Waste plan a step closer to a zero-waste Auckland
Council adopts plan following public consultation

Waste plan step closer to a zero-waste Auckland

Auckland Council’s latest plan for managing waste is a step closer to the region’s goal of becoming zero-waste by 2040 with increased priorities for advocacy, product stewardship, strengthening residential collection options and addressing illegal dumping issues.

The council’s Environment and Community Committee has approved recommendations from hearings on the plan and adopted the Auckland Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2018: Working Together for Zero Waste.

Councillor Penny Hulse, Chair of the Environment and Community Committee and the Hearings Panel, says Auckland’s goal is to be a zero-waste city by 2040 and this ambitious vision remains the driver of the plan adopted today.

“We are proud of the progress we have made in recent years; we are now getting the right systems in place, public awareness is growing, and household waste has dropped by 10 per cent since 2010, but there is more to be done and we have to keep improving and innovating.

The draft Auckland Waste Management and Minimisation Plan went out for public consultation alongside the council’s 10-year Budget and received 6,759 submissions. The hearings panel heard around 50 oral submissions and received feedback from 12 local boards over five days.
“The adoption of this plan comes after an extensive public consultation process. Feedback was diverse and came from ratepayers, community groups, business, the waste and recycling industry, young people and Māori.

“Many common themes came through including focussing on food scraps collection, illegal dumping, plastic in our marine environment, community recycling centres, hazardous waste and how the council works together with the commercial waste management sector,” says Councillor Hulse.

This refreshed plan focuses on minimising all of Auckland’s waste and seeks to clarify the roles of council and private sector in the provision of waste services.

“Our communities want Auckland Council to take leadership in reducing our impact on the environment and protect our beautiful natural assets for future generations, and minimising our waste is critical to doing so. This plan provides the framework for Aucklanders to work together to make sure this happens.”

The plan outlines nine priority actions:

1. Advocate to central government for an increased waste levy
2. Advocate for product stewardship
3. Address three priority commercial waste streams (construction and demolition, organic and plastic waste), and emphasise council’s role as a facilitator and partner in addressing commercial waste – not as a provider of services in the commercial space.
4. Continue establishing the resource recovery network
5. Continue transitioning to consistent kerbside collection of food scraps
6. Deliver the domestic collection of food scraps
7. Address Waste Diversion from Council Operations
8. Partner with others to achieve a Zero Waste Auckland
9. Address litter, illegal dumping and marine waste
This plan will form the basis for the council’s work planning for the next six years. Read the full report here

The Hearing Panel members were Cr Penny Hulse (chair), Cr Linda Cooper, Cr Daniel Newman, Cr Wayne Walker and Independent Maori Statutory Board member Glenn Wilcox.

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