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A move to fortnightly household rubbish collections and targeting high levels of construction and demolition waste are among key proposals in Auckland Council’s new draft Waste Management and Minimisation Plan (WMMP), now open for feedback.
Although council still aspires to Zero Waste by 2040, total waste is still forecast to rise and new targets have been set for 2030 – to reduce total waste by 30 percent, kerbside waste by 29 percent and council’s own waste by 50 percent.
Challenges faced by council include limited data on exactly what waste is going where, with most landfills privately owned and operated, and a lack of tools to deal with commercial waste, which makes up 80 percent of the total sent to landfill.
“While kerbside services are an effective way for households to recycle, a lot of material is still going to landfill,” a spokesperson said. “For example, only around 13 percent of plastics (including industrial, commercial and household products) are recovered for recycling in Auckland.”
Council says there is a need to focus on rethinking how products are designed and options to reuse, repair or re-purpose them, as well as on organic, plastic, packaging and textile waste.
In addition to the main WMMP, council is also looking for feedback from Kawau Islanders for its new draft Hauraki Gulf Islands Waste Plan 2024, which hopes to address the distinct challenges of dealing
with waste from island communities.
Auckland have your say.
All the plans and associated documents, including council’s 2023 waste assessment, are available online at https://akhaveyoursay.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/waste-management-and-minimisation-plan-2024-2030
They can also be viewed, and feedback lodged, at Warkworth Library, and an online information webinar will be held on March 19 between 5.30pm and 7pm.
Public feedback closes on March 28.
