Improving our waste management

Issue

We are generating and disposing of ever greater quantities of waste, which contributes to unsustainable use of natural and physical resources. The management of waste can also have adverse effects on the environment.

Causes

Circular management of materials refers to ways that we can reduce material use, redesign materials, products, and services to be less resource intensive, and recaptures “waste” as a resource to manufacture new materials and products. Currently there are low levels of circular management in Aotearoa New Zealand and low levels of waste recovery once materials become waste. Waste management facilities also increase the likelihood of adverse effects on the environment and on the social, economic, and cultural wellbeing of people and communities.

Why it matters

When a product enters the waste stream, that product will often need to be replaced. In many cases, the raw materials that are used to create new products are finite and the processes that are undertaken to extract and process them can cause adverse environmental effects. Waste can also produce greenhouse gases and contaminate land as it breaks down or decays.

Waste disposal and waste management facilities can also have adverse effects on the environment and our communities, in particular the relationship of mana whenua with ancestral lands, water, wāhi tapu and other taonga. Waste management facilities require the use of energy, infrastructure and natural and physical resources that can have adverse effects. Waste minimisation and improved management of some waste types is necessary to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provide alternative options that can help minimise the risk of land being contaminated from other land use activities.

Our current goals

Our Regional Policy Statement includes some direction which must be implemented and other direction which should be implemented. We have included these in two categories below:

1. Things we must do

This is very strong policy direction that is required to be implemented:

  • Manage the adverse effects of the disposal of residual waste on the environment.
  • Engage with Ngāi Tahu to provide for cultural values when applying the waste management hierarchy.
  • Enable establishment of waste transfer facilities in appropriate locations.

2. Things we should do

This policy direction is strongly encouraged:

  • Support ways we can promote the waste hierarchy. This includes encouraging the reuse of materials in buildings or infrastructure and providing for sufficient waste collection space in urban development.
  • Promote a change in behaviour that will result in the reduction of waste at source and the use of community waste-transfer facilities and recycling centres.
  • Support managing landfills in the way they dispose of organic waste, the separation of materials and to capture landfill gas.
  • Support an integrated approach to waste management in the region.

Should we change our goals?

When we consider changing goals, we need to keep in mind that other on-the-ground changes will be required to meet them. We also need to keep in mind that some of our must-do policy direction was necessary to meet the national legislation requirements of the time. Some new must-dos will be needed to meet more recent legislation.

Potential impacts of changing our policy direction

We have outlined some of the potential consequences that could result from changing our policy direction. These are high-level examples, just to illustrate that each change will have flow-on effects.

For example, if there are more or larger waste management facilities, (providing they are managed well) the risk of more land contamination could be reduced. However, providing these facilities would occupy land that could be used for something else and could increase costs to operators and the community, as well as being a disincentive to waste minimisation.

We are using feedback we received in July and August to draft more detailed policy options, including detail about the consequences of change. You will get another opportunity to tell us what you think about those options from October this year.