In a bid to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill, Hastings District Council plans to turn the Henderson Rd Transfer Station into a recovery resource centre, and is keen to hear the community’s ideas on how to improve the site.

Last year, 11,000 tonnes of waste was sent to Ōmarunui Landfill from the transfer station, half of which was recyclable, compostable, or reusable – for example food waste, recyclable plastics, scrap metal, clothing, cleanfill, and reusable or repairable second-hand goods.

Waste minimisation officer Cloe Vining says council wants to work with the community to improve the transfer station facility, and offer more options to prevent so much unnecessary waste going to landfill.

“A resource recovery centre is a place where anything that can be reused, repaired, repurposed or recycled is ‘recovered’, and only true rubbish goes to landfill,” she says.

“We envisage multiple new drop-off areas that will make it easier for people to separate their items, expanded options for what items will be accepted, and we also want to have a vibrant second hand shop and educational facilities.”

From early 2022 to 2024 and beyond the aim is to increase the use of the site in general and enhance the community’s waste minimisation knowledge - the project would be funded through the national waste levy, not from rates.

“In these early stages of planning we are wanting to hear from the community about what they think of the site as it is now, and what can be done to improve it.”

To share feedback, people are encouraged to head to www.myvoicemychoice.co.nz and fill in the survey, which will be online from Monday, October 4 until November 5.

In the meantime, a change is already underway with local artist Stan Mans transforming a wall onsite into a piece of art with a waste minimisation message.

Stan won Council’s recent “Keep New Zealand Beautiful” Supreme Award mural competition and it’s expected the mural will be complete by the end of October.

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