Waste

Ever wondered where the rubbish goes when it is collected from your kerbside or dropped off at the transfer station? It all ends up buried in the ground at the landfill.

We need to make sure we reduce the amount of waste produced in the Region. We also need to continue to improve the way we manage and dispose of waste so we don’t end up with any more areas of contaminated land. New requirements in our Proposed One Plan mean consent applicants will have to assess disposal alternatives if they wish to discharge waste to air, land, water or the coast.

Chapter 3 of our Proposed One Plan has more information on our policies for waste management.

What you can do

A lot of the rubbish in the tip doesn’t break down or rot away to nothing; it sits there for a very, very long time - and we are running out of places to put it all!

The good thing is that we can all reduce our rubbish. Here are some simple and practical things you can do to reduce your rubbish...

  • separate your rubbish (rubbish, compost, recyclables)
  • recycle - glass, some plastics, paper/cardboard, tin cans, aluminium cans
  • compost your garden waste and kitchen scraps at home
  • take your garden waste to a transfer station or landfill that accepts "green waste"
  • "say no to plastic bags" when you are shopping - take your own
  • buy products with less packaging - e.g. economy size packs, refills, concentrates
  • buy products that have recyclable packaging
  • buy products that are made from recycled materials
  • look for the "Environmental Choice" label on products
  • donate your old cell phones to a good cause

Useful links: