1.2 Purpose of this waste assessment - Waikato District Council

waste to landfill would include:• Non-household waste, particularly small to medium businesses• Organic waste, particularly food waste• Construction and demolition waste• Potentially reusable items.The district is in a fortunate position in that the infrastructure required to divert these waste streams islargely available. Analysis does indicate that diverting organic waste economically may require more localisedprocessing facilities, as transport to the nearest facility (Envirofert) from the furthest point of the districtoutweighs the economic benefit of diverting the material 14 .Construction and demolition waste could be diverted to local recycling facilities, located centrally to serve thedistrict.Diverting reusable items requires staff and space resources rather than any specific processing infrastructure.6.2.4 Charging mechanismsThe amount of residual waste per household for Raglan has been calculated to be between 212 kg to 318kg per household per year. This is compared to a national average of 410 kg per household per year, and adistrict average of 455 kg per household per year.This suggests that the differences between the services provided in Raglan and those provided in the rest of thedistrict have a significant impact on the amount of waste sent to landfill, being (in no particular order):• Services provided by a community organisation• More items accepted for recycling at the transfer station• Provision of a reuse store at the transfer station• Demographic differences and attitude• A mixture of targeted rates for kerbside recycling and user-pays charges for residual waste.The last point is likely to have a significant impact on residual waste quantities and is something that can beeasily transferred to other areas.6.2.5 Economic developmentAs has been noted, the waste processing and disposal industry already has a significant presence in the district,and there may be potential to grow this industry still further, with a view to making the area a hub for wasteminimisation related industries. Growth is likely to be driven by growth in surrounding areas forcing operationsthat have a relatively large land requirement into more rural areas such as the Waikato district. Economicdevelopment opportunities may exist in the following areas:• Organic waste processing• Construction and demolition waste processing• Utilising energy from organic wastes• Reuse of goods (in particularly for small rural towns)• Encouraging tourism through promotion of a zero waste/waste minimisation brand for the district• Utilising organic waste derived products on local farms and soils to improve productivity and reduce carbonimpacts.6.2.6 Rural waste sourcesLittle is known about the waste management practices of rural residents and businesses. Although some douse the council refuse and recycling services, many rural properties are not provided with a kerbside collection.It is assumed that they make use of the transfer stations; however anecdotal evidence also suggests that there14 Unpublished research carried out for Xtreme Waste, 2011.40