Waipā's waste minimisation advisor Sally Fraser (left) and Bethany Rolston with some of the meat - much unopened - thrown out as refuse. Reducing food waste will be one initiative under the spotlight next year. Photo / Waipā District Council
Waipā's waste minimisation advisor Sally Fraser (left) and Bethany Rolston with some of the meat - much unopened - thrown out as refuse. Reducing food waste will be one initiative under the spotlight next year. Photo / Waipā District Council
The Waipā District Council will float a range of proposals next year to leverage Government incentives aimed at helping communities minimise waste.
In early December, councillors had their first look at an updated draft plan to minimise and manage waste in Waipā. The plan must be reviewed every six yearsfor the council to continue receiving the Government’s waste levy.
The levy, worth close to $400,000 this financial year and climbing, funds most of Waipā's waste minimisation activities. The exceptions are kerbside recycling, emptying litter bins, and enforcement of illegal dumping, which are funded by rates.
Transport manager Bryan Hudson said there had been a massive change in the waste minimisation space in the past few years, opening up opportunities for communities prepared to embrace and drive change.
Local chef Lylie Mallek worked alongside the council in 2020 to demonstrate how much good food is thrown out. The council has produced videos with her to demonstrate how to use common waste food items. Photo / Waipā District Council
“We’ve seen the near collapse of the international recycling commodity market while community expectations and awareness of waste have increased,” he said. “Waste minimisation is no longer about reduce, reuse and recycle; the focus is on a circular economy, making use of all resources as many times as possible. That’s where we need to get to and we can leverage Government incentives to help.”
The council’s draft plan will propose actions to reduce contamination in kerbside recycling, produce a plan for a Waipā-wide resource recovery network, and to help divert and reuse construction and demolition waste.
The plan will also propose two big changes which Hudson predicts will be of huge community interest: a complete rethink of rubbish collection, plus concrete moves to introduce a kerbside food waste service.
“For more than 20 years, Waipā's household rubbish has been collected by private companies using wheelie bins or pre-paid bags. We’re one of few councils in New Zealand which doesn’t provide a rates-funded rubbish collection. But early costings suggest a rates-funded service could be a cheaper and better option for ratepayers so it’s time to look at that again.”
A food collection service would also be a focus of the draft strategy, he said, noting around 50 per cent of Waipā household ‘rubbish’ was actually organic waste.
The results of a Waipā District Council household rubbish survey in 2020. Image / Waipā District Council
“We’ll certainly be looking at activities to encourage home composting and community composting. But there may come a time when providing a food waste service will be compulsory in New Zealand because of Government commitments around reducing methane emissions from landfills.”
“There is a funding package on offer from the Ministry for the Environment to help councils start food waste services. Potentially that funding could cover the capital cost of trucks and bins and other project costs. It’s an opportunity our community simply must consider.”
In 2023, the council will consult the community on the draft waste minimisation plan, as required under the Waste Minimisation Act. For more information about the council’s waste minimisation activities, click here.
