Food scraps collection bins to be rolled out across Auckland

Tuesday, 12 June 2018

The plan adopted by Auckland Council has a specific focus on food waste.

A new bin for food scraps will be introduced to roadside collections in Auckland Council's push to get the city waste free by 2040.

The Environment and Community Committee voted on Tuesday to adopt the Auckland Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2018: Working Together for Zero Waste.

The plan included rolling out a food scraps collection bin across the region in the next couple of years.

Chairwoman Penny Hulse said the initiative was already being trialled in Papakura and the council was deciding where to put it next.

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Environment and Community Committee chairwoman Penny Hulse.

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'We will have our normal rubbish bin, so for out West it's the rubbish bin we have the tags on, we will have our recycling bin and then gradually rolling out around the region, we will have the food scraps bin,' Hulse said.

'At the moment, most rubbish bags or rubbish bins are about 40 per cent organic waste. In other words, food scraps, that can be turned into compost.'

It would cost users an extra $67 a year through rates, Hulse said.

Illegal dumping, plastic in the sea and hazardous waste would be other main focuses for the council, she said.

'Our communities want Auckland Council to take leadership in reducing our impact on the environment and protect our beautiful natural assets for future generations, and minimising our waste is critical to doing so. This plan provides the framework for Aucklanders to work together to make sure this happens.'

Hulse said Auckland's goal to become waste free in the future was the main driver behind adopting the plan.

'Waste is everyone's business, and this plan sets out how we can all work together to deliver the Zero Waste future that Auckland deserves,' Hulse said.

'We are proud of the progress we have made in recent years. We are now getting the right systems in place, public awareness is growing, and household waste has dropped by 10 per cent since 2010, but there is more to be done and we have to keep improving and innovating.'