Waste reduction in the Waikato region
Waste is one of the biggest problems we face today, regionally, nationally and globally. It pollutes our environment, harms wildlife and poses risks to our health.
And it’s wasteful. Everything we throw away puts us one step closer to the raw materials running out. Not wasting items means we would need less mining, milling, harvesting and processing of raw materials.
We all have a part to play in reducing, reusing, recycling and repurposing to prevent waste going to landfill and to cut our collective carbon footprint.
We all have a part to play in preventing valuable resources from being wasted to reduce our impact on the natural environment.
And we all have a part to play in reimagining how we think about waste too.
Because there are better ways of doing things: better ways that provide a more sustainable future for our environment, communities and economy, for those here now and for generations to come; better ways that provide exciting opportunities, for innovation, entrepreneurialism, environmental regeneration and more sustainable ways of living.
On these pages, you'll find lots of useful information about better ways to deal with your waste, as well as what Waikato Regional Council does and who we work with to make our Waikato even better.
What can I do?
If we look after our environment, our environment will look after us. Check out these top tips on reducing, reusing, recycling, rethinking and safely disposing of waste.
City and district councils have statutory responsibility for waste collection and management, including waste minimisation. In the Waikato region, kerbside recycling is available in most urban areas as part of the standard refuse collection services provided by these councils. The councils also provide public drop-off points for recycling certain materials. Find out more about the waste services available near you.
Some items and materials can be hazardous or difficult to dispose of. These need to be taken to more specialist recycling or disposal facilities. They include asbestos, batteries, building materials, campervan grey water, car parts, chemicals, clothing and computers. Use our list of waste services by type to find out where to dispose of them.
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Waste has many serious environmental impacts that can be avoided.
Drives climate change
The average household rubbish bin in the Waikato region contains 48 per cent organic material (such as garden clippings and food). In the average skip of Waikato businesses, 27 per cent of the waste is timber and 14 per cent organics. Find out more about what’s in our waste.
When plant or animal-based material is composted in your compost bin or garden, it’s exposed to oxygen and produces carbon dioxide. When it’s sent to landfill and buried, it decomposes without oxygen, creating methane. This is a significant driver of climate change because methane is more than 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide for trapping heat in the atmosphere.
Harms wildlife and us
The way we use plastics causes harm and pollutes our environment. Micro-plastic is now present in our soils, water, food and even the air we breathe. It harms our wildlife through entanglement, ingestion and toxicity, and may pose risks to our health, too.
Wastes resources
Nearly 60 per cent of household waste sent to landfill could have been reused, recycled or composted. What ends up in landfill is lost – a resource wasted.
Expands landfills
Landfills are a waste management tool of last resort as space is finite and they create a number of potential risks to the surrounding environment. They can be ugly, smelly and attract vermin. They create toxic water when rain trickles through the waste. This can find its way into our waterways if the site isn’t properly lined or a weather event causes erosion or flooding. They can also cause issues with windblown litter and even fires.