Feedback on rubbish, recycling wanted
The Waikato District Council is seeking feedback on its draft Waste Management and Minimisation Plan (WMMP).
More recycling, less waste is being encouraged.
The plan intends to focus on the avoidance, reduction and minimisation of waste, and to make use of opportunities created from resource recovery.
Targets include increasing the diversion of per capita kerbside material by 10% and reducing per capita kerbside rubbish to landfill by 5%.
It describes its vision for the 2018-24 WMMP as “zero waste and resource recovery are an integral part of our community”.
The council is required to review the plan every six years and the vision sets goalposts and describes the council’s aspirations for the community and businesses to achieve.
The goals of the WMMP include a reduced quantity of material entering the waste stream, ensuring that collaboration with key stakeholders is growing zero-waste communities, and that waste minimisation and management are best practice.
As well as continuing kerbside rubbish collection and other council services (such as litter and illegal dumping collections), proposed activities in the WMMP include:
• a review of waste services and behaviour change programmes to bring them into alignment with the WMMP (including contracting of solid waste services, kerbside refuse service, inorganic collection, food waste and drop off collections)
• the development of new recycling centres
• the introduction of a Solid Waste Bylaw and a waste operator licensing system
• improved mechanisms for the collection of waste information
• greater co-operation with other councils in the region, Mana Whenua, community groups and the private sector
• advocating for greater Central Government leadership on waste issues such as the introduction of mandatory product stewardship and a container deposit scheme.
The WMMP is supported by another document, the Waste Assessment, which presents a clear and eye opening picture of what happens with waste in the Waikato District area.
Submissions are open now and close on May 23.
Waikato District Council’s Draft WMMP and Waste Assessment documents and submission forms are available here on the council website and Council offices and libraries.
