Use less and recycle the rest is new waste mantra for Ruapehu

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Changes in how Ruapehu manages rubbish will affect every household in the region and the council is hoping communities will have their say on the draft Waste Management and Minimisation Plan that is open for feedback.

Council waste minimisation officer Daniel Allen said that the draft plan is all about minimising the amount of rubbish ended up in landfills, especially as Taumaranui's dump is about to close.

"We have big challenges ahead in protecting and improving our environment and meeting our national environmental obligations," said Allen.

"How we have been dealing with our waste until now is no longer acceptable."

Allen said audits have shown nearly 70 per cent of kerbside rubbish collected from Ruapehu households could have been recycled or composted instead of being sent to landfill.

The council's long-term plan to keep cleanfill in the district but processing everything else somewhere else, has strong support but the public was also adamant about the need to reduce food and other biogradable waste.

"Minimising what we all collectively throw out is the key to protecting our environment, our way of life, and keeping solid waste services affordable and sustainable," Allen said.

"Households and businesses need to be prepared to make changes to their behaviour with a much bigger commitment to reducing, reusing, recycling and composting."