Central Otago District Council

Transcription

1 Central Otago District Council Waste Assessment November 2017

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3 Contents Introduction... 1 Common themes... 1 Strategic importance... 1 Education across industries and residents... 2 Section 17A Delivery of services... 2 Different needs between urban and rural areas... 3 National advocacy... 3 Data availability and accuracy... 3 Part 1 The waste situation... 4 Council services and facilities... 4 Non-council provided services and facilities... 5 Waste flows... 6 Waste quantities and composition... 7 Forecast of future demand Identified waste issues Part 2 Where do we want to be? Vision, goals and objectives and targets Part 3 How are we going to get there? Guiding principles Options for meeting future demand (Statement of Proposals) Public Health statement Appendices Appendix 1 Council and commercial waste services and facilities... 29

4 Tables Table 1 Composition of waste received at Victoria Flats landfill Table 2 Waste services results from residents survey Table 3 Objectives Table 4 Targets Table 5 Options considered for recycling collection services Table 6 Summary of options for district specific issues Table 7 Council and commercial waste services and facilities Figures Figure 1 Interlinked Section 17A components of cost-effectiveness and community needs... 2 Figure 2 District waste map... 6 Figure 3 Material Flow... 7 Figure 4 Landfilled Waste (kg/capita/annum)... 8 Figure 5 Total landfilled waste (tonnes per annum)... 9 Figure 6 Composition of total waste (tonnes per annum) Figure 7 Total recycled material (tonnes per annum) Figure 8 Total amount of diverted material per annum Figure 9 Comparison of waste received at Victoria Flats landfill between Queenstown Lakes District and Central Otago District in Figure 10 Resident population growth scenarios Figure 11 Projected landfilled waste Figure 12 Projected diverted waste ii

5 Introduction Central Otago District Council (Council) has a statutory responsibility to promote effective and efficient waste management and minimisation within the Central Otago District (Section 42, Waste Minimisation Act 2008 (WMA)). As part of this responsibility, the Council is required to complete a Waste Assessment which in turn informs the development of the Council s Waste Management and Minimisation Plan (WMMP). This Waste Assessment (WA) report has been prepared in accordance with Section 51 of the WMA. It provides details of the following: existing waste services provided in the District (Council and non-council) waste quantities, composition and flows identification of issues future demand for services vision, goals, objectives and targets for waste management and minimisation guiding principles to direct how to get to where the Council wants to be an options assessment/statement of proposals in response to identified district issues The Council adopted its last WMMP in February 2012 and is planning to complete the review of its WMMP by February Common themes In undertaking this Waste Assessment, a number of common themes and interlinked issues have emerged which are outlined below. Strategic importance The WA and WMMP need to be undertaken within the context of the New Zealand Waste Strategy 2010 (NZWS), Council s strategic framework, vision and goals and the legislative requirements of the WMA. The NZWS sets out the government s long term priorities for waste management and minimisation and has two goals: Goal 1: Reducing the harmful effects of waste Goal 2: Improving the efficiency of resource use Each option and opportunity needs to be considered with these goals in mind to determine if what is proposed will align with and achieve those strategic goals, and objectives. 1

6 Education across industries and residents In order to meet the Council s vision for waste management in the current WMMP Towards zero waste and a sustainable Central Otago there needs to be ongoing education programmes to reach those groups that have the biggest ability to contribute towards achieving the vision. Work needs to be undertaken with urban and rural communities, businesses and the construction industry to continually educate and provide a consistent message on how to reduce, re-use and recycle in the Central Otago District. Making it easy for urban and rural residents and businesses to do the right thing is essential to change behaviours and meet Council s vision, goals, objectives and targets. This includes the provision of convenient services and facilities, supplemented by clear messaging and direction on how to use the services and facilities. As an outcome residents satisfaction with the services provided should also increase. Section 17A Delivery of services Section 17A of the Local Government Act 2002 (LGA) sets out the requirement for local authorities to review the cost-effectiveness of current arrangements for meeting the needs of communities within its district or region for good-quality local infrastructure, local public services, and performance of regulatory functions. The two prongs of a Section 17A assessment as shown in Figure 1 below, puts the customer at the forefront of the assessment in tandem with cost-effectiveness. For the customer, this may mean that cost-effectiveness does not mean least cost, and therefore understanding what the community needs is critical to delivering a service in alignment with community expectations. Figure 1 Interlinked Section 17A components of cost-effectiveness and community needs Section 17A reviews provide Council with the opportunity to undertake a full review of the way in which a service is delivered. As part of this process, discussions with surrounding territorial authorities are critical as there may be options for regional collaboration that benefits more communities and results in greater efficiencies, and encourages a regional approach through the joint use of facilities to achieve waste minimisation goals. A regional Section 17A review of waste services is currently underway which may impact on the way some services are currently delivered in Central Otago. 2

7 Different needs between urban and rural areas The urban and rural areas of the district have distinctly different needs when it comes to waste services. While the urban areas are serviced by traditional kerbside collection via wheelie bins, the rural sector is a particular challenge where collection requirements are different to urban areas. National advocacy Many waste minimisation initiatives are more suitably implemented at a national level, e.g. product stewardship schemes for problematic waste streams (e.g. e-waste, tyres) and container deposit legislation. There is a need to continue working with national bodies such as WasteMINZ and the Ministry for the Environment, to encourage ongoing support for and the implementation of waste minimisation activities through a coordinated advocacy approach to government and industry. Data availability and accuracy Council collates date on the waste and diverted material received through its collection services and facilities. However, Council understands that the data it collates does not provide a complete picture of all the waste streams in the district. Council does not complete waste audits using the Ministry for the Environment Solid Waste Analysis Protocol (SWAP) and therefore is reliant on composition data captured by other Councils, in particular its neighbour Queenstown Lakes District Council, for some analysis on which to base this WA and WMMP. The impact of this data limitation is that the forecasting and the options assessment may not represent the actual scale of the issue, regardless of whether it is over or under-stated. 3

8 Part 1 The waste situation The Council is managing the majority of waste and diverted material across its District. Waste management services are generally restricted to households and businesses in the more populous areas and to some rural townships and neighbouring rural areas along the serviced routes. The following section contains information regarding: Council provided services and facilities non-council provided services and facilities waste flows waste quantities and composition identified waste issues forecast future demand Council services and facilities Council provides a range of waste collection, recycling, recovery, processing and disposal services and facilities in the district that are funded through targeted rates, user fees and charges. Council waste services and facilities include: Kerbside collection services for Alexandra, Cromwell, Bannockburn, Pisa Moorings, Omakau, Ophir, Bridge Hill, Clyde, Fruitlands, Teviot Valley, Ranfurly, Naseby Two-weekly 240L wheelie bin for refuse Four-weekly 240L wheelie bin for mixed recyclables Four-weekly 240L wheelie bin for glass recyclables Recycling drop off facilities are provided at: Alexandra, Cromwell, Omakau, Oturehau, Patearoa, Ranfurly, Roxburgh, and Tarras Transfer stations are provided at Alexandra, Cromwell, Ranfurly and Roxburgh Greenwaste drop-off facilities at transfer stations and Millers Flat drop-off point. Greenwaste from Alexandra and Cromwell Transfer Stations is mulched and the product used on site for closed landfill remediation and on Council parks and reserves Cleanfill and hardfill is accepted at Alexandra, Cromwell transfer stations and the Ranfurly site (but are unable to take commercial quantities) Waste minimisation education/initiatives and programmes including: Collaboration with the Rural Education Activities Programme (REAP) Home composting workshops Love Food Hate Waste The Nappy Lady Enviroschools programme Sustainable Living Programme MAD4CO (Making a Difference for Central Otago) 4

9 Providing information on Council s website, e.g. Waste Management and Minimisation Plan No hazardous waste disposal services are provided by Council Council does not operate its own landfill. Residual waste is sent to the Victoria Flats landfill in the Queenstown Lakes District (QLDC). Council has an agreement with QLDC to access the landfill until Council does however manage fifteen closed landfills which are monitored in accordance with their consents and an annual report provided to the Otago Regional Council. Non-council provided services and facilities Private companies continue to provide user pays services to meet additional requirements of the community. There are commercial waste service providers operating in the District providing the following services: Residential refuse collection using 120L-240L bins to approximately 250 predominantly rural properties supplementing services outside the Council collection boundary Commercial refuse collection Commercial organic material recovery Hazardous waste collection and disposal Recycling Greenwaste bins Wanaka Wastebusters (trading as Alexandra Wastebusters) provide a number of services including a reuse shop, metals and e-waste processing, commercial recycling, events recycling Smart Environment Ltd. s Wakatipu Recycling Centre located in Queenstown processes Central Otago District Council s recyclables accepted through its kerbside collections and transfer station network A detailed description of Council and non-council solid waste services is provided in Appendix 1. 5

10 Waste flows Maps of the Central Otago District Council area are shown in Figure 2 below that indicate the location of Central Otago District and the scale of the area for which Council provides waste services. Figure 2 District Waste Map 6

11 Figure 3 below shows waste and diverted material flows managed by the Council through its transfer station and resource recovery network with waste being disposed of at Victoria Flats Landfill in Queenstown Lakes District. Figure 3 Material Flow Waste quantities and composition It is important for Council to understand the quantity and composition of waste coming through its services so that it can identify opportunities to reduce waste to landfill. This could be by making appropriate policy, service and community education responses that ultimately achieve the vision, goals and objectives of the WMMP. Council has targets in its current WMMP to incrementally reduce the amount of waste per capita going to landfill year on year and to increase the amount of material being diverted. 7

12 Waste quantities Using 2012/2013 as a base, there was a decrease in landfilled waste from 470kg per capita to 392kg per capita in 2015/16, while the amount of recycled materials increased from 87kg per capita to 132kg per capita over the same period. The total amount of diverted material has increased from 131kg per capita to 176kg per capita over the same time period. Significant progress has been made to reduce waste per capita to landfill, however the community needs to continue looking at further ways to keep reducing waste to landfill to meet its vision of towards zero waste. Figure 4 illustrates the landfilled waste by kilogram on a per capita per annum basis over the period Landfilled (kg/capita/annum) Refuse collection frequency reduced to fortnightly / / / / / / / / /16 Figure 4 Landfilled Waste (kg/capita/annum) Figure 6 shows the amount of waste generated by the Central Otago District that is disposed at the Victoria Flats landfill in Queenstown Lakes District. The amount of waste landfilled remained between 9000 tonnes and tonnes between 2007/08 and 2013/14. In 2014/15 the Council introduced a kerbside wheelie bin recycling collection service and changed the refuse collection frequency from weekly to fortnightly which had a significant impact on reducing the amount of waste going to landfill. However in 2015/16 there was been an increase in the amount of waste being landfilled which would align with feedback from residential users that the frequency of recycling collection services are not meeting their needs, resulting in an increased amount of recyclable material going to landfill. This represents a significant opportunity for Council to increase the amount of waste diverted from landfill, by aligning the frequency of recycling collection services with community demand. This increase may also be attributed to the recovery of the economy and associated construction boom in the Central Otago District. 8

13 Landfilled (t/annum) Refuse collection frequency reduced to fortnightly 12,000 10,000 8,000 6,000 4,000 2, / / / / / / / / /16 Landfilled t/annum Figure 5 Total landfilled waste (tonnes per annum) Figure 5 illustrates the total amount of tonnes of waste generated per annum between 2008 and This is shown in terms of the amount of landfill waste, greenwaste, mixed recyclables and glass recycled. Landfilled waste is waste accepted through Council s transfer stations and kerbside collection services, mixed recycling and glass are kerbside collected recyclables as well as recyclables from recycling drop off facilities and transfer stations. Other diverted waste includes greenwaste that is accepted at transfer stations and nominated greenwaste drop off points. Waste going to landfill has remained relatively static between 2010/2011 and 2013/14, with a significant decrease noticeable in the 2014/2015 year, rising 600 tonnes in 2015/16, but still well under the 2013/14 levels by 1989 tonnes. The quantities of recycled material and other diverted material generally have also remained relatively static over the same period. In 2015/2016 there was a significant increase in glass and mixed recyclables being collected which related to the introduction of the kerbside wheelie bin recycling collection service. Figures 6-8 provide more details on the amounts of waste being recycled or otherwise diverted. 9

14 14,000 12,000 10,000 Total Waste (t/annum) Commence recording Greenwaste diversion Introduction of MGB recycling service and refuse collection reduced to fortnightly 8,000 6,000 4,000 2, / / / / / / / /16 Landfilled t/annum Mixed Recycling (t/annum) Glass (t/annum) Greenwaste (t/annum) Figure 6 Composition of total waste (tonnes per annum) The annual amount of recycled materials between followed a similar pattern to the generation to landfill waste as described for Figure 6, with a significant increase in recycled material in 2015/2016 attributed to the introduction of the kerbside wheelie bin collection service and availability of additional rural drop off facilities. The kerbside recyclables collection service collects mixed recyclables separately from glass in order to increase the quality of the mixed recyclables through reducing contamination from glass fines. Figure 7 depicts the amounts of each type of recyclables. Generally these arise from the kerbside recycling collection services and recycling drop off facilities. Total Recycled (t/annum) Introduction of MGB recycling service / / / / / / / /16 Glass (t/annum) Mixed Recycling (t/annum) Figure 7 Total recycled material (tonnes per annum) 10

15 Diverted materials, as depicted in Figure 8 are generally from kerbside recycling collection services, drop off recycling facilities and greenwaste and re-use shops. As shown in the previous figures and explained above, the total amount of diverted materials per annum have generally remained static between 2010/11 and 2014/15 with a significant increase in 2015/16 that can be attributed to the introduction of the kerbside recycling wheelie bin service and rural drop off recycling facilities. Total Diverted (t/annum) Commence recording green Introduction of MGB recycling / / / / / / / /16 Glass (t/annum) Mixed Recycling (t/annum) Greenwaste (t/annum) Figure 8 Total amount of diverted material per annum Composition of waste and diverted materials Table 1 shows the composition of waste received at the Victoria Flats landfill with a breakdown of the composition from both the Queenstown Lakes and Central Otago districts. The data for this table has been sourced from QLDC s 2016 SWAP. The waste composition included: Alexandra and Cromwell transfer stations (CODC) Wanaka and Frankton transfer stations (QLDC) general waste which is commercial and demolition wastes special waste Queenstown Lakes District Council kerbside collections 11

16 Table 1 Composition of waste received at Victoria Flats landfill 2016 Waste composition Overall waste to Victoria Flats landfill Queenstown waste to Victoria Flats landfill Central Otago waste to Victoria Flats landfill T/week % T/week % T/week % Paper % % % Plastics % % % Organic % % % Ferrous metals % % 4 2.6% Nonferrous metals 6 0.7% 4 0.6% 2 1.3% Glass % % 9 5.8% Textiles % % 7 4.5% Sanitary paper % % % Rubble % % % Timber % % % Rubber 7 0.9% 4 0.6% 3 1.9% Potentially hazardous % % 9 5.8% Total % % % 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% Comparison of CODC and QLDC composition of landfilled waste Queenstown waste to Victoria Flats landfill 2016 Central Otago waste to Victoria Flats land fill 2016 Figure 9 Comparison of waste received at Victoria Flats landfill between Queenstown Lakes District and Central Otago District in 2016 Organic material was the largest component of the overall waste to the Victoria Flats Landfill from Central Otago District, comprising 30% of the total, by weight. Paper and plastic was the next highest component with 27% of the total by weight. These waste streams represent a significant opportunity to divert more material from landfill. Compared with Queenstown Lakes District, Central Otago has a lower proportion of timber and rubble reflecting the lower level of construction and demolition activity in Central Otago. This higher construction and demolition waste is why Central Otago District has higher organic content. This data was collated in 2015/16 and more recently Central Otago has been an increasing volume of construction and demolition waste being discarded in the district as growth in the Queenstown Lakes district overflows into Central Otago. Potentially recyclable material makes up approximately 33% of this waste and includes paper and cardboard, plastics, glass and metals. Because the quantity of paper and plastics being landfilled is so high, Council is not maximising the potential capacity of the mixed recyclables which is impacting on the ability for customers to 12

17 recycle and recyclable material is unnecessarily taking up landfill space. A further 31% of the waste is also potentially compostable. Sewage Treatment Residuals The sludge from Central Otago wastewater treatment plants is taken to AB Lime s landfill in Southland. Alternative options for the treatment and disposal of sludge are currently being investigated as a means of dealing with the sludge. Currently Council is looking to join Queenstown Lakes District Council in a vermicomposting trial that commenced at the Victoria Flats landfill in April The end product from the vermicomposting is a soil conditioner that could be applied to land being used to produce hay or silage. Vermicomposting also uses greenwaste and cardboard and could be expanded to process other organic wastes e.g. kitchen waste. Forecast of future demand Total waste is expected to increase due to population growth and, to a lesser extent, economic growth. While Central Otago is predominantly a rural area, as the population increases the associated demand for waste services increases and diversion services are required to limit the pressure on Victoria Flats landfill, the Council s transfer stations network and recycling processing facilities in Queenstown Lakes District. Capacity improvements to the Council s transfer station network and Queenstown waste handling facilities utilised by Central Otago s contractors will be required in the short term to accommodate this expected demand from both the districts unless waste diversion is improved. Irrespective of improvements to diversion there will not only be impacts from population and visitor growth on the demand for Council s waste services, but also on commercial providers such as Wastebusters, who will also face increased demand pressures from this growth. This increase in demand may provide opportunities for external service providers, but also may result in capacity issues, and if necessary, require consents for an expanded operation or moving to new premises. There is the potential for increased diversion activities at Council s transfer stations through resale areas, consideration of wider recovery options e.g. cleanfill, construction and demolition wastes, improved greenwaste handling, e-waste and hazardous waste. Population projections Population changes will have an impact on the demand for waste services in the district. In forecasting demand, Council s assessment is based on Rationale s growth projections using a modified growth scenario based on Statistics New Zealand scenarios that is considered to be more accurate at the localised areas compared to the medium growth series shown in Figure 10 below. The usually resident population in 2018 is estimated at 18,500 growing to 21,600 in 2028 and 23,018 by This population increase is likely to result in an increase in the total number of dwellings from 10,682 (estimated in 2018), rising to 11,912 in 2028 and 13,090 in This will result in more households requiring servicing. 13

18 Figure 10 Resident population growth scenarios Meeting customer needs Council undertakes an annual residents opinion survey to measure its performance with respect to the services it provides during the year; to identify issues for the coming and year and to identify priorities for the coming year. The results of the 2016 survey were published in August 2016 (Table 2). Table 2 Waste services results from resident s survey Waste Services Refuse collection Kerbside recycling Transfer stations Recycling depots Litter bins Waste Minimisation Education Respondents that used the service 79% 76% 62% 55% 52% 8% Respondents satisfied with service 80% 80% 87% 89% 81% 92% Respondents dissatisfied with service 20% 20% 13% 11% 19% 8% In general there is a high level of satisfaction with the current waste services. However, it is also noted that: Overall, respondents wanted more waste services or more funding for waste services. 67 comments were received on waste minimisation and management with people wanting their red bin collected weekly and yellow bin (mixed recyclables) collected fortnightly. 93 of the 337 responses to the question how could the Council improve its levels of service? related to waste with the majority suggesting more frequent refuse and mixed recyclables collection, and most suggesting weekly refuse collections (especially over summer), and fortnightly yellow bin collections. 14

19 Identified waste issues Having reviewed progress against the previous WMMP Action Plan and considering waste quantities and emerging events since the last WMMP, Council has identified the following issues that need to be addressed in the next WWMP. They are: Amount of kerbside refuse being disposed to landfill is increasing Following a decrease in the amount of refuse disposed to landfill with the introduction of the kerbside recycling collection service in 2015, the amount of waste is again increasing. There is the potential for further reduction, reuse, recovery and recycling of waste. Capacity of wheelie bins and frequency of services The most recent residents opinion survey completed by Council indicates that some residents are concerned about the capacity of the wheelie bins provided and the frequency of kerbside refuse and recycling collection services. The wheelie bin collection services commenced for refuse and recycling in 2014 and 2015 respectively. The capacity of the mixed recycling bin (240L) does not match the demand for the service which is four weekly. Council offers the option of additional wheelie bins as part of the service. Fees and charges Council is concerned about the equity of the charging regime for waste in the District, e.g. who pays for what and how they pay for waste services and facilities (general rate, targeted rate, user charges, levy funds, grants). Meeting differing waste collection needs of rural and urban households and businesses Council offers a number of domestic kerbside and drop off collection services for refuse and recyclables. Council currently provides recycling drop off facilities in ten locations across the District. There is a need to assess whether these facilities are in the right place and whether the level of service provided is appropriate for the different areas serviced. Kerbside collections are provided to all urban areas with some arterial routes between also being serviced but there is no clear rationale for why particular arterial routes are services while others are not. There needs to be consideration of extending the kerbside collection routes as it is not clear how the current collection routes were determined. In assessing any extension of the collection area consideration needs to be given to: Whether rural residents support the need for kerbside services the current contracts terms and conditions a variation would be required or need to be incorporated into new contracts the cost of any variations (dictated by the extent of capacity in the current fleet and length of contract term remaining). In addition to Council s waste services contractor, there are also other private operators who provide services predominantly to businesses but also to some domestic customers (Council s waste services contractor also provides private collection services). Biosolids disposal Alternative means of dealing with sewage sludge are needed. The sludge from Central Otago wastewater treatment plants is taken to AB Lime s landfill in Southland. Alternative options for the treatment and disposal of sludge are currently being investigated, including being part of a vermicomposting trial with Queenstown Lakes District Council at the Victoria Flats Landfill. Hazardous waste Disposal facilities for hazardous waste are not currently available in the District. 15

20 Construction and demolition waste The high volume and increasing proportion of construction and demolition waste going to landfill. Central Otago District is currently experiencing a construction boom as a result of growth in Queenstown Lakes District now flowing over into Central Otago District. Public place waste management Council s approach to waste management in public places (such as town centres) at community centres and at public events is inconsistent. A further description of these issues and a high level assessment of options for dealing with them are included in Part 3 of this Waste Assessment. We also note that there will be increased landfill disposal costs due to the phasing out of the one-for-two transitional measure of the Emissions Trading Scheme which commenced on 1 January

21 Part 2 Where do we want to be? Vision, goals and objectives and targets Working together, Council and the community can achieve more effective and efficient waste management and minimisation in the District. Council is proposing the following vision, goals, objectives and targets. Taken together these form the strategy for Council s WMMP. Vision for the future Our vision for the future is: Towards zero waste and a sustainable Central Otago Goals The goals that we will use are those from the New Zealand Waste Strategy: Improving the efficiency of resource use Reducing harmful effects of waste Our objectives Our objectives to meet our vision are: Table 3 Objectives Goals Goal 1: Improving the efficiency of resource use Goal 2: Reducing the harmful effects of waste Objectives: 1. Provide opportunities to minimise waste through reduction, reuse, recycling and recovery (in priority order) 2. Educate producers and consumers about options and responsibilities 3. Avoid or mitigate any adverse effects on public health or the environment 4. Provide cost-effective and safe waste services Our targets We have a number of targets for measuring our progress towards our future vision of zero waste as well as community outcomes of a sustainable environment and safe and healthy community. Table 4 Targets How we measure success Total quantity of waste to landfill* Total amount recycled Percentage of residents that are satisfied with the execution of the waste management and minimisation services Our targets Incremental year on year reduction from 9,700 tonnes per year Waste to landfill remains below 8,000 tonnes per year in 2028 Incremental year on year increase in tonnes per year from 2,000 tonnes per year Diversion form landfill increases from 2,000 tonnes per year to 5,000 tonnes per year by 2028 To improve customer satisfaction with Council s waste management and minimisation services to 90% (as measured by the annual residents opinion survey) * Does not include biosolids 17

22 Part 3 How are we going to get there? Guiding principles In developing options, Council will be guided by the following principles: facilitate and encourage resource stewardship and opportunities to reduce consumption (use less stuff) and increase environmental sustainability in our communities advocate for produce stewardship and environmental sustainability to the government, private sector and community collect meaningful data to inform policies and priorities and to meet regulatory requirements facilitate and encourage reuse of resources facilitate and encourage greater participation in local recycling opportunities facilitate and encourage greater participation in local recovery opportunities for organic material provide waste and diverted material services and infrastructure that balance convenience with waste minimisation objectives ensure appropriate management of hazardous waste provide a cost effective equitable service for customers using price as a tool to support changes to behaviour to maximise recycling and minimise waste to landfill manage closed landfills and transfer stations to ensure full compliance with consents and minimise harm Options for meeting future demand (Statement of Proposals) In looking at options for meeting future demand the Council will continue with its current waste minimisation actions (i.e. the status quo) including the continued support and provision of educational programmes such as Enviroschools, the Sustainable Living Programme, Love Food Hate Waste initiative and MAD4CO. Council will also continue to support existing waste minimisation and resource efficiency initiatives, advocate to government for change, maintain the existing transfer station and drop off facilities and collaborate with other councils to promote waste management and minimisation. Council will continue to facilitate waste minimisation education and learning for sustainability through a collaborate approach between Central Otago Rural Education Activities Programme. For a full list of existing and new actions being put forward, refer to the WMMP Action Plan. Focus on reduction With a relatively small population base, the cost per household to provide some of the desirable waste services can be expensive. The extension or provision of new services would need to align with consideration of the cost of providing these services, who pays and how they are paid for. This would then need to be weighed up against the convenience to residents and the associated greater participation in waste diversion. Historically, the Council s focus has been on a reduction approach to waste management and minimisation. This approach requires a commitment to education of the residential and business community to make better decisions on product selection based on packaging and waste, and to minimise the amount of waste to be disposed of to landfill. This is in line with the Council s aim of incremental year on year reductions in the quantity of waste going to landfill. Although this is a low cost option, the inconvenience experienced by the community has resulted in some community dissatisfaction with Council s services and facilities. 18

23 Recycling options In responding to feedback on the current recycling collection service not meeting customer demand, Council looked at a range of alternative recycling options that would better meet the needs of its customers. Table 5 Options considered for recycling collection services Option Red bin Yellow bin Blue bin (household waste) (mixed recycling) (glass bottles and jars) Status quo Fortnightly Four weekly Four weekly collection Alternative 1 Fortnightly Fortnightly Six weekly collection Alternative 2 (preferred option) Fortnightly Fortnightly Eight weekly collection Alternative 3 Fortnightly Fortnightly Ten weekly collection Alternative 4 Fortnightly Fortnightly Twelve weekly collection Council has considered all the options and the costs associated with each option. Alternative 2 is the preferred option to respond to customer needs without significant cost increases for residents. 19

24 Summary of options for district issues Table 6 below expands on the district-specific issues listed in Part 1 and presents options that Council could introduce to address those issues. The options cover education, regulation and service provision options and are assessed for alignment with the vision, goals and objectives, costs and ease of implementation. Table 6 Summary of options for district specific issues Issue Description Approach Options Aligns with vision, goals and objectives Cost Ease of Implementation Commentary Increasing percentage of kerbside refuse is being disposed to landfill (Issue # 1.) 15% increase in waste to landfill from 2014/15 to 2015/16. Approximately 30% of the district s waste could have been recycled and 30% made into compost. Educate a) Provide information to customers on how to responsibly dispose of organic and recyclable waste, including obtaining additional bins from Council and using private waste collection services Medium Low Relatively simple Education and information sharing is an on-going approach that the Council uses, particularly in conjunction with any new initiatives or changes to the way a service is to be provided. Because the Council s recycling collection service is relatively new reinforcement messages are needed on how to use the service. Provision of educational material at appropriate locations (including supermarkets, council offices/facilities, website, at local events, with rates information etc.) is a low-cost option to inform and educate the community on positive waste minimisation behaviours. Council presence at public events should be continued. Positive messaging and taking a more marketing approach to communication of the WMMP goals and making it real to people living and working in the District are important. Use apps and social media to promote correct recycling presentation and encourage waste diversion behaviours (e.g. Love Food Hate Waste). Regulate b) Restrict/ban specific types of waste in kerbside refuse wheelie bins Medium High Complex and lengthy timeframe to get from inception to implementation While simple in theory, this option will have compliance costs that may end up unnecessarily consuming time and resource. This is because the source of the non-compliance will be difficult to determine with the certainty required to enable infringement notices/fines to be issued. Private collectors and Council already have a ban on liquids, hot ashes, hazardous wastes and medical waste (and sharps in Council bins). Formalising this and ensuring compliance for both private collectors and Council would be complex. There will be high costs associated with the drafting of the appropriate policy/bylaw, consultation, hearings and socialisation of such a ban. c) Reduce charges for greenwaste disposal at transfer stations, or provide them for free, while providing education to customers on disposal options High Medium Relatively simple Council currently recovers more than the cost needed to process greenwaste at transfer stations and could reduce disposal charges to only cover the actual costs or provide the service for free to encourage increased greenwaste disposal Service d) Provide separate organic waste bin and collection service (where cost-effective) High High Relatively complex Longer duration from inception to implementation Organic waste in kerbside collections consists of both food waste and greenwaste. In order that organic waste materials may be recovered there is a necessity to have both consented processing facilities (particularly stringent where food waste is processed) as well as markets for the products produced. Council currently provides for the disposal of greenwaste through its transfer station network. At these facilities the greenwaste is shredded or processed into compost which is then suitable as a cover material for the District s closed landfills as well as use on parks and reserves. While organics are a significant component of the divertible material going to landfill, the cost of implementing a further bin for urban areas, including businesses would be significantly high, and while it would contribute to the goals and objectives of the Council as they relate to waste, the cost of such a service may be higher than the urban and business ratepayers are willing to accept. e) Develop organic waste processing facility with Queenstown Lakes District Council High Medium Relatively complex During the next WMMP term Queenstown Lakes District (QLDC) are focusing on the recovery of organics waste, initially with biosolids recovery options. Following a current processing trial QLDC may consider the development of an organic processing facility that has the ability to recover other organic wastes e.g. food waste. Central Otago District may consider working with QLDC to develop this as a joint facility thus providing an option for the organic waste kerbside collection in the future if cost-effective. 20

25 Issue Description Approach Options Aligns with vision, goals and objectives Cost Ease of Implementation Commentary Capacity of wheelie bins and frequency of collection services (Issue # 2.) The frequency of collection services is an issue for some residents. Twenty percent of those surveyed indicated dissatisfaction with the kerbside collection services. Capacity of wheelie bins and the frequency of collection are intrinsically linked. Some residents have a requirement for additional capacity at times while others believe that the frequency of collection means that there may be an odour issue. Educate Regulate a) Provide information to customers on how to responsibly dispose of refuse and recyclables over the Council supplied bin capacity, including using private waste collection services b) Restrict/ban specific types of waste in kerbside refuse wheelie bins. Service c) Provide additional bins and/or increase the frequency that the collection services occur Medium Low Relatively simple Education and information sharing is an on-going approach that the Council uses. Medium High Complex and lengthy timeframe to get from inception to implementation. Promotion of the option of paying for an additional bin should be included for those seeking greater receptacle capacity. Provision of educational material at appropriate locations (including supermarkets, Council offices/facilities, website, at local events, with rates information etc.) is a low-cost option to inform and educate the community on positive waste minimisation behaviours and alternative collection service options. While simple in theory, this option requires the development of a bylaw and requires compliance costs that may end up unnecessarily consuming time and resource. This is because the source of the noncompliance will be difficult to determine with the certainty required to enable infringement notices/fines to be issued. Bans have been introduced by some councils to encourage residents to separate their recycling from refuse. Formalising this and ensuring compliance for both private collectors and Council would be complex. There will be high costs associated with the drafting of the appropriate policy/bylaw, consultation, hearings and socialisation of such a ban. High High Relatively complex In planning kerbside collection services the frequency of collection and capacity of wheelie bins are taken into account. Nationally there are industry standards for both frequency and capacity of services. The most common frequencies being weekly for refuse collection and fortnightly for recycling (either collection of mixed recyclables and glass on alternate weeks or both on a fortnightly basis). With the standard capacity for refuse collection being between 60L and 120L per week and recycling collection 240L - 300L per fortnight (usually 240L mixed recycling bin and 60L glass crate). In comparison Central Otago District provides its residents with 120L per week for refuse (at the high end of the national capacity) and 480L per four weeks for recycling (which is equivalent to the national capacity average). An assessment of the waste generated in the district is similar to other districts in the country. In addition to the Council services (that include arrangements for additional bins) the Council s contractor also provides user charges services for those requiring additional capacity. These additional wheelie bins are collected concurrently with the Council bins. There are also a number of transfer stations and drop-off recycling facilities available throughout the district that accept both refuse and recycling. If the Council were to increase the frequency of services this would require variations to the current contracts and potentially trigger the requirement for additional trucks to provide the services. The current contracts expire for recycling in 2023 with two rights of renewal until 2025 and for refuse in 2022 with two rights of renewal until It may be the appropriate for the Council to consider changes to the levels of service as part of the contract renewals. The provision of more bins will be cumbersome to store and manage and may not encourage positive waste disposal behaviour. d) Provide a fortnightly household and mixed recyclables collection services (on alternative weeks) and an 8 weekly glass collection service High Mediumhigh Relatively simple once consulted on This option would result in recyclable bin collection services that would be more aligned with customer demands. Size of bins would need to be considered as part of this option to maximise the opportunity and meet demand. This would come at an additional cost of $196,500 per annum. There would be an opportunity to negotiate changes to contracts that would align with a change in collection services. Consultation will be required to change the level of service for recyclables for yellow and blue bins. This can be done through consultation on the draft WMMP or the Long Term Plan. 21

26 Issue Description Approach Options Aligns with vision, goals and objectives Cost Ease of Implementation Commentary Fees and charges for waste services (Issue # 3.) Who pays for what and how should they pay? Council is concerned about the equity of charges and the funding mechanism used Inform a) Inform residents about the application of fees and charges for waste. High Low Simple There are a number of funding mechanisms available to Council to pay for waste services. These funding mechanisms include: general rate, targeted rate, user charges, and waste minimisation fund levy. Council uses a combination of these to pay for the services that it delivers. The choice of funding mechanism is related to who benefits from the service and is also related to incentivising residents behaviour to reduce waste disposal. An example of general rate use is to pay for litterbin servicing which is a public good. Lower cost application is used to incentivise residents to recycle more because if the cost is too high the service will not be used. Charging for recycling at the transfer stations is therefore less than if refuse is being disposed. Targeted rates are applied to the kerbside collection services therefore only those receiving the service have to pay. Targeted rate for kerbside recycling collection is lower than refuse collection. Some councils in New Zealand provide rate funded kerbside recycling collection with user charges refuse collection (either in a bag or per bin lift i.e. pay as you throw). Regulate b) Set fees and charges that incentivise waste to landfill reduction, generator pays, support improved resource recovery and reduce harmful effects High Low Simple Review funding policy for waste services. Further options could include: - No change continue to increase the unit cost of refuse disposal to cover the fixed costs of running the facilities and all the costs of providing waste minimisation across the District. - Provide for some funding of waste minimisation activity from the users of drop off recycling services (currently free). This would involve charging people at the drop-off facilities.. Charging at drop off facilities is not preferred as this may not provide an incentive to recycle as much as possible. The exception is commercial businesses that should be charged the cost of providing the recycling service. The kerbside recycling collection is paid for through a targeted rate. - Shift more costs to be funded as a general rate (for example the fixed cost component) to mitigate unit cost increases for refuse disposal. c) Set fees and charges that are within market rates and cover the cost of service, are fair and reasonable and transparent, and support behaviour change Low Medium Relatively simple Review fees and charges for waste services to ensure that they are within market rates, cover Council costs, and are set at a level to encourage a change in behaviour to maximise recycling and minimise waste to landfill. A review of fees and charges should be done in conjunction with any decision to increase the collection area and changes in the regularity of collection services to fully understand the costs and where there may be opportunities to combine with other activities to result in additional diversion of waste from the landfill. 22

27 Issue Description Approach Options Aligns with vision, goals and objectives Cost Ease of Implementation Commentary Meeting differing needs of rural and urban households and businesses. What areas are serviced? (Issue # 4.) There is increasing demand for provision of refuse and recycling services to a greater proportion of the district s households, particularly in rural areas. Similarly, businesses have different needs to residents. Kerbside collections are provided by Council to all urban areas with some arterial routes between also being serviced. Can the kerbside collection services be extended to additional routes? Council currently provides recycling drop off facilities in ten locations across the District. There is a question as to whether these facilities are in the right place, and if the level of service provided is appropriate for the different areas serviced. It is unclear how the current collection routes were determined as to what areas get serviced and what areas don t Service a) Develop a policy for areas beyond those serviced by Council s collection service to enable decisions to extend the collection route to other non-serviced areas to be assessed b) Complete a review of existing collection areas and extend coverage of kerbside refuse and recycling collection service to rural areas where practical and cost effective c) Provide additional and/or enhanced recycling drop off facilities e.g. additional facilities where community has expressed a demand e.g. St Bathans, Waipiata and Millers Flat, where cost effective d) Expand Council service to include commercial level of service for businesses High High Relatively complex Determine those areas that could potentially be added to Council s collection area and understand the impacts on collection contracts. Undertake a costs and benefits analysis of potentially extending collection area, and identifying different options and criteria to assess new areas against. Council can then develop an informed policy and decision making framework to enable efficient processes to enable additional areas to be assessed and where appropriate, incorporated into the collection area. High High Relatively simple A full assessment of the cost and take-up of service by rural residents and those on and adjacent to arterial routes needs to be undertaken before exploring this option in more detail. Through a customer survey, rural residents could be given the opportunity to indicate whether kerbside services would align with their waste management needs. High Medium Relatively complex Requires suitable sites, consents and contracts to service sites A full assessment of the cost and take-up of service by rural residents and those on and adjacent to arterial routes needs to be undertaken before exploring this option in more detail. The capacity of the Council Contractor s current fleet is limited. Additional plant is very costly to buy. A variation to the current contracts initiated by Council may be cost prohibitive. The existing contracts are not due for renewal until 2022 and Provision of rural recycling drop off points is theoretically easy, subject to Council having the right land in the right location to accept such a land use without impacting on its neighbours and subject to meeting the challenge of unmanned drop off points. If Council does not own land in the right location, it will need to either acquire or lease land and most likely would need a land use consent for that purpose. If Council entered into an agreement with a land owner with property in the right place, the opportunity can be maximised. E.g. collection points at entry/exit points of small townships, at service stations, outside schools in locations that will encourage broad use of the facilities (households, business, farms, and tourists). The servicing of the existing recycling drop off facilities and provision of some of the infrastructure are under a supply agreement with Council. This agreement is due to expire in 2018 with two further rights of renewal until 2023 dependent on the performance of the contractor and at the Council s discretion. Any variation to the existing supplier agreement would need to be negotiated on satisfactory terms to both parties. Medium Medium Relatively complex Council provides a domestic kerbside collection service to businesses inside their services area. Business needs vary when it comes to solid waste, organics and recycling. Consultation with the business community would be required to understand those differing needs and identify appropriate options in response. Commercial collections are adequately provided by the private sector. Biosolids disposal (Issue # 5.) The current means of landfill disposal for biosolids does not meet Council s waste minimisation objective of reducing waste to landfill. Service a) Investigate treatment options for biosolids from wastewater treatment facilities High Medium Relatively complex Council is currently investigating opportunities to be part of a trial with Queenstown Lakes District a trial for the treatment of biosolids with other organic waste and paper through a vermicomposting process. New processing facilities are generally complex and require environmental consents but if this option was viable, it will utilise a facility at the Victoria Flats Landfill which is already established to process biosolids. There is a need to implement enhancements to biosolids end-use e.g. cocomposting, solar drying, incineration, monofill, direct land application Hazardous waste disposal (Issue # 6.) Household and commercial hazardous waste is not being separated from landfilled waste. Hazardous waste is prohibited from wheelie bins and Transfer Educate a) Ensure that residents are aware that household hazardous waste is not accepted and provide details of facilities that do accept hazardous waste Low Low Simple There is a need to ensure that residents are aware why Council is unable to accept hazardous waste as part of its services or at its facilities as part of the education initiatives and inform them of alternatives. Note that currently the closest facilities for the treatment of commercial quantities of hazardous waste are in Dunedin. If Council were to provide a hazmobile service this is also an opportunity to inform and educate the community about safe hazardous waste storage and disposal and alternative options for disposal other than through the hazmobile service. 23