The plan that shapes the way the Whakatāne District will deal with waste for the next six years is now active.
The Waste Management and Minimisation Plan (WMMP) took effect from 1 July and Infrastructure General Manager Bevan Gray says now it’s up to everyone to play a role in delivering the vision of 'communities working together to turn waste into resources'.
"This isn't just a Council function, we all need to reduce the amount of waste our households are producing by being more mindful of what we buy, use and throw away."
Mr Gray says it was encouraging that one of the strongest messages that came through in the submissions was a desire for more education and information around waste minimisation. "Council has already extended the school waste education contract for a further three-and-a-half years. The final plan now includes seven other specific actions in relation to education and engagement and we will run or support at least 10 community engagement and education initiatives each year."
"We heard that most residents don't want to pay for a kerbside collection of food waste but people are thinking about how to divert this waste, so we'll be looking at a repeat of the home composting scheme which provided subsidised compost bins, worm farms and bokashi bins for residents."
"Submitters also thought that Council should do more waste minimisation work with commercial/industrial operators and we’ll be increasing monitoring and education and engagement in this area. We’ll also be working with Community Resources Whakatāne (CREW) to improve and increase its capacity for diverting wastes, particularly construction and demolition materials. In Murupara we'll work with Ngāti Manawa and the community to investigate and make changes to increase waste recovery and reuse opportunities at the Murupara Refuse Transfer Station," Mr Gray concludes.
Read the Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2021 or find out more about Rubbish and Recycling in our district.