Serious about rubbish: Submission on the Waste Management and Minimisation plan

Grey Lynn 2030 has a very active Waste Away group who are excited about the opportunity for Auckland Council to take a whole new approach to rubbish – the valuable resource that currently ends up in our landfill in alarming quantities.

Recommendations in the draft Waste Management and Minimisation Plan will streamline the different waste management systems set up by the seven legacy councils, to help deliver waste services more efficiently, find better ways to reuse resources, and send less to landfill.  There is a lot to support in the plan but if the Council is serious about “Zero Waste”, to make Auckland the world’s most liveable city then there is still more to do strengthen the plan.

In making its submission Grey Lynn 2030 Waste Away urges Auckland Council to:

• be very proactive and stand up against the waste lobby to regain  control of Auckland’s resource stream
• push for mandatory product stewardship especially for E-waste, paint, hazardous materials, packaging, whiteware and furniture
• support beverage container deposits
• grant local community waste and recycling contracts rather than region-wide contracts
• look at shorter term contracts for internationally owned companies and longer contracts for NZ owned, or local, established waste companies
• help establish local resource recovery networks by providing training, helping with land and consenting
• encourage resource recovery networks in the direction of local control by community groups and local businesses
• encourage disposer-pays waste charges  (rates based for organic and recycling to encourage diversion)
• foster local solutions to local waste problems
• to have stronger regulation on cleanfills
• encourage the dismantling of buildings for C&D rather than bulldozing
• stop inorganic collections and instead redirect materials to resource recovery network.  Money saved from inorganic collections to go to establishing resource recovery instead
• advocate for legislation for an Organic Ban to Landfill by 2020
• help local rural communities to establish community-based or rural based composting or organic waste diversion to landfill operations
• change the target date from 40% reduction to landfill by 2040 to 80% by 2020
• advocate for container deposit legislation
• advocate for legislation to introduce the mandatory reduction in waste to landfill from business and industry, not just government
• purchase Living Earth Composting from TPI to help control organic waste stream
• have as a priority minimising wasted resources  to landfill,  and how to do that quickly.  Making it easy and profitable for waste companies should not be a priority, indeed, it should not even be considered.
• sponsor free consultation for Cleaner Production for Business and Industry

The plan is now out for discussion until 31 January 2012. Please use any of the points above to make your own submission – including what you strongly support and like.

Closing date for submissions: 31st January 2012 however, do it now, don’t put it off!

Have your say by 4pm 31 January 2012.

 Visit www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/wasteplan to download a copy of the full plan, summary document and complete an online submission form. You can also pick up a copy of the plan, summary and freepost submission form, from your local board office, council service centre or library. For more information call 09 301 0101.