Executive summary | whakarāpopoto matua

The purpose of the Plan

This Waste Management and Minimisation Plan (WMMP or the Plan) was informed by the Otago Regional Waste Assessment 2023 (Waste Assessment).

The Plan sets out how Ōtepoti Dunedin will make change for waste minimisation, over the next six years, under the WMA. It complements the Government’s waste and resource efficiency strategy and the Zero Carbon Plans that have been adopted
nationally and in Ōtepoti Dunedin, and supports the goals of Te Ao Tūroa – Dunedin’s Environment Strategy. The focus for this Plan is to:

• Develop diversion for and design out construction and demolition waste. This is also a priority in Ōtepoti Dunedin’s Zero Carbon Plan 2030.
• Improve opportunities for community-based resource recovery – a community-based approach to resource recovery is often more effective and builds better social outcomes. This is also a priority in Ōtepoti Dunedin’s Zero Carbon Plan 2030.
• Divert organics from landfill – Ōtepoti Dunedin is developing new composting infrastructure and services for diverting residential organic waste from landfill. This infrastructure has the potential to expand the diversion of organics further (e.g. from businesses and events).
• Take a regional approach to waste management and minimisation as opposed to focusing solely on Ōtepoti Dunedin.

Photo: Love Food Hate Waste NZ | The amount of edible food the average Kiwi household throws away each year.

What does this WMMP mean for you

Table 1: Summary of changes anticipated from this Plan for residents and organisations.

Summary of the waste situation

The WMMP is intended to improve waste management and minimisation in Ōtepoti Dunedin and the Otago region over the next six years.

The Plan is informed by the Waste Assessment which analysed and reported the waste situation for these areas in compliance with sections 50 and 51 in the WMA. The findings are summarised here for context.

Quantity of waste to landfill

The quantity of waste going to Green Island Landfill per capita per year (including special wastes) is given in Table 2. The other districts in Otago, the region, and national average are also provided for context.

Table 2: Tonnes of waste to Class 1 Landfills per Capita per Year in descending order, for Dunedin, Otago, and New Zealand. These values were calculated using Statistics New Zealand population estimates and Class 1 Landfill data attained from Solid Waste Analysis Protocol surveys carried out by Waste Not Consulting (Otago Regional Waste Assessment, 2023).

Composition of waste to landfill

Knowing what kinds of waste are being sent to landfill is a good place to start when considering how we can minimise waste. It means we can identify what waste streams we can reduce with existing channels, and where the most significant gains can be made. The two pie charts below show what materials were going to Green Island Landfill in Ōtepoti Dunedin in 2022, compared to the average waste composition across the country in 2020 (Figure 2).

The main material types going to landfill are quite different between the two charts. Potentially hazardous material is the main type being disposed of to landfill across the country, but at Green Island Landfill in 2022, the main material was organic waste. This difference reflects the disposal practices of different Councils; with Clutha District Council sending what is not suitable for disposal at Mt Cooee Landfill in Clutha to Green Island Landfill in Ōtepoti Dunedin. Other landfills in the country have access to infrastructure to divert organics
from landfill. Ōtepoti Dunedin introduced an organics diversion service in mid-2024, which is reflected in the difference of organic waste in the two compositions.

Figure 2: Compositions of waste to landfill. A national average from 2020 is compared with Green Island Landfill in 2022. Data source: Otago Regional Waste Assessment, 2023.

Diversion potential

The proportion of the materials that could have been diverted through existing recycling collections, and straightforward composting is provided in Table 3 below. This table confirms why this plan focuses on diverting organics and construction demolition materials from landfill.

Table 3: The percentages of waste to Green Island Landfill that could be diverted through existing recycling channels or composting (Otago Regional Waste Assessment, 2023).

Sources of divertible materials

The main ways that easily divertible materials are reaching landfill, based on the Waste Assessment 2023 are:

Food scraps

• Overwhelmingly end up in landfill through household kerbside rubbish collections^[4].

Compostable green waste reaches landfill via two main pathways

• Household kerbside rubbish collections.
• General residential, Construction and Demolition ( C&D ), and Industrial, Commercial and Institutional (ICI) waste directly to transfer stations and landfills (excluding landscaping).

Recyclable paper and cardboard

• Household kerbside rubbish collections (particularly large, wheeled bins).
• Residential and ICI channels to transfer stations and landfills.

New plasterboard, timber, ferrous metals, and rubble

• Arrive directly at transfer stations (partially) and landfill (mainly) from the C&D sector.

Recyclable plastic and glass

• Reach landfill through household kerbside and ICI waste.

Textiles

• Mainly from household kerbside rubbish and ICI waste to transfer stations and landfills.

4. Food scrap and garden waste collections were introduced on 1 July 2024.

Ability of services and infrastructure

The Waste Assessment 2023 identified that Otago’s limited processing infrastructure is negatively affecting waste diversion. Efforts to improve capture of recyclables and food scraps could worsen the situation. To address this, the Plan includes actions for improving processing infrastructure and services. Initiatives by the Waste Futures work programme are enhancing the capacity and quality of processing in Ōtepoti Dunedin and Otago.

Summary of forecast future demand and gap analysis

Predicting the future demand for waste management and minimisation is inherently uncertain. Key factors that influence demand are:

• population growth
• economic activity
• changes in lifestyle and consumption
• changes in waste management approaches.

Key issues from waste assessment

The key issues and gaps related to waste management and minimisation for future demand, as identified in the Waste Assessment 2023 are:

1. Infrastructure
   1. Limited access to waste infrastructure, especially material reprocessing.
   2. Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) face challenges in material quality and capacity.
   3. Landfill disposal availability depends on new facility consents.
   4. Landfill provision in coastal Otago districts could be more efficient.
   5. Variable Class 2-5 landfill availability.
2. Data and monitoring
   1. Data gaps exist for private waste collections, Class 2-5 fills, and farm waste practices.
   2. Access, understanding, and transparency for the public in data on diversion and resource recovery.
3. Services
   1. Some districts such as Waitaki and Clutha have lower Council service levels.
   2. Service variability hinders collaboration in education and behaviour change.
   3. High contamination in household recycling collections.
   4. Low market share for Council-provided kerbside services.
4. Specific materials
   1. Opportunities to manage waste materials better (biosolids, C&D waste, etc.).
   2. Challenges with commercial, industrial, and institutional waste streams.
5. Leadership and collaboration
   1. Less focus on waste prevention and reuse compared to recycling.
   2. Variable contract timeframes hinder collaboration.
   3. Lack of formal mechanisms for joint funding and regional waste projects.
   4. Staff shortages and delays in vehicle procurement.
   5. Disaster waste planning and strategic direction variability.
   6. Variation in Council’s strategic direction across the region for waste management and minimisation.
   7. Changes in national direction and priorities due to changes in central government.

Efforts to address these gaps will be crucial for effective waste management and minimisation.