Why minimise waste?

Waste is something you don't have a use for anymore – it is a resource that is thrown away. When you minimise waste you save natural resources and reduce the need to landfill waste.

By reducing, reusing and recycling your rubbish at home you can:
• reduce the amount of rubbish you dispose of each week
• reduce the amount of rubbish disposed of in landfills
• reduce future disposal costs to the city and ratepayers for landfills
• save by reusing household items.
• save on weekly grocery bills (buying products in bulk is often cheaper and means less packaging).
• give to others by passing on unwanted items.
How to minimise waste - things you can do at home
The following steps can dramatically reduce what ends up in your rubbish bag each week:

Avoid waste

• Use a no junk mail sticker (available from Council), or an online sale finder service to avoid unsolicited/junk mail/advertising catalogues.
• Make and/or grow your own, e.g. veggies, clothes, gifts.
• choose reusable shopping bags instead of plastic bags
• Choose reusable/non-disposable items such as lunchboxes, handkerchiefs, drink bottles, bags, etc.

Shop smart

• buy products that use less packaging (economy size, refills or concentrates).
• buy products with recyclable packaging e.g. paper, cardboard, glass, aluminium, tin or plastic containers marked 1-7.
• avoid or reduce the use of disposables (razors, nappies, pens, plates and cups).
• buy products made from recycled materials.

Reuse

• reuse boxes and jars for storage, and keep wrapping paper and ribbons for future use.
• hire products rather than buying.
• repair rather than replace products.
• buy rechargeable products.
• donate reusable toys, books, clothing, appliances, furniture and sports equipment to charities or your local second-hand shop.
• list your unwanted items on a web-based trader for others to take off your hands such as Donate NZ, Trade Me or Freecycle.

Recycle

• recycle glass bottles and jars, aluminium and tin cans, and plastic containers from the kitchen, bathroom and laundry marked with any of the recycling symbols 1-7 (on the base or side of the container) in your blue recycling bin.
• collect and bundle paper and cardboard for the recycling collection.

Compost

• compost your grass clippings and tree cuttings, as well as fruit and vegetable scraps.
• start a worm farm or use a Bokashi unit to dispose of kitchen scraps.

Correctly dispose of hazardous rubbish

• drop-off your hazardous items and liquids at your next HazMobile collection.
• recycle your e-waste, particularly when upgrading mobile phones and computers.
• Use paint return schemes for unwanted and leftover paint.
 

Further information

There is a wealth of information on sustainability, waste minimisation and recycling available from a variety of organisations. Some links to interesting information are provided below. Check them out, but do be aware that you will be taken to another website.

• Ministry for the Environment
• Sustainability.govt
•Zero Waste New Zealand Trust
• WasteMINZ
• TV3 WA$TED! Show
• Donate NZ
• Freecycle