LOVE FOOD HATE WASTE it’s here! · 2017-02-01 · WasteMINZ publishes Revolve magazine four times...
36
AUG 2016 ISSUE 160 $9.00 + Waiuku Community Recycling Centre | Waste Data Working Group | Landfill guidelines Emerging Contaminants The Risks & Challenges NEW GUIDELINES FOR ASBESTOS IN SOIL LOVE FOOD HATE WASTE it’s here! WOMAD waste
Transcript of LOVE FOOD HATE WASTE it’s here! · 2017-02-01 · WasteMINZ publishes Revolve magazine four times...
AUG 2016ISSUE 160
$9.00
+ Waiuku Community Recycling Centre | Waste Data Working Group | Landfill guidelines
Emerging Contaminants The Risks & Challenges
NEW GUIDELINES FOR ASBESTOS IN SOIL
LOVE FOOD HATE WASTEit’s here!
WOMADwaste
SILVERAdvance Personnel Servicesadstaff.co.nz
Aecomaecom.com
Foodstuffs NZfoodstuffsnz.co.nz
Geofabrics NZ Ltdgeofabrics.co.nz
Metalman NZ Ltd metalman.co.nz
MWH Globalmwhglobal.co.nz
Oji Fibre Solutionsojifs.com
Omarunui Landfillhastingsdc.govt.nz
Onyx Group Ltdonyxgroup.co.nz
Plasbackplasback.co.nz
Scion Researchscionresearch.com
Sims Recycling Solutionsapac.simsrecycling.com
The Packaging Forumpackagingforum.org.nz
WasteNet Southlandwastenet.org.nz
GOLD3R Group Ltd3R.co.nz
Earthcare Environmental Ltdearthcarenz.co.nz
EnviroNZenvironz.co.nz
O-I New Zealando-i.com
Smart Environmental Ltdsmartenvironmental.co.nz
SULO (N.Z.) Ltdsulo.co.nz
Tonkin + Taylor Ltdtonkin.co.nz
Visy Recycling NZ Ltdvisy.co.nz
Waste Management NZ Ltdwastemanagement.co.nz
WasteMINZ MEMBERS
PLATINUMAuckland Councilaucklandcouncil.govt.nz
10
18
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICERPaul Evans \ +64 9 476 [email protected] & FINANCE MANAGERCJ Dooner \ +64 9 476 [email protected] GROUP CO-ORDINATORJenny Marshall \ +64 9 476 [email protected] ADMINISTRATORJustine Robinson \ +64 9 476 [email protected] PROJECTS MANAGERNic Quilty \ +64 9 476 [email protected] & SOCIAL MEDIA LOVE FOOD HATE WASTESarah van Boheemen \ +64 9 320 [email protected], REVOLVEKim Mundell \ +64 21 655 [email protected], REVOLVELeanne Lassman \ +64 21 267 [email protected]
T +64 9 476 7162PO Box 305426, Triton Plaza, North Shore 0757Unit 2, 5 Orbit Drive, Rosedale 0632 New Zealand
wasteminz.org.nz
WasteMINZ is the leading professional body for waste management, resource recovery and contaminated land management in New Zealand. We deliver value to our members through the shaping and sharing of policy and the development of industry good practice.
WasteMINZ publishes Revolve magazine four times a year, it plays a vital role in ensuring our members are up-to-date with the latest in industry news, policy and legislative changes as well as innovations and advances.
ISSN 2324-5417 (Print) ISSN 2324-5425 (Online)
ON THE COVER
Join us in reducing food waste.
10 WOMAD WASTEKim Renshaw describes WOMAD’s journey towards zero waste.
14LOVE FOOD HATE WASTEIt’s been three years in the making. Sarah van Boheemen outlines the first few months.
18 EMERGING CONTAMINANTSEnvironmental contamination by chemicals used on a daily basis is of growing concern. Louis Tremblay updates us on the risks.
22 RESOURCE RECOVERY NETWORKIan Stupple and Matthew Luxon showcase the Waiuku Community Recycling Centre.
27 WASTE DATADuncan Wilson reports on actions taken by the Waste Data Working Group.
29 LANDFILL GUIDELINESPaul Evans explains the purpose of the new technical guidelines for Disposal to Land
30 ASBESTOS IN SOILLee Bint outlines the new guidelines for asbestos contaminated soils.
REGULARS2 MEMBERS 4 FROM PAUL'S DESK 5 YOUR BOARD7 NEWS BITES 32 SECTOR GROUPS34 FROM THE REGIONS
22
4
Waste just isn’t a priority. That’s something I often hear. I’m sure you hear it too. But is it true? Should we just face the facts that what we do isn’t that important? Waste really doesn’t matter all that much. It won’t make a substantive difference to our country’s environmental performance.
Resoundingly, I say no! Our sector can and should make a real contribution. However we have to tell our story better. Here’s why.
From government we hear that waste just doesn’t factor into the equation. They tell us what matters is climate change and water quality. Aren’t we absolutely central to both of these?
Let’s start with climate change. If you look at things superficially, waste doesn’t play a huge part. Waste only accounts for around 5 per cent of our emissions, and we are the only sector to have reduced emissions in recent times. But let’s dig a little deeper. Energy (including transport) accounts for around 40 per cent of our emissions, with much of this energy coming from the fossil fuels. There’s a massive opportunity
here! Whether it’s recovering timber waste from demolition activities to fuel industrial processes, replacing virgin fossil fuels with things like tyre-derived fuel or creating electricity from organic waste through anaerobic processes. Let’s also consider the emissions created from transporting all of those plastics from New Zealand all the way back to China. Surely development of on-shore capacity is preferable?
When we look at water quality, I’d argue we have an even bigger role to play. This is because water quality not only matters to our people, it is also central to our “Clean Green” primary production brand. A brand which makes such a fundamental contribution to our economy that it’s too important to neglect. Farming practices quite rightly come into the spotlight here and, in particular, the nationwide obsession with the application of commercial fertilisers containing nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Long term this simply isn’t a sustainable approach, but the waste sector can help. We have the
waste streams (be it green waste, food waste or bio solids) and we have the expertise to manufacture high quality environmentally superior soil amendment products. We just need an even playing field.
I could go on and on. There are simply too many opportunities for me to discuss in the short space I have available. However, this isn’t just going to happen. We have to make it so. We must be a stronger and more powerful voice. We must tell our story better and take every opportunity to do so. We must let government know the levers that need to be pulled to unlock the value which right now lays latent in waste.
Will you play your part? Will you take the opportunity? The review of the effectiveness of the waste levy is coming, will you be involved?
Paul Evans, CEO, [email protected]
Talk to me+64 9 476 7172
Grahame Christian\ Smart [email protected]
Simonne Eldridge DEPUTY CHAIR\ Tonkin & Taylor [email protected]
Darren Patterson CHAIR\ Patterson [email protected]
HOW TO CONTACT YOUR BOARD MEMBERS
FROM PAUL'S DESK
AUGUST 2016 \ WWW.WASTEMINZ.ORG.NZ \ 5
John Dragicevich \ Auckland [email protected]
Dominic Salmon \ Hastings District Council [email protected]
Over recent months there have been a number of media articles and stories that have publicly and prominently questioned a number of recycling practices around New Zealand. Sadly these have revealed quite the gap between what the public expects and what we sometimes deliver. It is a very bad look for our industry and it begs the question, are the services we are providing credible and relevant?
TV3’s Story programme caught two Wellington recycling companies dumping carefully separated glass bottles straight into landfill; this was closely followed by newspaper revelations that Queenstown’s kerbside glass bottles had a one way ticket to Victoria Flats landfill.
In both cases a number of reasons were offered for justification, ranging from: contamination, to the cost of recycling or contractual issues. Regardless of the explanation and whether it’s true or not, the public simply do not care! All they hear is that the cause they have
believed in, and effort they have invested in recycling is not actually worthwhile… so why should they bother? We are losing their trust!
On the positive front, the vast majority of Kiwis do have access to either a kerbside recycling collection or to a recycling drop off facility. These are more often than not funded by councils at considerable expense. When we consider these costs, along with the colossal effort invested in ensuring that recycling messages are easy to understand and actually equate to positive behaviour; such stories and the lackadaisical responses do us no favours. It simply serves to create confusion in the mind of the consumer.
This confusion is further compounded by the lack of uniformity of recycling across the country, which in turn drives up contamination rates and creates barriers to participation.
With this in mind, there are three questions I’d like you to consider:
• Is our current system broken?
• If so, does it need fixing?
• What could be more effective than the status quo?
Imagine if each of the bottles landfilled (in the media articles mentioned above) had a tradable value, they were actually worth something…that would, without doubt, make disposal far less likely.
This container deposit discussion has been around for a long time now and is an approach that seems to be gaining considerable traction across the Tasman. Whether it’s the right path for New Zealand remains to be seen, but in my opinion real action is needed to lift recycling rates and to create local jobs. If not container deposits, what else could deliver these outcomes?
I’d welcome your thoughts.
YOUR BOARD
Dominic [email protected]
Wayne Plummer\ [email protected]
Credibility is crucial!
6
WasteMINZ Conference + Expo 2016TSB Bank Arena, Wellington
17-20.10.16
FEATURED SPEAKERS
JONATHAN BLOOMJonathan writes about why we waste food, why it matters and what we can do about it. He is an author and journalist whose work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Boston Globe. He began researching food waste in 2005 while volunteering at DC Central Kitchen, this work led him to publish American Wasteland: How America Throws Away Nearly Half of Its Food (and What We Can Do About It) in 2010.
JULIAN CRIBBJulian Cribb is an Australian author and science communicator. His career includes appointments as newspaper editor and scientific editor for The Australian, and Director of National Awareness for CSIRO. His internationally-acclaimed book, The Coming Famine (2010) explored the question of how we can feed 10 billion humans this century. His book, Poisoned Planet (2014) looks at the contamination of the Earth system and humanity by man-made chemicals.
WALLACE CHAPMANWallace is a well-known radio and television host. For the last two and half years Wallace has presented Sunday Mornings on Radio New Zealand National, the highest rating weekend radio show in NZ. Since 2008 he has hosted the ‘pub politics’ show Back Benches, debating with MPs at ‘The Back Bencher’ in Wellington before a live audience. Back Benches has been described as the ‘Top Gear of Politics’ by The NZ Herald.
Too Good to Waste builds upon our recent work on food waste, most notably through our Love Food Hate Waste campaign. This work has shown us that food waste is a major issue in New Zealand. Every time we throw out food — our bread crusts or last night’s leftovers — it adds up.
The same can be said of the many waste streams we all encounter on a daily basis. It might seem like just a few plastic bottles here and a box of polystyrene there, but all of this ‘waste’ has taken huge amounts of resources to produce. Should we really be wasting it? Surely we can do better?
Let’s explore how, through collective action, we can do a better job. We firmly believe that waste is an action, rather than a thing. It’s only waste if we make it so.
GALA DINNER MC & ENTERTAINMENT
MICHELE A’COURTWinner of ‘Comedienne of the Decade’ at the 2010 NZ Comedy Awards, Michèle is a stand-up comedian and writer. She has been on New Zealand TV screens since 1987 and still turns up all over the place. She talks a lot – sometimes on radio and TV, sometimes in pubs and clubs.
BOOK NOW! Supersaver ends 31 August 2016. wasteminz.org.nz
AUGUST 2016 \ WWW.WASTEMINZ.ORG.NZ \ 7
News Bites
A massive stockpile of glass in Twizel has been removed, crushed and is being
used in roads. Mackenzie District Council solid waste manager Angie Taylor
said the 2687m3 pile of glass was the legacy from glass collections in the
district which were stockpiled until three years ago. The Glass Packaging Forum
and road construction company, Road Metals, have worked with the council to
find a solution. The overall cost of the project will be $59,000, with 90 per cent
of the funding received as a grant from the Glass Packaging Forum.
welcome to our
NEW MEMBERSCORPORATEEasi Recycling NZ Ltd
SMALL BUSINESSNew Zealand Waste Products
INDIVIDUALCraig S Coker
Sarah Harding
STUDENTOliver Fleischl
Stewart Hancock
The road ahead for glass stockpile in Twizel
SOFT PLASTIC SERVICE EXPANDSThe Packaging Forum extended the
soft plastic recycling programme
to 46 Pak’n Save, New World,
Countdown and The Warehouse
stores in the Christchurch,
Ashburton and Rangiora region in
June. From July, all Countdown
stores in Auckland will offer the
service along with four Farro Fresh
stores. This is more than double the
store roll out planned in year one.
Around 35 tonnes of soft plastic
packaging has been dropped off
for recycling by shoppers. 63 per
cent of collected packaging is
single use fruit and vegetable bags,
bakery bags and carrier bags. 31 per
cent is branded food and grocery
packaging; primarily bread bags,
toilet roll packaging and plastic
wrap around drinks bottles.
FOODSTUFFS WIN TOP WASTE AWARDIn June the winners of the Green Ribbon Awards were announced. Winner of the “Minimising our waste” category was WasteMINZ member Foodstuffs NZ for their recyclable butchery trays, which also won at last year’s WasteMINZ Awards for Excellence.
See the full list of winners here: bit.ly/GreenRibbonAwards
8
MOVERS & SHAKERS KATE LOWEKate has left Auckland Council’s Waste Solutions Unit to join Envision New Zealand. Kate has an extensive background in facilitating community led sustainability and social wellbeing initiatives in both NZ and Australia. Her new role will continue this work focusing on supporting a community empowerment approach to waste minimisation.
Queensland's government says it's already working on a plan to introduce a container deposit scheme but is happy the opposition likes the idea. Environment Minister Steven Miles stated the Labor government had committed to investigating the policy at the last election.
"We have been working with industry and the NSW government on a container deposit scheme and there is funding to develop it in the coming state budget," Dr Miles said.
An advisory group had been established, made up of representatives from environment and community groups, the waste and recycling industry, the beverage industry and local government. Read the full story here: bit.ly/CDSforQLD
0508 MILTEK (645835) SALE | LEASE | RENTwww.miltek.co.nzNationwide sales & service
H600 MILL SIZE BALERGuaranteed 400kg+ bales everytime! PLASTIC SOLUTIONS
X-PRESS 200S10-1 volume reduction on general waste
SAVE
$$$
WITH MIL-TEK
NZ bans imports of most products containing asbestosImports of products containing asbestos will no longer be allowed, according to Environment Minister Nick Smith.
Minister Nick Smith said exposure to asbestos posed a risk of respiratory disease and was the single biggest cause of work-related fatalities, responsible for the deaths of 170 people a year. An inventory released by the Ministry for the Environment in 2014 shows asbestos is no longer imported for use in buildings or where members of the public are likely to be exposed to it. But it is still imported for a limited number of specialist products, such as gaskets, seals and brake linings.
Read the full story here: bit.ly/AsbestosBan
QUEENSLAND GOVERNMENT & OPPOSITION GET BEHIND 10c REFUND RECYCLING SCHEME
ROSS TROTTERRoss Trotter started with Christchurch City Council in March 2016 as Solid Waste Manager. Ross has been involved in the waste and recycling industry for 10 years and was previously co-owner of 5R Solutions Ltd. Ross says he is looking forward to addressing some of the challenges facing the industry. Contact him at [email protected].
MOVERS & SHAKERS
ASBESTOS CONTAMINATION TESTING
SEA
L619
3RM
4
ASBESTOSTESTINGAt Hill Laboratories, we have developed asbestos contamination testing that is fast, effective and accurate. We offer the following asbestos analyses: Asbestos Identification in Bulk Materials, Asbestos Identification in Soils and Asbestos Fibre Counting. Hill Laboratories is 100% New Zealand owned and operated, with laboratories in both the North and South Islands. Put us to the test!
FOR MORE INFO FREEPHONE
0508 HILL LAB
(44 555 22)
www.hill-laboratories.com
FIGHT AGAINST EXTENDED PRODUCER RESPONSIBILITY SLAMMED BY ISWA
Tax evasion by major corporations, as well as the fight against EPR by those same corporations, has been slammed by ISWA President David Newman in a powerful speech at the Second United Nations
Environment Assembly. Newman also explained that waste management is an essential public service of
the highest priority, contributing towards public health, lowering emissions of black soot, dioxins
and greenhouse gases, saving and recycling resources, all whilst creating millions of jobs throughout the value chain. See the speech here: bit.ly/ISWA_EPR
New needle disposal initiative launchedAn initiative has been launched to help protect Dunedin's waste workers from being pricked by improperly disposed of needles. Dunedin City Council solid waste manager Catherine Irvine said the Southern District Health Board initiative allowing people to drop their needles off in buckets at pharmacies free of charge came as rubbish workers encountered a few medical needles each month. Great scheme: bit.ly/Needle_Disposal
China releases new action plan to tackle contaminated landChina aims to curb worsening soil pollution by 2020 and stabilise and improve soil quality by 2030. The government will also continue to eliminate outdated heavy metal capacity. Last year, the environment minister said 16 per cent of China's soil exceeded state pollution limits. Treatment costs for heavy metal or chemical contamination are high, and China has struggled to attract private funds for soil remediation. There are currently 100 key soil remediation projects underway.
Read the full story here: bit.ly/China_remediation
10
ZEROING IN ON EVENT WASTE
WOMADM
icha
el F
lynn
Pho
tog
rap
hy
AUGUST 2016 \ WWW.WASTEMINZ.ORG.NZ \ 11
WOMAD has been held in 27 different countries around
the world, the first in the United Kingdom in 1982, honouring music’s special ability to transcend all boundaries of race and culture. At a WOMAD festival, you can expect to hear everything from 90s hip hoppers Arrested Development to Femi, son of African legend Fela Kuti, or possibly even original co-founder Peter Gabriel.
Waste minimisation successIn 2008, WOMAD NZ, delivered by the Taranaki Arts Festival Trust (TAFT), first integrated a zero waste philosophy into the event with a Sustainable Management Fund grant from the Ministry for the Environment. They succeeded in diverting an impressive 75 per cent of the 15 tonnes of event waste in
the first year, which set a standard in New Zealand for event waste minimisation.
WOMAD NZ continued to develop their Zero Waste programme (now sponsored by Shell NZ) over the following eight years. In 2016 they diverted an astonishing 81 per cent of the 25 tonnes of event waste.
At the core of the zero waste effort is a team of 150 volunteers and four paid contractors managed by Beyond the Bin, a social enterprise dedicated to event waste minimisation. TAFT and Beyond the Bin partnered for the second time in 2016, growing the zero waste activities both on and offsite.
WOMAD NZ Event Director Chris Herlihy is 100 per cent behind WOMAD’s zero waste endeavours. “It’s something we have been doing for a long time and it’s really a key part of the WOMAD experience,”
ZEROING IN ON EVENT WASTE
The World of Music Arts and Dance NZ (WOMAD NZ) is an incredibly colourful, three-day festival held in the beautiful Brooklands Park and TSB Bowl of Brooklands in New Plymouth. Beyond the Bin director, Kim Renshaw, describes WOMAD’s journey towards zero waste.
Mic
hael
Fly
nn P
hoto
gra
phy
BOTTOM OF THE SOUTH RESOURCE RECOVERY
STUDY TOUR
QUEENSTOWN TO DUNEDINNovember 2016
The innovative spirit is alive and well down south!
Join us on a 3-day study tour to see first-hand
the impact this is having on a range of resource
recovery operations from Queenstown to Dunedin.
For more information, and to register your interest,
please visit:
envision-nz.com/news/studytour
12
said Herlihy. In 2015 Herlihy approved the implementation of reusable beer and wine “Globelets” which has seen a reduction of around 110,000 single use beverage containers. In 2016 this was extended to include reusable coffee cups in partnership with Shell NZ, with the $7.00 cost of the cup being donated in full to Kokako recovery efforts in Taranaki. "It's not just about rubbish, it's about integrating reusable things into our activities instead of the usual throw-away mentality," said Herlihy.
Volunteer education is crucialBeyond the Bin’s role to manage waste minimisation site activities includes the sorting of organics and co-mingled recycling and managing and educating the zero waste volunteers. The volunteer programme had drastically increased over the years, from 90 in 2014 to 150 in 2016. Kim Renshaw, from Beyond the Bin, said the increased number of volunteers was due to more comprehensive waste education, the introduction of hand-sorting and increasing the
scope of activities to include litter picking. “The volunteers are at the heart of our programme and they are the most crucial element to the execution of the zero waste plan,” Renshaw said.
Renshaw and Beyond the Bin’s other key member of staff, Sam Gray, both spend time with all volunteers building a strong rapport and sharing waste information. “Education might be as simple as a group discussion about which products are recycled at the kerbside in different districts around New Zealand, or it might be as heavy as talking about micro-plastics building up in the ocean and discussing different composting techniques in industrial and home settings. Mostly it’s about fostering their enthusiasm and feeding their hunger for knowledge and information.
We’ve had many volunteers end up working in this space following their experience at WOMAD,” said Gray. This sounds like positive signs for the event waste industry which Renshaw describes as “largely in a growth phase.”
In 2016, all New Plymouth waste contractors changed their requirements for collecting
glass, both from kerbside and commercially. The changes meant the almost 10 tonnes of glass used at WOMAD over the three days had to be colour separated. Thanks to a grant from the Glass Packaging Forum, Beyond the Bin travelled to O-I in Auckland to develop a glass education workshop as a method of introducing the process changes. The workshop was delivered to bar staff and managers working at WOMAD, with the idea that the information learned would be relevant to not only the event, but in the day-to-day running of their other hospitality businesses.
Decontamination operationBeyond the Bin’s commitment to WOMAD’s waste processors was to provide a clean product, so they ran a small organics and recycling decontamination operation onsite. Decontaminated organics were processed at Revital’s Uruti site with co-mingled recycling baled and sent to Wellington.
In addition to tackling the waste from beverages, Beyond the Bin spent a significant amount of time supporting and educating the 80
Visy process and recycle plastic, glass, metals and paper products, helping to transform your kerbside waste into new, eco-conscious products.
Take a tour of our Onehunga site and see how it all happens. We offer free-of-charge tours to schools, business and community groups.
Tours are taken Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Bookings are essential. Please contact our Education Coordinator for more information.
Phone 09 975 2003 or email [email protected]
Visy Recyclingeducation centRe What could you leaRn about Recycling?
www.visy.co.nz
VISY0752NZ 210x86 Advert.indd 1 11/06/2015 10:07 am
Zoe
Ship
ley
Phot
ogra
phy
AUGUST 2016 \ WWW.WASTEMINZ.ORG.NZ \ 13
WOMAD food vendors on which types of food packaging they were permitted to serve food in. WOMAD was extremely strict on packaging and vendors were unable to trade with non-recyclable or non-compostable packaging, which included omitting PLA, as it was unable to be accepted by Revital.
In 2016 WOMAD extended the Zero Waste programme to include the neighbouring campsite, housing some 5,000 campers. A new “waste focused” campground manager was brought onboard to manage a crew of four volunteers and run a satellite recycling operation. In its first year the team diverted 80 per cent of the campground waste.
Positive outcomesWOMAD festival attendees are surveyed each year post-event to find out how they rank the different programmes in terms of impact on their experience. In both 2015 and 2016 festival attendees ranked zero waste as the second most important element in enhancing their festival experience. It is clearly evident that what WOMAD is doing with their waste is influencing their event attendees in an extremely positive way.
The future of WOMAD’s Zero Waste programme looks bright, with the festival set to stay at the New Plymouth location for at least another three years. This is good news for
the zero waste events movement, as during this time WOMAD could expose another 45,000 members of the public to positive waste minimisation practices and train a further 450 event waste educators.
Kim Renshaw is the founder of the zero waste event 'Gourmet Night Market' in Mount Maunganui, and is passionate about reducing event waste to landfill. Kim loves working with the waste and food-packaging sectors to improve systems for events. Kim believes communication is the key to success and Beyond the Bin is in a unique position to communicate with all event waste stakeholders.
Visy process and recycle plastic, glass, metals and paper products, helping to transform your kerbside waste into new, eco-conscious products.
Take a tour of our Onehunga site and see how it all happens. We offer free-of-charge tours to schools, business and community groups.
Tours are taken Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Bookings are essential. Please contact our Education Coordinator for more information.
Phone 09 975 2003 or email [email protected]
Visy Recyclingeducation centRe What could you leaRn about Recycling?
www.visy.co.nz
VISY0752NZ 210x86 Advert.indd 1 11/06/2015 10:07 am
Xan
der
Dix
on
Pho
tog
rap
hy
Xan
der
Dix
on
Pho
tog
rap
hy
14
AUGUST 2016 \ WWW.WASTEMINZ.ORG.NZ \ 15
It’s been three years in the making, but Love Food Hate Waste is finally here. Communications lead Sarah van Boheemen outlines the first few months.
it has begun
We’ve come a long way from just a few motivated WasteMINZ members
determined to tackle New Zealand’s food waste problem, to now, where we have a sound evidence base, partnerships with 59 councils and community groups from around New Zealand, central government funding, a website and a fully integrated brand campaign.
We’ve made fantastic progress, but because behaviour change is the aim of this campaign, we still have a long way to go.
The invisible problemFood waste is an invisible environmental problem with many people not realising the impact it has on their life and the world as a whole. Our starting point is to help Kiwis realise the benefits that come from wasting less food – saving money, better nutrition, fewer hungry people and protecting the environment.
While the benefits may be easy to understand, one thing which has become apparent is that the solutions to food waste are numerous and diverse. Simply put, we want to encourage people to buy less food and eat what they buy, but there are many different ways to achieve this – whether it is merely keeping your bread in the freezer so it doesn’t go mouldy or making an effort to meal plan.
The message is spreadingThe media coverage we have received highlights how multifaceted this campaign is; from Paul Henry to Fair Go, from the Healthy Food Guide to the gardening column in the Sunday Star Times.
It’s only been two months but our message is spreading, both via the media and our own digital channels. This is further supported by the efforts of our councils,
If the plastic wrap can be scrunched up into a ball, drop it in a Love NZ soft plastic recycling bin at participating stores
Shoppers at Pak‘nSave, New World, The Warehouse and now all Countdown stores and Farro Fresh across Auckland, Waikato and Canterbury can drop off their soft plastic food & grocery bags and wrappers for recycling into valuable new products.
Take a look at what can be recycled at
recycling.kiwi.nz/soft-plastics
BO
LLAR
DS
. DEC
KIN
G . TR
AFFIC
CO
NTR
OL . P
UB
LIC S
EATIN
G . EX
ERC
ISE EQ
UIP
MEN
T . FENC
ING
. CU
STO
M FU
RN
ITUR
E
S
IGN
AG
E . S
TAIR
TR
EAD
. W
HEE
LIE
BIN
SC
REE
NS
. D
OG
AG
ILIT
Y TR
AC
KS
+ M
UC
H M
OR
E
COLLECT!
drop!
recycle!
LOVE FOOD HATE WASTE
16
community groups and members. Here are just a few of the activities that have been happening:• In Waimakariri our Love
Food Hate Waste team stood outside supermarkets with three shopping trolleys’ of food to literally show customers how much food they may be wasting each year.
• National MP Barbara Kuriger completed a food waste diary and has subsequently been a vocal campaigner for the cause in Taranaki.
• In the Waikato, Waikato District and Waikato Regional councils worked with volunteers and Community Fruit Harvesting to pick 12 tonnes of apples and five tonnes of persimmons in the Great Persimmon Rescue. This fruit was then distributed to food banks as far afield as Auckland and Wellington.
• Disco Soup was on the menu in Alexandra, and Invercargill has had a full week of Love Food Hate Waste events, including two sold-out workshops run by Kate Meads.
• Workplaces have been getting on board with EnviroNZ and Nespresso running Love Food Hate Waste activities for staff.
It is apparent by the feedback we are receiving, both online and on-the-ground, that our food waste message is one that Kiwis are receptive to.
Maintaining momentum We have three years to reduce how much food New Zealand households are throwing away, but that is a long time to maintain momentum for a campaign such as this. How are we going to do it?
Each of the three years will have a different theme with our focus for year one being “love your leftovers.”
In August we will be hosting New Zealand’s first ever pie week. Why pies? Because they are a great vehicle for leftovers, and leftovers are our second most wasted food. And let’s be honest, have you ever met a Kiwi who doesn’t love a good pie?! This will be a national digital campaign which will be supported regionally by councils.
We also aim to capitalise on any opportunity to discuss and engage with food waste – whether that is with consumers, chefs, schools or people in the food industry. As a starting point for this, WasteMINZ gave a keynote address at the recent International Food Design Conference in Dunedin. We have started talks with different stakeholders in the food industry, as well as with national organisations such as the Heart Foundation and the National Federation of Budgeting Services about how we can share messaging.
You can get involved!This is a big campaign and we can’t do it alone. As members of WasteMINZ we challenge each of you to be a Love Food Hate Waste ambassador. You do not need to make a grand contribution to the cause – but simple acts such as sharing our Facebook posts or bringing your leftovers for lunch can be just as effective.
To learn more visit lovefoodhatewaste.co.nz
CARROT CAKE COOKIESMAKES 20 PREP 15 MIN COOK 20 MIN
These chewy carrot cake cookies are a great way to use up carrots that may have gone a bit limp in your vegetable drawer.
100g butter½ cup brown sugar¼ cup white sugar1 egg yolk¾ cup high grade flour1 tsp ginger½ tsp salt1 cup oats¾ cup grated carrot, firmly packed
Preheat oven to 180°C, fan forced.
Soften butter and use an electric beater to whisk butter, sugars and the egg yolk together. Set aside.
In another bowl sift flour, ginger and salt. Fold the dry ingredients in with the wet, followed by the oats and carrot. Mix well.
Spoon tablespoons of mixture onto two baking-paper lined trays (you should have about 20 cookies). Allow some space between each cookie, although they won’t spread far. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown.
TIP Don’t peel your carrots, just make sure you wash them.
Julie
Cre
an |
red
isco
ver.c
o.n
z
0800 10 10 10 www.wastemanagement.co.nz
TRUST US TO TAKE CARE OF IT
We invest heavily in recycling technology that helps keep our communities cleaner and safer.
We are passionate supporters of community projects including local
parks, roading, libraries, sport clubs and schools. That’s what being
positively resourceful is all about.
2578_WMNZ_Advertising_TrustUs_v1.indd 1 13/07/15 1:52 pm
18
EMERGINGCONTAMINANTSshould we be worried?
A multitude of chemicals are continually being developed and used that play a role in facilitating our lifestyle, but some may pose unintended ecological and human health risks once released into the environment.
By Dr Louis Tremblay, Dr Mike Stewart & Dr Grant Northcott
AUGUST 2016 \ WWW.WASTEMINZ.ORG.NZ \ 19
Environmental contamination by chemicals used on a daily basis is of growing
concern both in New Zealand and abroad. Many of these chemicals are persistent and can enter the environment from point sources such as sewage treatment plants and non-point sources like agricultural and storm water runoff.
Small quantities add upMost of us contribute to the issue when using products like shampoos and medicines that contain these chemicals and these small quantities add up to large amounts collectively. Many of these chemicals are termed “emerging contaminants"(ECs) which can be broadly defined as: “any synthetic or naturally occurring chemical not commonly monitored but has the potential to enter the environment and impact human and ecosystem health.”
Examples of ECs are pharmaceuticals and personal care products, veterinary medicines, pesticides, industrial chemicals and natural oestrogens. The challenge for environmental professionals is to understand and manage the potential risks of these chemicals, while maximising the intended positive outcomes of their use.
Ecosystem impactResearch shows that many ECs are ubiquitous and can impact the health of ecosystems, even at low concentrations, resulting in a degradation of the social and economic wellbeing of our communities. However, we have limited New Zealand specific information available to assess the risk that mixtures of ECs pose and their impacts on tāonga species and human health, and the indirect effects on cultural values like kaitiakitanga.
The limited New Zealand data available shows that the concentrations for some ECs in biosolids are comparable to those reported overseas, with some exceeding EU limits for land application. Levels of high risk steroid oestrogens are also consistently found in sewage effluents at concentrations exceeding ecological guidelines and oestrogenic activity has been detected in dairy catchment waterways and can potentially impact aquatic organisms.
While in the Auckland region, a wide range of ECs have been measured in estuarine sediments at surprisingly high concentrations. Concentrations were generally higher adjacent to sewage outlets and overflows and stormwater discharges. This confirmed urban areas as a source of ECs to estuarine and coastal environments.
BJ Scarlett are a one stop company for the design, manufacture, installation and commissioning of flat floor transfer stations.
We manufacture waste compactors, transfer bins, recycling balers, safe refuse tippers and manual sort lines.
We have successfully manufactured and installed material recycling facilities equipment throughout New Zealand.
www.scarlett.co.nzCall us today 03 688 2900
Material handling equipment Maximum efficiency through progressive technology Sophisticated machine concept for maximum productivity Quality components manufactured by Liebherr Ergonomic workspace for consistent high performance
Experience the Progress.
Liebherr New Zealand10 Crooks RoadEast Tamaki, Manukau 2013Phone: (09) 253 9700E-mail: [email protected]/LiebherrConstructionwww.liebherr.com
2009-503_060 LHB_140_LH24M_L538_NZ_GB_aMP.indd 1 02.06.16 09:38
AUGUST 2016 \ WWW.WASTEMINZ.ORG.NZ \ 21
Material handling equipment Maximum efficiency through progressive technology Sophisticated machine concept for maximum productivity Quality components manufactured by Liebherr Ergonomic workspace for consistent high performance
Experience the Progress.
Liebherr New Zealand10 Crooks RoadEast Tamaki, Manukau 2013Phone: (09) 253 9700E-mail: [email protected]/LiebherrConstructionwww.liebherr.com
2009-503_060 LHB_140_LH24M_L538_NZ_GB_aMP.indd 1 02.06.16 09:38
However, more monitoring is needed to accurately assess the state of our environment.
Ministry goalsThe Ministry for the Environment developed three goals to reflect the Government’s renewed commitment to sustainable development, focusing on society, the environment and economy. These goals are directly relevant to the issue of ECs. 1. Society absorbs the cost for the
removal of ECs from sewage by wastewater treatment. The options for re-using treated effluent depend on the residual contaminant load and/or the values of the receiving environment. For example, in Australia, where water resources are scarce, effluent may be used for irrigating crops or be recycled for drinking water. The level of treatment to satisfy these requirements comes at a significant cost to society.
2. Wastewater treatment technology used in New Zealand is not specifically designed to degrade ECs and many end up in rivers, estuaries and the ocean via discharge of treated effluent. Many ECs are deliberately designed to be biologically active and we have little knowledge of their effects on non-target aquatic organisms.
3. Treated effluent and biosolids have economic value as sources of beneficial nutrients and water that can improve the quality of soil and increase plant/crop growth. With climate change, freshwater availability is changing and all alternative options must be explored to alleviate these effects. Many countries recycle a considerable portion of the biosolids they
generate through application to agricultural soils. In comparison, 90 per cent of New Zealand’s biosolids go to landfill.
Where to from here?Many workshops and meetings involving scientists, regulators, industry and Māori have been held in an attempt to coordinate science and policy around assessing the risk of ECs in New Zealand. The objectives of these discussions were to build a knowledge base, research capability, policies, and management practices appropriate to evaluate and protect and manage the risk of ECs.
Through this work it was recognised that there is a lack of policy or processes to coordinate EC research and information management in a New Zealand. It was agreed that a national strategy was needed with objectives to lower the social costs and risks of ECs, minimise their release, if necessary, replace high risk ones with lower risk alternatives, and adopt a precautionary approach and anticipatory policies.
The questions aheadThere are many questions facing us when attempting to assess the risk of ECs: • What are the concentrations of
ECs in our environment?
• Are ECs at levels that can impact on our unique ecosystems?
• How do ECs rank in relation to other environmental stressors and how much resource should be allocated to the issue?
The Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) has initiated the Global Horizon Scanning Research Prioritisation Project, which aims to collect and prioritise the most important future
research questions. New Zealand is participating in this initiative and the outcome should help provide guidance to identify the key issues in our region.
We have established enduring partnerships between scientists, regulators, policy makers and international EC research groups and an independent advisory panel will facilitate discussions to develop the National Strategy to manage ECs in New Zealand later this year. The strategy will provide a roadmap to prioritise resources and provide robust information to enable better management.
In the meantime, the wider community also has a role to play, through up-the-pipe solutions that encourage the use of consumer products that are more sustainable and environmentally friendly.
Louis Tremblay is an environmental toxicologist based at the Cawthron Institute and a senior lecturer at the University of Auckland. His research interest is to assess the impacts of micro-pollutants on our ecosystems. Recently he has been involved in projects exploring options to better manage persistent pollutants.
Mike Stewart is an environmental chemist and director at Streamlined Environmental Ltd. His interests include assessing the fate and potential effects of organic and metal pollutants in various aquatic environments.
22
In 2014, Auckland Council’s governing body endorsed a long term strategy for a Resource
Recovery Network (RRN), which is a key initiative of its Waste Management and Minimisation Plan (WMMP), adopted in 2012. The WMMP has the aspirational goal of zero waste to landfill and a focus on using waste as a resource.
The RRN strategy includes an ambitious programme to develop 12 community recycling centres over a 10 year period. Central to the case for the strategy was the network’s potential to:
• Create multiple environmental, social, cultural and economic benefits for Auckland
• Create local jobs, provide training opportunities, engage with communities, provide environmental education,
expand the recycling sector and redistribute low cost goods and materials throughout the region.
• Reduce carbon emissions, achieve council’s waste diversion targets and meet its obligations under the Waste Minimisation Act (2008).
Ian Stupple is general manager of Auckland Council's Waste Solutions team and has been involved in leading the implementation of the RRN. Ian says “we’re making good progress and already seeing some great social and environmental outcomes for local communities and businesses. To date, the council has established three sites at Waiuku, Helensville and Devonport, with a number of other initiatives underway including site assessments, trials, procurements, and capacity building.”
Auckland’s Resource Recovery Network is transforming community recycling operations across the region. Ian Stupple and Matthew Luxon focus on the recent success of Waiuku Community Recycling Centre.
Key Success Factors
THE RESOURCE RECOVERY NETWORK
AUGUST 2016 \ WWW.WASTEMINZ.ORG.NZ \ 23
Soil & Rock Consultants has more than 28 years’ experience as geotechnical and environmental consultants.
Our business, located in Auckland and Christchurch, delivers well-grounded solutions and reliable advice across New Zealand to professionals in the property and construction industries from commercial and residential developments through to large scale public works.
soilandrock.co.nzAuckland 09 835 1740 | Christchurch 03 352 4519
In addition to geotechnical investigation and engineering, our services encompass:
Soil/land and water contamination assessment Preliminary and detailed investigations, site validations, management and remediation plans carried out by qualified & experienced practitioners for brown and green field sites.
Stormwater/wastewater site investigations Site management plans for numerous individual properties, commercial and residential developments and rural areas.
Hydrogeological investigation and computer modelling Water supply, irrigation, dewatering, water resource assessment, aquifer characterisation.
Waiuku Community Recycling CentreWaiuku Community Recycling Centre in South-West Auckland was the first site to be established and opened its doors in November 2014. The site is managed by a local enterprise, Waiuku Zero Waste (WZW), who have a five year contract to operate the site, which was previously an under-utilised waste transfer station. The contract was let using a social procurement approach led by the council's Waste Solutions team. The site now provides residents with a place to drop off a wide range of reusable and recyclable materials, as well as waste. It also has a shop, ‘Waiuku Junktion’, where second hand goods are sold, and a workshop where furniture is restored.
The council commissioned Envision New Zealand to undertake a robust and independent evaluation of the recycling centre’s progress after one year of operation.
Envision’s director, Matthew Luxon, confirms "The purpose of the study was to provide the council with an understanding of how the facility is performing against the RRN strategy’s objectives."
Performance measuresAs part of the comprehensive review, seven performance measures were assessed, with the following results:
1 Diversion of waste from landfillIn the first year, 62 per cent by weight of all material entering the site was diverted from landfill (equivalent to 71 per cent by volume). This is a significant achievement compared with similar sites across Australasia and consistent with Auckland’s aspirational goal of zero waste to landfill by 2040.
2 Increase in reuse and recyclingWaste is now being treated as a resource with over 100 tonnes of reusable items
(furniture, appliances, bric-a-brac etc.) diverted from landfill to beneficial use in the community. Very little, if any of this, was diverted previously. In addition, over 500 tonnes of recyclable materials (cans, bottles, paper, card, plastic etc.) has been diverted from landfill.
3 Local employment• 10 staff have been employed,
equivalent to 4.6 full-time-equivalent positions, which has had a positive impact on a small rural town like Waiuku, with a population of less than 10,000.
• All staff have received some form of training, from gaining a forklift licence to electrical testing certification.
4 Local development• 90 per cent of staff live within
20km of the town centre and between them earn $170,000 – much of which is spent locally.
• 32 per cent of suppliers are located in Waiuku.
24
• The six largest suppliers are New Zealand owned and operated.
5 Community empowerment• The recycling centre has become
a community destination in its own right, where people come to buy affordable second hand items that have been recovered and upcycled.
• The recycling centre and its operators are becoming an example of best practice in Auckland and a model for aspiring community recyclers. In September 2015 it hosted a site visit for the Community Recycling Network’s annual hui and continues to welcome groups from across the region, including those on council mentoring programmes.
6 Financial performance• Waiuku Zero Waste returned a
profit in the 2014/2015 year and is on track towards achieving financial sustainability over its five year contract.
• Additional grants and funding sources have been accessed as a result of WZW’s contract with the council.
7 Innovation A range of innovative initiatives are being developed by WZW, including a partnership programme with South
Auckland Men’s Prison, which enables inmates to gain NZQA qualifications repairing old motors recovered at the centre and sold through the shop.
Success factorsAlthough Waiuku CRC is only in its second year of operation, some key success factors have already been identified, including:• The strength of WZW’s
community focus and local engagement activity.
• The capacity building and relationship brokering undertaken before the council’s procurement process began.
• The social procurement approach taken by Council to secure the operator which focused on delivery of social, environmental and economic outcomes.
• The partnership approach taken between Auckland Council, WZW and the Franklin Local Board.
• A shared approach to risk, and a focus on learning from best practice.
OpportunitiesSite redesign is planned for 2016 and will increase capacity for reuse and recycling and assist in maximising performance of the site.
ConclusionsAfter one year of operation, the Waiuku Community Recycling Centre is performing well against the measures assessed. As Matthew Luxon says “The site operation is meeting the objectives of the long term Resource Recovery Network strategy and shows that with the right vision, support and expertise, a community enterprise can be as effective and commercially astute as a traditional business enterprise. On the basis of this evaluation, Auckland Council can have confidence in the roll-out of additional facilities to achieve positive social, environmental and economic outcomes for the community.”
Ian Stupple (left) is GM of Waste Solutions and is leading Auckland Council's waste transformation programme.
Matthew Luxon is director of Envision New Zealand, a Zero Waste consultancy based in Auckland. Matthew and Envision have been supporting Auckland Council’s goal of Zero Waste by 2040 by providing assistance with research and planning.
ALBANY MANUKAU HAMILTON
WELLINGTON NELSON
CHRISTCHURCH INVERCARGILL
Advance Personnel is a New Zealand owned recruitment company established in 1963.
We provide top quality service in the supply of temporary and permanent workers.
CALL US TODAY 09 277 1740
LEADERS IN STAFFING TOWARDS SUCCESS
ACCOUNTANTS
ACCOUNTS PAYABLE
ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE
ADMINISTRATORS
ASSEMBLERS
BUILDERS
BUTCHERS
CALL CENTRE
CARPENTERS
CREDIT CONTROLLERS
CUSTOMER SERVICES
DEVANNERS
ELECTRICIANS
ENGINEERS
FABRICATORS
FORKLIFT OPERATORS
FREIGHT
GASFITTERS
HAMMERHANDS
INVENTORY
CONTROLLERS
LABOURERS
MACHINE OPERATORS
MACHINISTS
MACHINE SETTERS
MOTOR MECHANICS
PACKERS
PICKERS
PLUMBERS
PRODUCTION WORKERS
QUALITY CONTROLLERS
REACH DRIVERS
RECEPTIONISTS
STORESPERSON
TRUCK DRIVERS
VAN DRIVERS
www.adstaff.co.nz
Invested 325k with local authorities to improve
the quality and increase the tonnages of glass being
collected.
Investments to date have resulted in over 43,000 tonnes of glass being recovered this year. Equivalent to
210 million small bottles.
Particularly satisfying was our contribution to facilitating
the use of over 2,500 tonnes of glass accumulated
in the construction of forest roads.
The GPF also supported with the contribution of
$39k towards the collection of separated glass from
11 events held at locations within both islands.
The GPF continued its support for trials being
undertaken by Auckland University to further process
the waste, including glass, from the sorting of
commingled collections of recyclable materials and the
establishment of a bottle bank trial in Otaki. The object
of the trial is to measure community support for the use
of bottle banks to ensure the collection of high quality
glass for high value uses.
Glass mass balance for the year was 73.07% up
0.43% from last year. The tonnes collected were higher
than last year but consumption also increased resulting
in very little percentage recovery gains.
GLASS PACKAGING SCHEME
what did we do in 2015?
AUGUST 2016 \ WWW.WASTEMINZ.ORG.NZ \ 27
Following the successful completion of the Waste Minimisation Fund supported Waste Data Framework project last year, WasteMINZ established a Waste Data Working Group to take the concept forward and coordinate its implementation.
The working group has a plan for helping establish the Waste Data Framework, so expect to hear more in the coming months.
Key parts of the planINDICATORS: Developing simple indicators that all TAs can report on and use for the purposes of benchmarking and sharing waste data. This could include for example:• Domestic refuse per capita
• Kerbside recycling per capita
• Waste to landfill per capita (excluding special waste)
The indicators would establish protocols to ensure that everyone
was reporting the same things when compiling their data.
TRAINING: Developing a series of training support mechanisms such as workshops, webinars and talking to regional groupings of waste managers.
FUNDING: WasteMINZ’s Strategic Investment Fund has recently awarded funding to support and expand on work being done by the Waikato and Bay of Plenty Regional Councils on developing a standard bylaw template. The funding will support work on a standard operators licensing module (that could be adopted on its own or as part of a bylaw review) and drafting a standard ‘Data Sharing Agreement’. A Data Sharing Agreement would aim to establish standards and expectations around provision and management of data and help ease concerns of private operators.
SHARING: Investigating a system for collating and sharing information that has been compiled in accordance with the Waste Data Framework. The most obvious method for doing this is through some sort of cloud based IT system that TAs can enter or upload their data to. But it could be as simple as an annual reporting exercise. The Waste Data Framework project looked at a number of potential IT solutions and the working group will continue to look at options to enable an effective solution.
Progress is being made towards our sector using a common standard for recording and reporting our waste. If your council or business gathers and uses waste data be sure to keep the Waste Data Framework in your thinking.
To find out more about the National Waste Data Framework please visit: bit.ly/waste_data
Duncan Wilson of Eunomia Research & Consulting updates us on the work of the Waste Data Working Group.
PROGRESS ON THE WASTE DATA FRAMEWORK
Invested 325k with local authorities to improve
the quality and increase the tonnages of glass being
collected.
Investments to date have resulted in over 43,000 tonnes of glass being recovered this year. Equivalent to
210 million small bottles.
Particularly satisfying was our contribution to facilitating
the use of over 2,500 tonnes of glass accumulated
in the construction of forest roads.
The GPF also supported with the contribution of
$39k towards the collection of separated glass from
11 events held at locations within both islands.
The GPF continued its support for trials being
undertaken by Auckland University to further process
the waste, including glass, from the sorting of
commingled collections of recyclable materials and the
establishment of a bottle bank trial in Otaki. The object
of the trial is to measure community support for the use
of bottle banks to ensure the collection of high quality
glass for high value uses.
Glass mass balance for the year was 73.07% up
0.43% from last year. The tonnes collected were higher
than last year but consumption also increased resulting
in very little percentage recovery gains.
GLASS PACKAGING SCHEME
what did we do in 2015?
When it comes to our
stunning New Zealand
environment it goes without
saying - sustainability is the
essence of what we do.
Whether it’s turning landfill
gas to power, organic waste
to compost, or returning
beaches to a sparkling
condition, that’s what we do.
We believe in keeping New
Zealand beautiful.
At EnviroNZ, we are solutions
focused. We like to say yes to
our customers. We generally
already have solutions in
place but if not, then we go
away and figure out how we’re
going to make it happen.
For us that’s innovation, that
great Kiwi trait of “know-how,
can-do” and it lies at the heart
of who we are and what we
deliver. And that has been
behind some of our most
innovative thinking.
EnviroNZ offers a
comprehensive service
portfolio of ‘EnviroSolutions’
for homes, businesses and
communities.
If you would like to know
more about our services and
how we can work together
for a greener tomorrow, visit
www.environz.co.nz or call
0800 240 120.
EnvironZ works in partnErship with our customErs to implEmEnt
cost-EffEctivE, sustainablE wastE managEmEnt solutions that rEliEvE
prEssurE on our landfills and movE us closEr to a grEEnEr tomorrow.
AUGUST 2016 \ WWW.WASTEMINZ.ORG.NZ \ 29
In mid-2012, WasteMINZ’s Landfill and Residual Waste Sector Group formed a Project Team to guide
the development of the Technical Guidelines for Disposal to Land (colloquially known as the Land Disposal Guidelines).
The Project Team included a broad range of key stakeholders, including representatives from territorial authorities, regional councils and the commercial sector. The project received part funding from the Ministry for the Environment under its strategic alliance with WasteMINZ.
Purpose of guidelinesThe basis for the development of the guidelines was the need for better guidance, as existing documents were developed at different times to different briefs, which has resulted in inconsistencies. The document has been designed to provide technical guidance on the siting, design, construction, operation, and monitoring for disposal to land
and in essence ‘brings together’ and supersedes the following documents:
• A Guide to the Management of Cleanfills (MfE, 2002)
• Landfill Guidelines (CAE, 2000)
The Technical Guidelines for Disposal to Land also seeks to establish “good practice requirements” for the various types of facilities based on waste acceptance criteria.
Guidelines publishedFollowing significant consultation, the Guidelines and Appendices were finalised and published in April 2016. They include:
• Technical Guidelines for Disposal to Land (April 2016)
• Technical Guidelines for Disposal to Land – Appendices (April 2016)
These documents can be downloaded here: bit.ly/DisposalToLand
Future stepsFollowing the completion of guidelines, WasteMINZ has been considering the need to take a more integrated approach to the way we engage with disposal activities; an approach which looks at all types of disposal, from Disposal Facilities (as defined under the WMA) through to managed fills, clean fills, farm dumps and the like. Our first step, which is currently underway, is to develop a Disposal to Land sector group to guide our future areas of activity.
This will give consideration to the Ministry for the Environment’s publication A generation from now: our long-term goals (published in November 2015), which states an intermediate target by 2025 as “A consistent national framework for managing the disposal of waste to land is in place”. This clearly signals a government desire for greater consistency throughout the country and it’s our job to help shape this and ensure it's fit-for-purpose.
Paul Evans outlines the purpose of the new technical guidelines for Disposal to Land
TECHNICAL GUIDELINES FOR
DISPOSAL TO LAND
where next?
30
New Zealand specific guidance does not exist for home, property and business owners, to enable them to understand the process and options for dealing with soil that has asbestos in it.
This can be very a confusing and legally-challenging ordeal for some owners and, over the last year, BRANZ has been working with a panel of industry experts, from both central and local government, as well as industry, to develop guidance for asbestos-contaminated soils in New Zealand.
The guidance has built upon existing international legislation and guidance and New Zealand industry expertise. Throughout the project, liaison with international
experts has been invaluable to understand their learnings – in terms of what has worked and what hasn’t worked, and what information is necessary for home, property and business owners.
Guideline objectivesThe guidance will enable a simplified understanding of the new Health & Safety at Work (Asbestos) Regulations 2016 as they relate to soil. This is particularly important for property and business owners and persons conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU). It will also help home, property and business owners understand how to deal with asbestos-contaminated soil in New Zealand.
Over the last year, BRANZ has been working with a panel of industry experts to develop guidance for asbestos-contaminated soils in New Zealand. BRANZ scientist Lee Bint outlines the new guidelines.
ASBESTOSIN SOIL
AUGUST 2016 \ WWW.WASTEMINZ.ORG.NZ \ 31
The guidance will include:• The legislative triggers and
obligations for checking, identifying and testing whether asbestos is present in soil. This includes information on both the Health & Safety at Work (Asbestos) Regulations 2016 and the Resource Management (National Environmental Standard for Assessing and Managing Contaminants in Soil to Protect Human Health) Regulations 2011.
• Why it is important – that is, how it affects health.
• Preliminary site investigation; the investigation strategy, gathering information about the site, the conceptual site model, conducting the site visit, identifying asbestos in soil and reporting on the preliminary site investigation.
• Detailed site investigation, including methods for sampling, laboratory analysis, air monitoring, risk assessment and detailed site investigation reporting.
• An array of remedial options from in-situ strategies to off-site disposal and site validation or clearance.
• Ongoing monitoring and obligations, including the asbestos management plan and health monitoring.
• General advice on safe handling of asbestos and asbestos-contaminated soil.
• Key contact information and relevant links to licenced competent persons, testing laboratories and organisations, dumping sites and legislative documents.
OutputsTwo primary outputs are being produced – a guidance document and a technical guidance report. As well as the regulations, both of the outputs are aligned with the Approved Code of Practice for Managing and Removing Asbestos.
1 Guidance documentThe BRANZ Guide to Managing Asbestos in Soil takes New Zealand home, property and business owners step-by-step through the process of managing asbestos in soil, including the legal obligations, the testing and analysis options, the remediation alternatives and completion of the work to the point where the site can be used for its intended use.
New Zealand case studies are included to show examples of properties that have successfully dealt with asbestos-contaminated soil at varying stages of the management or remediation process.
2 Technical guidance reportThe BRANZ Technical Guidance Report on Managing Asbestos in Soil is a much more detailed report than the guidance document. It contains the same overall information as the guidance document, but has a larger focus on industry practitioners.
BRANZ will soon be entering the review phase of these two documents with the panel of industry experts. These have largely been delayed to enable clear alignment with the Health & Safety at Work (Asbestos) Regulations 2016 and the Approved Code of Practice for Managing and Removing Asbestos.
Both the guidance document and the technical guidance report will be available from the BRANZ website and the BRANZ bookshop later this year.
Lee Bint is a Sustainable Building Scientist at BRANZ and has spent the last 18 months leading the development of the BRANZ Guide to Managing Asbestos in Soil. Her other main research focus at BRANZ is on water use and efficiency in buildings. She can be contacted on [email protected]
32
BEHAVIOUR CHANGE
The Love Food Hate Waste website launched on 1 June, with useful information and statistics on the
issue of food waste. There are recipes from chefs, such as Annabel Langbein and Dr Libby Weaver, for using up foods which are commonly
wasted, and Mayor Tim Shadbolt has contributed his recipe for making that Southland favourite, cheese rolls. Magazines such as the Healthy Food Guide and the New Zealand Listener profiled the campaign, and Fair Go showed one family what they could do to minimise their food waste. Events have been held around the country, including stands at farmers’ markets, movie screenings and cooking workshops.
CONTAMINATED LAND MANAGEMENT
The Ministry for the Environment attended the Steering Committee’s meeting on 18 May, providing an update on the Ministry’s contaminated land programme. At this meeting, the committee also finalised the submission on the draft code of practice for the management and removal of asbestos and discussed potential workshops, keynotes and speakers for the upcoming WasteMINZ conference. A working group has now been formed to design a workshop, which will be held at the conference on 20 October, on the updates to Contaminated Land Management Guidelines No. 1: Reporting on Contaminated Sites in New Zealand and Contaminated Land Management Guidelines No. 5: Site Investigation and Analysis of Soils.
Nic QuiltySector Projects Manager
SECTOR GROUPS
JULY 2016 ONLY $6.30www.healthyfood.co.nz
Lamb & silver beet pies + Kumara lasagne bake
The extra kJs
sneaking into your
day
Food amnesia
hate waste!Love food,
clever ways to use up everything
SPECIAL REPORT
on
NIKI BEZZANTCOLDS AND FLU:
THE FOOD LINKS
FERMENTED GOODNESS
SAUERKRAUT & KIMCHI
FREE COFFEE Voucher inside
Plus:• How science works:
Sorting fact from hype•
Thai yellow chicken
curry with coconut
rice
Turn the tables HEART
DISEASE
HEALTH & SAFETY
Daniel O’Carroll, a member of WasteMINZ’ Organic Materials Sector Group Steering Committee, attended the Steering Committee’s meeting on 24 May to discuss the lack of guidance in New Zealand on bioaerosols and the pathogen control of organic materials and processing organic food waste and green waste. A working group will now be formed to develop a fact sheet to address the issues around bioaerosols. The lack of sharps disposal schemes was also discussed at the 24 May meeting, which was tabled by the TA Forum, and the Steering Committee agreed that WasteMINZ should write to the Ministry of Health, highlighting the lack of schemes and outlining the district health board’s responsibilities.WasteMINZ will be updating the Health and Safety Guidelines: for the Solid Waste and Resource Recovery Sector – parts one, two, three, four and five (Health and Safety Guidelines) with relevant principles
from the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015. A working group has been formed to assist this process and the group’s first meeting was on 8 July.
ORGANIC MATERIALS
An application has been made to the Environmental Protection Authority asking for the reassessment of clopyralid. The application is based on a survey of WasteMINZ members which found that clopyralid is continuing to be an issue for composters. A workshop is being planned for composters on 17 October in Wellington as a precursor to the annual WasteMINZ conference. The workshop will be facilitated by international composting expert Ron Alexander. The Organic Material Sector Group Steering Committee is working in partnership with the Health & Safety Sector Group Steering committee to create a health and safety fact sheet on the topic of bioaerosols, which is an area of risk in the composting industry.
TA FORUM
The TA Forum conducted a survey of its members into the issues and solutions surrounding rural farm waste to gain an understanding of territorial authorities’ current practices and to ascertain whether they want to take or support action in terms of rural waste minimisation. Nearly 40 per cent of those surveyed thought that rural farm waste was a high or very high priority for their council. The two waste streams of most concern were agricultural sprays and drenches and dips.
A new committee has been elected which comprises of:Alec McNeil Marlborough DistrictBrent Aitken Taupō District Craig Goodwin Ashburton District Dominic Salmon Hastings District Donna Peterson Invercargill City Natasha Hickmott Palmerston North City Parul Sood Auckland Roderick Boys Wellington City Sophie Mander Central Otago District.27908 O-I-WasteMINZ Revolve Magazine ad OUT.pdf 1 12/07/16 2:09 pm
34
KERBSIDE RECYCLING TO START IN OCTOBERRotorua Lakes Council and its new
kerbside rubbish and recycling collection
contractor Smart Environmental will
work together to implement new
services across the district in October.
Smart Environmental will also operate
transfer stations in the district's rural
areas, provide litter collection services
in Rotorua and work with the council to
establish services in rural areas where
there are currently none. The 15-year
contract does not include management
and operation of the district's landfill,
which was tendered separately.
"We want to reduce costs, improve
services, increase recycling, reduce
the amount of rubbish going to landfill
and better protect the environment,"
council's Sustainable Living Portfolio
lead Councillor Janet Wepa said.
“Reducing health and safety risks –
which are high under the current manual
collection system – is also a significant
driver and we have a rubbish truck fleet
that needs replacing so now is a good
time to be making changes”.
Council's Director of Transport and Waste
Solutions, Stravros Michael, said council
and Smart Environmental staff would
be collaborating on the roll-out of the
new services and community awareness.
“Council staff have been consulting
with rural and lakes communities where
there are transfer stations and/or access
issues and there will be some flexibility
in the services so some changes will be
possible in future," he said. "Meanwhile,
we will be talking to rural communities
currently not getting any services in the
near future about what services can be
established
Rotorua Daily Post
ENVIROPODS REDUCE WASTE IN STORMWATERIn late June, EnviroPods began a secret
collection in Whangarei’s Central
Business District. EnviroPods have
cunningly designed cages with filter bags
that line stormwater sumps, which are
collecting all the debris that washes off
the streets and down drains during wet
weather. Close monitoring of the pods
will clearly reveal how environmentally
aware Whangarei people are.
“Hopefully our CBD residents and
visitors are – or will become – very
conscious about litter and stopping
it from getting down the drain,” said
WDC wastewater and stormwater asset
engineer Thane Richardt. “This is part
of the WDC-funded Drains to Harbour
programme that highlights the issue of
rubbish entering the stormwater network.
Despite the programme’s work in the
community and at schools, lots of rubbish
is still finding its way into our harbour.
Every time the SeaCleaners volunteers
visit to do a clean-up around the shores
of our city, they fill containers with
rubbish. “It will be interesting to see if
that changes when these pods have been
in for a while.” Mr Richardt said. “The
best solution would be for people to
make a concentrated effort not to drop
litter in the first place”.
Whangarei District Council press release
NEW RECYCLING COLLECTIONWaikato District Council changed their
rubbish collection service on 1 July
from rates funded to user pays. At
the moment, 509 kilograms of waste
per person per annum is disposed of
through the council’s kerbside collection.
By changing to a user pays system,
it is predicted that this will reduce to
338 kilograms per person, per year – a
reduction of 33 per cent of waste to
landfill per capita by 2022. In the past,
ratepayers were allowed to put out two
bags of rubbish kerbside once a week,
using any bag of their choice. Moving
forward, ratepayers are now able to
purchase an unlimited number of bag
stickers at a cost of $1.50 per bag. The
new user pays service means how much
you pay is determined by how much
waste you produce. The council views
that as the fairest and most cost-effective
way to encourage everyone to minimise
their waste and has also resulted in
a reduction to rates. Residents have
also been given an additional crate for
recycling.
Waikato District Council website
DO YOU HAVE NEWS TO SHARE? These are your pages – email Jenny at [email protected]
Workplace SafetyH&S Management SystemsHazard & Risk ManagementInvestigationsOnsite H&S AssuranceExternal Audit Preparation
The new future of health and safety is here!
Call us on 09 555 2029 or 027 507 6919 to discuss how we can help
enquiries@�rst4safety.co.nz
- If you are a director or o�cer of a PCBU, have you undertaken appropriate due diligence?
- Have you identi�ed hazards in your business and assessed the risks they present to worker health and safety?
- Do you need help to engage with workers on site and gain assurance that safe work methods are being undertaken?
- Is your Health and Safety Management System up to date?
- Does your investigation process identify root cause?
FIRST4SAFETY_BRAND IDENTITY GUIDELINES_2014_COPYRIGHT DES IGN COMMUNICATE CONNECTC
Design componentsPanels QR Code - actual
Social media
Safety chevrons
AUGUST 2016 \ WWW.WASTEMINZ.ORG.NZ \ 35
SOFT PLASTICS COLLECTION IN CANTERBURYCanterbury can now join Auckland and
the Waikato and start recycling their soft
plastic packaging. “We expect Cantabrians
to recycle around 75 tonnes of soft plastic
packaging annually at the 50 stores once
people have got used to the new system”
said project manager Lyn Mayes.
“The first audit has found that 63 per
cent of collected packaging is shopping
bags, fruit and vegetable bags and 31
per cent is grocery packaging, primarily
bread bags, toilet roll packaging and the
soft plastic wrap around drinks packs.
We encourage people to also recycle
their frozen food bags, confectionery
and biscuit wrap, chip bags, pasta and
rice bags and courier envelopes” advises
Lyn. The cling film which covers meat
trays can also be recycled, provided it is
washed and dried.
Lyn notes that “until today soft plastic
packaging was destined for Canterbury
landfills, but it will now be made into new
durable plastic products. For example,
the new recycling bins at stores contain a
10 per cent blend of soft plastic materials
collected at North Island stores and
processed as part of trials with Astron
in Auckland. That’s around 90 plastic
bags used in the production of each bin.
REDcycle, which manages operations,
has shipped the first container of
plastics to Replas in Melbourne where
the packaging is manufactured into
bollards, traffic speed bumps, decking
and tracking, furniture and a whole range
of weather resistant plastic products
suitable for construction, conservation,
commercial and community groups.”
The scheme will be rolled out to the
Wellington region in October.
FMCG Business
Hon Nicky Wagner at the soft plastic recycling launch in Canterbury.
Workplace SafetyH&S Management SystemsHazard & Risk ManagementInvestigationsOnsite H&S AssuranceExternal Audit Preparation
The new future of health and safety is here!
Call us on 09 555 2029 or 027 507 6919 to discuss how we can help
enquiries@�rst4safety.co.nz
- If you are a director or o�cer of a PCBU, have you undertaken appropriate due diligence?
- Have you identi�ed hazards in your business and assessed the risks they present to worker health and safety?
- Do you need help to engage with workers on site and gain assurance that safe work methods are being undertaken?
- Is your Health and Safety Management System up to date?
- Does your investigation process identify root cause?
FIRST4SAFETY_BRAND IDENTITY GUIDELINES_2014_COPYRIGHT DES IGN COMMUNICATE CONNECTC
Design componentsPanels QR Code - actual
Social media
Safety chevrons
• PCBs must be removed from lighting systems or fittings and rendered safe, prior to WMTS accepting possession.
• This promotion is limited to the collection and disposal of 10 tonnes (maximum packaged weight) of PCB waste.
• This PCB elimination and disposal promotion expires August 2016.
• All applicants under this promotion must register with WMTS. To register call Carolyn Armstrong on 0800 PCB WASTE.
• Acceptance approvals will be issued by WMTS prior to pick-up.
• Any applicant currently on EPA’s PCB register must disclose this status.
• Free collection and disposal will be applied on a first come first served basis.
• WMTS will assist applicants with information on identifying PCBs and on any requirements concerning PCB storage, handling, registration, transport and disposal.
• WMTS retains sole discretion as to whether or not to accept PCB waste and is not obligated to accept waste it considers outside the promotion’s objectives.
WMTS is able to provide more information to help identify suspect capacitors and ballasts in PCBs.
This promotion is made possible by a grant from the Government’s Waste Minimisation Fund, managed by the Ministry for the Environment.
Waste Management Technical Services also acknowledges Trédi Séché Global Solutions as its PCB offshore disposal agent and promotion partner.
A FREE nationwide service to collect and safely dispose of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) is offered by Waste Management Technical Services (WMTS)
‘FREE’ PCB DISPOSAL!
Call 0800 PCB WASTE
There are significant quantities of PCBs still remaining in New Zealand, despite legislation being in place since 2004 prohibiting their use or storage.
This promotion is focused mainly on the disposal of small PCB containing capacitors, typically found in older style fluorescent lighting ballasts, and all other PCB oils.
WMTS is offering this service for FREE, enabling you to off-set the cost of having your lights checked and upgraded. Further savings can be made with modern energy efficient lighting.
Transformers and other items of electrical equipment containing PCBs are also eligible.
Conditions of this promotion are:
