WasteMINZ – we’re not rubbish

When people ask what WasteMINZ does, it can be hard to explain in a single sentence.

Often, we get mixed up with Waste Management, one of New Zealand’s major waste operators; we’ve got the phone number of Waste Management on speed dial now!

In short, WasteMINZ is the authoritative voice on waste, resource recovery and contaminated land in New Zealand.

But what does that mean exactly?

We’re not rubbish

In our latest strategy, our role is laid out: We exist to make a positive impact on Aotearoa New Zealand.

While we represent waste management and resource recovery organisations (read: the people who pick up your rubbish bins every week, and the people who sort, recycle and recover it), we also represent community groups, researchers, food rescue groups, major supermarkets, packaging producers, and those looking to make a difference to the environment.

We also deal with contaminated land – a specialist and quite technical subject, but important nonetheless.

For example, we recently held a residential lead workshop, which brought together experts not only in the contaminated land field, but also housing, painting and health.

Lead contamination in residential properties is an issue our contaminated land management sector group is passionate about, and we’re working to find out more about how big the issue is, what the impacts are and how we can best collect and share data.

We put people and the environment first

It’s no coincidence that the first principle in our strategy talks about protecting and conserving our environment.

The core WasteMINZ team of eight were attracted to the job because we want to do what’s right for the environment.

We’re a values-based organisation focusing on: kaitiakitanga (environmental stewardship), kotahitanga (collaboration), akoranga (learning) and mana manaaki (building mana in others). And that’s true for our members as well. Our members want to challenge the status quo. They want to protect the environment while also providing an essential service to the community.

We all create waste and we all need to dispose of it – that’s a fact of life.

However, when natural disasters like the Auckland floods and Cyclone Gabrielle occur, waste management becomes even more important.

Despite many of them being affected themselves, our members and their teams went above and beyond to serve their community. Just a few examples include:

• Countdown worked with its local food rescue partners to donate both perishable and nonperishable food after the power was cut

• EcoGas in Reporoa received extra food waste from households to turn it into fuel and fertiliser

• Local council and waste operator staff worked long hours to ensure that flood damaged items were able to be picked up quickly and safely

• Onehunga Zero Waste Hub became a safe space for the local community

• Localised community recycling centres received flood damaged material free of charge, received donations of donated goods and distributed them to those in need

• Napier City Council, HAIL Environmental and GHD worked swiftly to remove sediment from a complex industrial area (this project recently won a WasteMINZ Award for Excellence). CT

Most people don’t think about what happens to their old tyres but with New Zealanders generating 6.5 million used tyres every year, their disposal is a significant environmental challenge.

Southern X Press Ltd has been in business since 2002 but has specialised in recycling waste tyres since 2008. Based in Bromley, they have processed over 30,000 Tonnes of tyres. In recent times having cleared some very large tyre stockpiles as well as packing agricultural and horticultural plastics for Plasback. These locations have been in Waikato, Bay of Plenty, New Plymouth, Hawke’s Bay, Nelson – Marlborough, Central Otago and closer to Christchurch.

The Custom Mobile Baler can pack over 6 tonnes of tyres per hour into 2 tonne bales. These bales are exported to India, where they are granulated into a product for use in roading, playing fields and in reconstituted rubber products to meet European specifications.

“Environmental Accountability is very important to us that’s why we are part on the New Zealand Tyre Recyclers and Collectors Association and only export to Certified overseas customers.”