New Zealand has the highest waste emissions per person and is the most waste-emissions-intensive- economy of all members of the OECD and ranks 10th in the World.

Organic waste – food, wood and garden waste- comprises 40% of all waste to landfills and drives the production of methane which is the predominate greenhouse gas emitted from solid waste disposal to landfill. The average New Zealander sends 800kgs of waste to landfill each year.

What can I do?

This is one area that you can both reduce your carbon footprint and help the environment.

• Try to reduce the amount of waste you are sending to the landfill by composting organic waste.

• Reuse packaging, bags, containers rather than throwing them in the rubbish bin.

• Upcycle: This is the process of transforming by-products, waste materials, useless, or unwanted products into new materials or products of better quality or for better environmental value.

• Separate that rubbish ensuring that recyclable material is put in the recycle bin or bag.

• Product stewardship - click image below to read more

• Support campaigns to phase out single use plastic bags/containers or product wrappers. It is encouraging to see how many supermarket shoppers are now taking their own bags.