a say in how we deal with waste in our district. That shows in the very considerate feedback that has come back to us, so I want to thank everyone who took the time to share their view.”

The full results, plus an analysis of the council’s “Waste less, do more” consultation are now detailed on the website www.wastelesswaipa.co.nz.