Background

The Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2022-2028 sets out Rotorua Lakes Council’s waste management and minimisation strategies for the district, and provides the scope, policies and framework for waste management services over the next six years. The purpose of the Plan is to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill (including food and green organics) and to reduce contamination of recycling.

From 1 – 28 February 2022, Council consulted with the community on the proposed Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2022-2028. We wanted to know:

• Do you agree with the priority actions set out in the proposed Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2022/2028?
• Do you have any feedback on the priority actions in the proposed Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2022-2028?

The proposed Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2022-2028 outlined strategies to achieve the following targets:

• 30% reduction in municipal waste to landfill
• 45% reduction in recycling contamination
• Contamination free glass collection
• 60% reduction in kerbside food waste to landfill
• 60% reduction in kerbside green waste to landfill

These targets have been set following the achievements of the Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2016-2022 and are expected to significantly reduce Rotorua’s waste to landfill and waste-related greenhouse gas emissions. These targets are consistent with the vision and goals of Council’s 2021 – 2031 Long Term Plan, 2021-2022 Annual Plan and 2020 Climate Action Plan.

We plan to achieve these targets through the following priority actions (in no particular order):

• Extend kerbside rubbish and recycling collection services to all rural communities
• Plan and provide new kerbside collection services for organic (putrescible) waste
• Enable local resource recovery infrastructure (e.g. local commercial composting facility)
• Improve post-capping landfill management and maximise waste diversion
• Engage with the community on waste minimisation and improve waste behaviour
• Advocate and support good waste minimisation efforts by other councils, community groups and residents
• Improve solid waste bylaw and act in regulatory capacity to control and minimise undesirable waste
• Map the public litter bins in Rotorua and optimise their capacity and positioning
• Engage business communities and event organisations to minimise commercial waste to landfill.