ASHBURTON DISTRICT COUNCIL WASTE MANAGEMENT AND WASTE MINIMISATION PLAN 2011

Transcription

1 Ashburton District Council Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2011 ASHBURTON DISTRICT COUNCIL WASTE MANAGEMENT AND WASTE MINIMISATION PLAN 2011 EDUCATION CENTRE AT THE ASHBURTON RESOURCE RECOVERY PARK 15 December 2011 i

2 Ashburton District Council Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2011 Contents Part A Strategy... 1 Executive summary Introduction Purpose of the plan Scope of plan Current status of plan When the plan will be reviewed Vision, goals, objectives and targets Vision for the future Goals, objectives and targets Council's intended role Public health protection Consultation Policies, plans and regulation Legislation Other Considerations The Waste Problem Summary of the volume and/or composition of waste or diverted materials Overview of existing waste management and minimisation infrastructure and services Assessment of Future Demand Summary of District Specific Issues Proposed Methods for Achieving Effective and Efficient Waste Management and Minimisation Summary of key waste and diverted material streams and how they are currently managed Options for the future Funding the Plan How the implementation of the Plan is to be funded Waste Minimisation Levy Funding Expenditure Grants Monitoring and Reporting Progress Monitoring Reporting December 2011 i

3 Ashburton District Council Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2011 Part B Action Plan B.1 Data Collection and Education B.2 Refuse Collection B.3 Recycling and Recovery B.4 Treatment and Disposal Part C Appendices December 2011 ii

4 Ashburton District Council Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2011 Part A Strategy Executive summary The draft Waste Management and Minimisation Plan (WMMP) 2011 is the strategic direction that Ashburton District Council proposes to follow to promote the efficient and effective waste management and minimisation in its District over the next six years. The proposed Plan encompasses Council s vision, goals, objectives, and specific strategies to promote waste minimisation and reduce residual waste to landfill, so as to protect the environment from harm, and to provide environmental, social, economic and cultural benefits as required by the Waste Minimisation Act (WMA) The vision and goals of the Plan are consistent, and give effect to the current 2010 New Zealand Waste Strategy (NZWS) goals of: reducing the harmful effects of waste; and improving the efficiency of resource use. The purpose of this WMMP is to: capture the Council s vision and long term goals of managing and minimising waste in the District; set strategies, objectives, policies and activities/methods to achieve these goals; provide information on how the Council is intending to fund the activities of the WMMP over the next six years; and help to meet all legal requirements of councils in respect of waste management. As part of the preparation of the WMMP, a Waste Assessment was undertaken and this identified the following District issues with respect to waste management and minimisation: there is limited waste data on waste composition making it difficult to identify waste streams to target for further diversion Disposal of Construction & Demolition (C&D) waste and cleanfill is not reliably quantified and requires a suitable site for the temporary storage and processing of material prior to disposal. The Ashburton Resource Recovery Park (RRP) has operational, maintenance and storage issues that need to be addressed. There is still significant non-compliant materials being disposed of in refuse and recycling receptacles. A review of the existing 45 litre recycling crate capacity should be undertaken to determine if a larger crate/bin would be more effective in diverting more recyclable /reuse materials. Educating and enthusing the public regarding the importance of separating recyclable and reusable materials from refuse to reduce contamination of the different waste streams. Management of organic and putrescibles in urban communities. 15 December

5 Ashburton District Council Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2011 Uncertainty over government climate change policies, carbon prices and the continual changes in the emission trading scheme. A list of specific actions have been identified in the Action Plan to address the above issues. It reflects Council s commitment to waste management and minimisation to not only meet legislative requirements but to respond to the community s demand for services and infrastructure. At the same time, in doing so, protecting the environment from harm and to improve use of resource efficiency. Council will undertake the specific actions identified subject to: Affordability to the community Cost effectiveness Council approval Council Annual Plan/Long Term Plan process Community Consultation to manage waste generation, plan for future population growth and to introduce initiatives to encourage waste minimisation. 15 December

6 Ashburton District Council Waste Management and Minimisation Plan Introduction 1.1 Purpose of the plan Ashburton District Council (Council) has a legal obligation under the Waste Minimisation Act 2008 (WMA) to promote efficient and effective waste management and minimisation within its district. Under Section 50 of the WMA, Council is required to review its Waste Management and Minimisation Plan (WMMP) before July The existing Waste Management Plan (WMP) prepared in 1999 has been reviewed and was determined that it would not meet the requirements of the WMA. A waste assessment of the current situation has also been undertaken to assess the existing waste situation in the Ashburton District and to estimate the future waste generation in the District. Consequently, this new draft WMMP has been produced to address the requirements of the WMA. The purpose of this WMMP is to: capture the Council s vision and long term goals of managing and minimising waste in the District; set strategies, objectives, policies and activities to achieve these goals; provide information on how the Council intends to fund the activities of the WMMP over the next six years; and help to meet all legal requirements of Council in respect of waste management. 1.2 Scope of plan The Plan sets out how Council will promote efficient and effective waste management and minimisation in the District by considering the waste and diverted materials in the order of priority (waste hierarchy) under the WMA: Reduction Reuse Recycling Recovering Treatment Disposal The Plan covers solid and hazardous waste. It excludes liquid wastes conveyed via the Council s sewage system, and biosolids from the wastewater treatment process, which are addressed under the Council s wastewater activity management plan. Trade wastes are covered by Council s Trade Waste By-law and are not addressed under this Plan. Liquid hazardous waste and gaseous wastes are also excluded. It is intended that the Plan will cover the waste management and minimisation activity in the District for the next six years until the Plan is reviewed as required under the WMA. 15 December

7 Ashburton District Council Waste Management and Minimisation Plan Current status of plan The Ashburton District Council first adopted a Waste Management Plan in The plan was reconfirmed by Council in The Plan was reviewed in August this year and it was determined that it did not meet the current legislative requirements of the WMA. As such, this version of the WMMP has been prepared in accordance with the WMA for public consultation. After public consultation, Council will finalise and adopt the Plan and it is intended for it to be operative for six years (2012 to 2018). 1.4 When the plan will be reviewed Under Section 50 of the WMA, Council is required to review the WMMP at intervals of not more than 6 years after the last review. A waste assessment must be completed before the WMMP is reviewed. This next review will therefore have to be carried out before July December

8 Ashburton District Council Waste Management and Minimisation Plan Vision, goals, objectives and targets 2.1 Vision for the future Council s vision for the future is working towards Zero Waste. by providing and maintaining solid waste and recycling facilities and services, these will contribute to community outcomes of: a thriving and diverse local economy sustainable natural and built environments an enjoyable place to live a safe and healthy community. These will in turn assist Council in reaching their overall vision for the District, which is Ashburton: District of Choice for Lifestyle and Opportunity. 2.2 Goals, objectives and targets Goals The main goals of the Plan are to develop the most cost effective range of waste management services possible with the aim of ensuring sustainable management, conservation of resources and protection of the environment and public health. This corresponds well with the core goals of the New Zealand Waste Strategy (NZWS) and the WMA, which are: to lower the costs and risks of waste to society; to reduce environmental damage and harm caused by waste generation and disposal; and to increase economic benefit by using material resources more efficiently Objectives The objectives of the WMMP are to: work towards zero waste in both urban and rural communities; ensure suitable and cost effective collection and disposal systems exist which minimise the risks to the environment and community; achieve responsible and informed decisions on solid waste management by the community Targets The current NZWS no longer has targets as many of the zero waste targets of the previous 2002 NZWS had been unable to be measured or very difficult to achieve. Ashburton District is working to collect better waste data to assist in targeting waste minimisation initiatives. Council s target for the Plan is to focus on the above goals and objectives while working towards zero waste. 15 December

9 Ashburton District Council Waste Management and Minimisation Plan Council's intended role Collection and recycling To provide effective and efficient collection and handling of recyclable materials and residual waste and meet forecast demands. Council will continue to provide collection services for refuse and recyclable resources, operate resource recovery parks, drop-off facilities and resource recovery parks. Private organisations and/or community groups are currently contracted to Council to provide these services, and are monitored by Council. Council is continuing to provide these services by these means Disposal Council does not operate any landfills in the District. Residual Waste is currently disposed by Council at the Canterbury Regional Landfill at Kate Valley in Hurunui District. ADC is in a joint venture partner arrangement in the Kate Valley Landfill with 4 other councils (total 50% of the shares) and Canterbury Waste Services Ltd (50% shares). Council intends to meet forecast demands for waste disposal by continuing to dispose of residual waste to the Canterbury Regional Landfill at Kate Valley. Waste minimisation measures will be put in place to reduce residual waste disposal to landfill working towards Council s ultimate aspirational goal of zero waste. 2.4 Public health protection The wide range of waste services provided by the private sector and Council will ensure that the public health is adequately protected in the future. Although there are no operating landfills in the Ashburton District, Council has long term arrangements for disposal of residual waste at the Kate Valley Landfill. There is also adequate access to private hazardous waste disposal services in the region using ChemWaste Industries, where the nearest branch office is in Christchurch. Council has a Domestic Hazardous Waste Drop Off Facility at the Ashburton Resource Recovery Park for domestic quantities of Hazardous Waste. The proposals in this Plan are considered to be adequate to continue protecting the health of the District s residents. The Medical Officer of Health was consulted during the development of the waste assessment and the WMMP, in accordance with Section 51, Clause 5 of the WMA. 2.5 Consultation Under the WMA, Council is required to consult with businesses, community and the iwi using the special consultative procedure set out in the Local Government Act, This will enable informed decisions to be made and to achieve the Council s vision and goals for the District. 15 December

10 Ashburton District Council Waste Management and Minimisation Plan Policies, plans and regulation There are many policy and legislative documents that Council will require to consider and that impact on the waste assessment and review of the WMMP. This section summarises the key legislation and policy documents that have been considered. 3.1 Legislation Waste Minimisation Act 2008 The primary purpose of this Act is to encourage waste minimisation and reduce the amount of residual waste disposal so as to protect the environment from harm, and to provide environmental, social, economic and cultural benefits. It focuses the efforts higher up in the waste hierarchy in terms of reducing and reusing waste earlier in the product life cycle and to move away from treatment and disposal. The key aspects of the WMA include: requiring Council to have the responsibility to promote effective and efficient waste management and minimisation within its district ; imposing a waste levy on all residual waste disposed to landfill to generate funds to assist local government, businesses and communities to promote and develop initiatives for waste minimisation; providing mechanisms for accrediting and monitoring product stewardship schemes to minimise waste from products. This assists in indentifying and reducing the environmental impact of the product s life cycle from concept, development, use to final disposal; requiring local government and waste management operators to report on waste types and quantities to provide better information and to enable better targeting of specific waste streams to reduce waste Local Government Act 2002 The Local Government Act 2002 does not have specific provisions for waste management but provides a legislative framework for Council to: undertake a special consultative procedure when preparing by-laws and WMMPs; carry out democratic local decision making by considering the costs and benefits of the different options in terms of the present and the future social, environmental, economic and cultural well-being of the District The Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) The RMA provides guidelines and regulations for the sustainable management of natural and physical resources. The Act addresses waste management and minimisation activity through controls on the environmental effects of waste management and minimisation activities and facilities through national, regional and local policy, standards, plans and consent procedures. 15 December

11 Ashburton District Council Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2011 Under section 31 of the RMA, Councils are responsible for controlling contaminant discharges to air, water and land. Local authorities are responsible for controlling the effects of land-use activities that have the potential to create adverse effects on the natural and physical resources of their district. Landfills, resource recovery parks, transfer stations and other waste management facilities have the potential to cause adverse effects. As such, the RMA provides significant influence over the waste facilities and services that may potentially impact the environment Climate Change (Emissions Trading) Amendment Act 2008 The New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) is being reviewed by Central Government in Details of any amendments will need to be obtained from the Government to determine its impact on the ETS. The ETS require landfill owners to purchase emission trading units to cover the emissions generated from the landfill. The main impact of this is to increase the cost of disposing residual waste at landfills as these costs will be passed on to the waste generators. This may in turn encourage Councils, businesses and communities to find ways and means to minimise waste generation and divert materials to recycling or reuse Other Legislation Other legislation that Council needs to consider includes: The Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996 (the HSNO Act); The Health Act 1956; The Health and Safety in Employment Act Other Considerations Other relevant documents that relate to waste management in the Ashburton District and have been considered in the WMMP include the following below New Zealand Waste Strategy (NZWS) Section 44(c) of the WMA requires Council to have regard to the New Zealand Waste Strategy in preparing the WMMP. The NZWS has a vision to minimise waste and optimising waste management, with the ultimate goal of working towards zero waste. The reviewed and revised NZWS was released in October 2010 with the revised core goals of reducing the harmful effects of waste; improving the efficiency of resource use Proposed Canterbury Regional Policy Statement The original Canterbury Regional Policy Statement (CRPS) sets the framework for resource management in Canterbury under the RMA and was released in This document has been reviewed and the proposed new policy statement was drafted in 2010 and consulted upon in The CRPS is not yet operative. The waste minimisation and management section of the CRPS deals with the current issues of generation and disposal of waste in the Canterbury Region, and the inappropriate management of waste. It encourages minimising waste generation so as to reduce adverse impacts on the 15 December

12 Ashburton District Council Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2011 environment. It promotes the waste hierarchy principles, reducing waste at source, integrated management of waste in the region, and establishing community waste transfer facilities Council s Long Term Plan (LTP) Councils are required to produce Long Term Plans every three years. This Plan sets out what they intend to do in the next ten years, with the first three years in detail, and the following seven years based on the information currently available. The long term solid waste management plan is to protect the environment and community through the collection, recycling and disposal of solid waste contributes to achieving the following community outcomes: natural and developed environments are sustained for the enjoyment of current and future generations; healthy active people enjoy a good quality of life in a caring community Council By-laws Council s bylaw relating to solid waste was adopted in June 2008 as part of a larger bylaw document that covered a wide range of Council services. The purpose of the solid waste bylaw is to ensure that refuse is collected and disposed of in the interests of public health and safety, to ensure the minimal obstruction of streets and to provide for the efficient collection and recovery of recyclable waste. The bylaw has a policy which gives more concise information where required Other Documents Other documents that Council needs to consider include: The Packaging Accord Litter Act, 1979 section December

13 Ashburton District Council Waste Management and Minimisation Plan The Waste Problem This section summarises the waste generation, the waste management services provided and the waste issues in the Ashburton District. 4.1 Summary of the volume and/or composition of waste or diverted materials The Ashburton District has about 28,000 people (2006 census) and is expected to grow to 34,000 people by % of the population lives in the urban township of Ashburton while the remainder is distributed amongst smaller townships and rural areas. The total waste stream tonnage is shown in Figure 4.1. It can be seen that waste generation increased from 2004 to 2009, and then started decreasing in the last two years. The amount of waste diverted (green waste and recyclables) from the landfill has increased from 34% in 2004 to almost 41% in Residual waste for the Ashburton District is currently disposed at the Kate Valley Landfill in the Hurunui District Council jurisdiction. From 2004 to 2009, waste disposed to landfill had generally been trending upwards even though in the last two years, actual tonnages have started decreasing. As of 2010/11 year, the annual tonnage of residual waste is 8,061 tonnes. Figure 4.1 Annual waste (tonnes) 16,000 14,000 12,000 10,000 8,000 6,000 4,000 2,000 Green Waste Tonnes Recyclables Tonnes Residual Waste Tonnes 0 Source: Waste Assessment Report, Ashburton District Council, Tonkin & Taylor, 2011 The annual waste composition for the 2009/10 year is shown in Figure 4.2. It indicates that up to 44% of the waste generated is diverted to recycling, reuse or recovery. 15 December

14 Ashburton District Council Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2011 Figure Annual Waste Composition 1.4% 1.4% 0.0% 0.1% 0.3% Waste Composition Percentage Breakdown Residual waste 7.4% 6.8% Green waste Paper & Cardboard 13.7% Steel 56.2% Aluminium Other metals 12.6% Plastics Batteries Glass Reusable items Source: Waste Assessment Report, Ashburton District Council, Tonkin & Taylor, 2011 The following table gives a breakdown of the waste composition for the 2009/10 year. 2009/10 Tonnages Percentage Residual waste 8, % Green waste 1, % Paper & Cardboard 2, % Steel % Aluminium % Other metals % Plastics % Batteries % Glass 1, % Reusable items 1 1, % Total 14, % 1 Tonnes of reusable items prior to 2010/11 are calculated from sales. From October 2010 actual tonnage is recorded. 4.2 Overview of existing waste management and minimisation infrastructure and services Council has five closed landfills (Ashburton, Mayfield, Methven, Hinds and Rakaia) which are fully consented, monitored, maintained and reported on, in accordance with consent conditions. The Council operates two resource recovery parks located at Ashburton and Rakaia. 15 December

15 Ashburton District Council Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2011 Recycling drop off facilities is also provided in Hinds, Mayfield, Methven, Mt Somers, Willowby, Hakatere Huts, Rangitata Huts and Pendarves. Kerbside collection of refuse and recycling is contracted out and occurs at Ashburton, Methven, Hinds, Mount Somers and Mayfield. Collection (domestic refuse only and recycling) is extended to industrial and commercial properties. These collected materials are taken to the Ashburton Resource Recovery Park (RRP). At Rakaia, refuse, recyclable materials and green/household organic waste are collected at the kerbside by a Council contractor in separate plastic bags. All materials other than refuse are taken to the Rakaia Resource Recovery Park. The refuse collected including that dropped off at the Rakaia RRP is taken to the Ashburton RRP where it is consolidated with refuse from elsewhere in the District prior to transport to the Canterbury Regional Landfill at Kate Valley located in Hurunui District. Methven also has a facility for the drop-off of household items for recycling or reuse, and a separate greenwaste and inorganic resources drop-off facility. Reusable items are sold at the resource recovery parks, recyclable materials are sorted and processed as required for specific markets, greenwaste and household organic waste(rakaia only) is composted. The refuse collection contractor is incentivised to recover resources from residual waste by being paid monthly for tonnages recovered from the residual waste stream. Solid waste private contractors also operate in the District and generally use the Ashburton RRP for disposal. Council has contracted out education services in relation to solid waste management and minimisation. The education services provided comprise: Operating the education centre at the Ashburton Resource Recovery Park Working with schools Working with community groups Working with businesses Displays at shows or events Telephone helpline Press releases each month on waste issues. 4.3 Assessment of Future Demand Waste generation will increase with economic and population growth. With waste minimisation measures in place, it is possible to reduce the waste per capita produced, and coupled with the rising cost of waste disposal to landfills, the upward trend in waste generation may be able to be slowed down. Reduction in overall waste generation may require more drastic waste minimisation measures to be undertaken. Figure 4.3 shows an upward trending annual waste generation over the next five years. 15 December

16 Ashburton District Council Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2011 Figure 4.3 Historical and Projected Waste Generation 18,000 16,000 14,000 12,000 Total waste (Tonnes/year)2 10,000 8,000 6,000 4,000 Total annual solid waste volume disposed of to Kate Valley Source: Waste Assessment Report, Ashburton District Council, Tonkin & Taylor, Summary of District Specific Issues There are a number of issues and challenges in the District that will influence the future waste management and minimisation services. These include: Better data collection is required. There is currently no data regarding the composition of the residual waste taken to landfill to allow meaningful targets for further waste diversion to be set, and to enable measurement of performance against targets. No useful data is available for the recyclable resources collected at the Rakaia RRP. Disposal of Construction & Demolition (C&D) waste and cleanfill is not reliably quantified and requires a suitable site for the temporary storage and processing of material The Ashburton RRP has operational, maintenance and storage issues that need to be addressed. The site layout may also need to be reviewed and reconfigured to increase efficiencies, and health and safety. The current RRP site area will constrain future growth. There is still significant non-complying materials being disposed of in refuse and recycling receptacles. This increases sorting and residual waste costs as contaminated materials have to be disposed to landfill. A review of the existing 45 litre recycling crate capacity should be undertaken to determine if a larger crate would be more effective in diverting more recyclable /reuse materials. 15 December

17 Ashburton District Council Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2011 Educating and enthusing the public in the importance of separating recyclable and reusable resources from refuse to reduce contamination of the different waste streams and reduce waste to landfill Management of organic and putrescibles in urban communities. Uncertainty over government climate change policies, carbon prices and the continual changes in the emission trading scheme. 15 December

18 Ashburton District Council Waste Management and Minimisation Plan Proposed Methods for Achieving Effective and Efficient Waste Management and Minimisation 5.1 Summary of key waste and diverted material streams and how they are currently managed The Waste Assessment report (Tonkin & Taylor, 2011) identified the major waste streams in the Ashburton District. The management of the key waste and diverted material streams are summarised in the following table. Table 5.1 Current waste management and minimisation activities Waste Stream How they are currently managed Agricultural containers and chemicals Aluminium, steel, other metals, batteries, LPG cylinders Asbestos Car body recycling Cleanfill Clothing Commercial waste Construction and Demolition waste Domestic Recyclables Domestic Residual Waste Electronic Waste Processed at RRP s. Then on sold to scrap dealers or markets. Specialist asbestos disposal contractor ONLY. Not accepted at RRPs Disposal at the Ashburton RRP and Wreckers yards. Disposed of at various private cleanfill sites, the Ashburton RRP or Methven Inorganic drop off facility RRP s drop-off, second hand clothing stores. Kerbside collection of domestic quantities of refuse and recycling and drop off at RRP s. Drop-off at Ashburton RRP where it is sorted for reuse and disposal to landfill as residual waste (i.e. treated timber). Contractors will also store reusable materials on privately consented sites and will transport to commercial sites out of the district. Kerbside collection, RRP s and recycling drop off facilities. Recyclables are sorted and on sold to markets or scrap dealers. Kerbside collection of refuse bags. RRP s dropoff, commercial collection operators Ashburton RRP drop off. 15 December

19 Ashburton District Council Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2011 Glass Kerbside collection, RRP s drop-off and recycling drop off facilities Glass is sorted and on sold to markets. Green Waste Hazardous waste Household Organic Waste Litter and fly tipping Oil, Solvents Paint Paper & Cardboard Plastics Reuseable Items Tyres Whiteware RRP s drop off, Methven Greenwaste drop off facility, Kerbside collection at Rakaia only. Composting carried out at RRP s. Ashburton RRP drop off only. Collected by ChemWaste for disposal. Kerbside collection in Rakaia only. Material is composted at Rakaia RRP Council litter bin servicing and removal of illegally dumped waste. Ashburton RRP drop-off. Ashburton RRP drop-off. Resene Paintwise programme. Kerbside collection, RRP s drop off or recycling drop-off facilities Product is baled and on sold to markets Kerbside collection, RRP s drop off or recycling drop-off facilities. Product is baled and on sold to markets. RRP s drop-off, Methven drop off facility, second hand stores. RRP s drop-off. Ashburton RRP drop-off, second hand stores. 5.2 Options for the future Council is proposing a number of options to improve the waste management and minimisation activities in the District, as a result of stakeholder meetings and the waste assessment undertaken. The following options are reproduced directly from Table 5 of the Waste Assessment report (Tonkin & Taylor, 2011). These options were assessed using the following considerations: the benefits and costs of an option in relation to the present and future social, economic, environmental and cultural well-being of the district; 15 December

20 Ashburton District Council Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2011 the effects of using waste levy funds for waste minimisation on any existing waste minimisation services, facilities or activities, either provided by the council or by others; operational considerations; how it contributes to the WMA, NZWS and Council s goals of waste management and minimisation; Council s role in implementing the option. 15 December

21 Ashburton District Council Waste Management and Minimisation Plan Funding the Plan Funding support for the implementation of a WMMP is critical to its success. Section 43 of the WMA requires that a council include information in the WMMP about how implementation of the plan will be funded, along with information on any grants made and expenditure of levy funds. This is important to ensure the council allocates the resources necessary to implement the actions of the plan. 6.1 How the implementation of the Plan is to be funded Funding considerations take into account a number factors including: prioritising harmful wastes; minimising and reducing the amount of residual waste to landfill; user pays - polluter pays the full price; the environmental effects of production, distribution, consumption and disposal of goods and services should be consistently costed, and charged as closely as possible to the point they occur to ensure that price incentives cover all costs; protection of public health; it should be affordable; and be cost effective. Ashburton District Council has several funding options to assist in the implementation of the Plan to achieve effective and efficient minimisation and management of waste in the District. These include the following options: General Council funding from revenue received by ADC; Uniform Annual Charge a charge that is paid by all ratepayers; User pays the polluter pays the full cost; Targeted rates a charge according to the property and not the service provided; Waste levy - This is collected under the WMA and is partially refunded to Council based on the Ashburton District population numbers as a proportion of the total population of New Zealand. These funds must be used for waste minimisation activities and initiatives under Section 32 of the WMA. Waste levy funds also include any funds received from a successful application to the Waste Minimisation Fund. Details of the project costs and funding for the Plan will be made available in the Action Plan of the WMWP, and the Council s Annual Plan and Long Term Plan. 6.2 Waste Minimisation Levy Funding Expenditure The Act requires that all waste levy funding received by the Council must be spent on activities and initiatives to promote waste minimisation in accordance with the WMMP. Waste levy funds may be spent on existing waste minimisation services, new services and initiatives, or a combination of these. The funding can be used to provide grants, to support contract costs or as infrastructure capital. 15 December

22 Ashburton District Council Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2011 The Council will receive, based on population, its share of national waste levy funds from the Ministry for the Environment. It is estimated that the Council s share of waste levy funding will be approximately $84,063 per annum. The Council intends to use the waste levy funds for a range of waste minimisation activities and services including undertaking future waste assessments prior to the review and revision of the WMMP in the next six years. 6.3 Grants The Council has the ability under the Act (section 47) to make grants and advances of money to any person, organisation or group for the purposes of promoting or achieving waste management and minimisation, as long as this is authorised by the WMMP. In accordance with this WMMP, council is authorised to make grants or advances of money on any terms and conditions it sees fit, including that an advance of money is free of interest. To determine if a proposal is to be funded from such means, the following criteria will be considered by Council: The benefit of the proposal to the current and future needs of the District; The extent to which the proposal benefits businesses, communities or iwi; Contribution to the goals and objectives of the WMMP, especially working towards zero waste; The proposal costs and other potential funding sources; Reduction in harmful effects of waste; How it improves the efficient use of resources. 15 December

23 Ashburton District Council Waste Management and Minimisation Plan Monitoring and Reporting Progress 7.1 Monitoring Council is very dependent on private waste management operators and community groups to assist in waste minimisation and support the Plan. To better target waste streams that require reduction in waste generation, policies will need to be in place to require all waste management operators to collect data on waste tonnages and composition for all waste and diverted material types. Section 86(c) of the WMA requires Council to keep and provide records and information on: Council s use of the waste levy returned to Council; Performance in achieving waste minimisation in providing the waste services, facilities and activities in accordance with the WMMP; and Performance as measured against any performance standards set by the central government under Section 49 of the WMA. The following tools may be used to support monitoring requirements: Council records including Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), licensing records, etc. Measurement of quantity and composition of waste and diverted materials by waste service operators Solid Waste Analysis Protocol (SWAP) customer surveys Annual resident satisfaction surveys Bylaws Submissions to the Annual Plan or LTP. 7.2 Reporting Council will report on the progress of the implementation of this Plan through: Annual Reports Council and Committee reports Local community newspapers Council newsletters Council s website. 15 December

24 Ashburton District Council Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2011 Part B Action Plan The Action Plan sets out Council s proposals to manage and minimise waste in the Ashburton District. It has been prepared to address the District specific issues identified in Section 4.4 and to ensure that the future population growth and changes in waste services provision are accommodated. Council will continue to take an active role in providing for the effective and efficient collection and handling of recyclable resources and residual waste. These services are currently contracted out to private organisations and community groups under formal contracts and monitored by Council. Collection services for refuse and recyclable materials Operation and maintenance of resource recovery parks Drop off facilities and safe disposal for domestic hazardous waste Drop-off facilities for recyclable resources Drop-off facilities for greenwaste Drop-off facilities for inorganic waste and Cleanfill. Resource recovery parks. Education programmes for schools and the community Support for C&D materials stockpiling, sorting and processing Support for private recovery programmes and product stewardship (e.g. Agrecovery) There are no operating landfills in the Ashburton District. Council will continue to dispose residual waste at the Kate Valley Landfill in the Hurunui District. In addition to these services, Council will undertake the following actions subject to: Affordability to the community Cost effectiveness Council approval Council Annual Plan/Long Term Plan processes Community Consultation to manage waste generation with future population growth and initiatives to encourage waste minimisation. Cost estimates for all specific actions below are subject to Council approval and will undertaken in the year prior to implementation. 15 December

25 Ashburton District Council Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2011 B.1 Data Collection and Education Objective Specific actions New or existing action? Implementation timeframe Funding source Hierarchy position To review the affordability of the WMMP implementation To estimate the costs for implementing the statement of options in the waste assessment in the year prior to implementation. New Waste levy All aspects of the waste hierarchy To review the effectiveness of the current WMMP To undertake a waste assessment of the District within the next six years. To review and revise the current WMMP after the waste assessment is undertaken. New Between 2012 and 2017 New Between 2012 and 2017 Waste levy Waste levy All aspects of the waste hierarchy All aspects of the waste hierarchy To promote and educate waste minimisation initiatives in the District Collect data on the composition of the waste stream arriving at the RRPs. Continue to develop and improve community information and education programmes to maintain awareness of waste minimisation issues and services provided by Council. Existing Waste levy All aspects of the waste hierarchy Existing Waste levy All aspects of the waste hierarchy B.2 Refuse Collection Objective Specific actions New or existing action? Implementation timeframe Funding source Hierarchy position To improve kerbside refuse collection Review the merits of the existing plastic bag collection system. To investigate the merits of converting to a wheelie bin system. Expand refuse collection area into the more densely Existing Operational Disposal New Operational Disposal New Rates Disposal 15 December

26 Ashburton District Council Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2011 populated rural fringe and lifestyle block areas. Cost estimate review for Council approval B.3 Recycling and Recovery Objective Specific actions New or existing action? Implementation timeframe Funding source Hierarchy position To improve kerbside recycling collection To encourage diversion of organic wastes from landfilling Review retaining existing 45 L crate based recycling collection. Investigate replacement of the 45L crates with 120 L (or similar) wheelie bin. Expand recycling collection area into the more densely populated rural fringe and lifestyle block areas. Cost estimate review for Council approval Provide additional recyclable resources drop-off facilities. Introduce household organic waste collection. Cost estimate review for Council approval Existing Operational Recycling New Operational Recycling New Rates Recycling New Rates Recycling New Rates Diversion and Recycling To improve diversion and recovery of C&D materials from landfilling Council to provide a site (Pole Yard Site) for contractors to stockpile and process Construction and Demolition Materials, and to provide staff resources to the contracting sector to facilitate the establishment of the site. New Operational Diversion and Recovery 15 December

27 Ashburton District Council Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2011 B.4 Treatment and Disposal Objective Specific actions New or existing action? Implementation timeframe Funding source Hierarchy position To maximize recycling and recovery operations and encourage waste minimisation Implement improvements to the Ashburton Resource Recovery Park: Relocate weighbridge to more efficient position. Repair residual waste pit concrete floor. Safety and functionality of drop-off area shared with commercial vehicles (separate lanes now provided). Provide adequate parking for the re-use shop and education centre. Expand green waste area with additional hardstand area and improved stormwater management. More covered storage space provided for C&D waste and other materials. New Rates user pays Recycling, Recovery, Disposal Investigate requirements for improvement of the Rakaia RRP: Review layout and operational efficiency of the RRP. Improve data collection of materials handled on site. Continue to use the regional landfill at Kate Valley for ultimate refuse disposal. New Operational Existing On-going User pays, rates Recycling, Recovery, Disposal Disposal 15 December

28 Ashburton District Council Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2011 Part C Appendices 15 December

29 Ashburton District Council Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2011 Appendix 1: References 1. Ashburton District Council, Ashburton District Council Bylaws, Chapter 16 Solid Waste. Ashburton District Council. 2. Ashburton District Council, Ashburton District Long Term Community Plan Report prepared for the Ashburton District Council. 3. Ashburton District Council website : 4. Councils of the Wellington Region. Draft Waste Management and Minimisation Plan Report prepared for the Councils of the Wellington Region. 5. Environment Canterbury, Proposed Canterbury Regional Policy Statement 2011, Chapter 19, Waste Management and Minimisation. Environment Canterbury. 6. Ministry for the Environment, The New Zealand Waste Strategy. Ministry for the Environment. Publication No. ME Ministry for the Environment, Waste Management and Minimisation Planning: Guidance for Territorial Authorities. Wellington. Ministry for the Environment. 8. New Plymouth District Council, Draft Waste Management and Minimisation Plan Report prepared for the New Plymouth District Council, June New Zealand Government, Waste Minimisation Act Public Act 2008 No Selwyn District Council, Proposed Waste Management and Minimisation Plan. Report prepared for Selwyn District Council, May Tonkin & Taylor Ltd, Draft Waste Assessment Report. Report prepared for the Ashburton District Council. 12. Waipa District Council, Draft Waste Management and Minimisation Plan Report prepared for the Waipa District Council. 13. Whakatane District Council, Waste Management and Minimisation Plan Report prepared for the Whakatane District Council. 15 December 2011

30 Ashburton District Council Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2011 Appendix 2 : Summary of Options (Table 5 of Waste Assessment Report, Tonkin & Taylor) 15 December 2011

31 Ashburton District Council Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2011 Summary of Options (Table 5 of Waste Assessment Report, Tonkin & Taylor) Option Comment/Advantages/Disadvantages WMA and NZWS goals Refuse Collection 1. Retain existing refuse collection method, i.e. plastic bag system Advantages: System is well established and effective Simple user pays system Infrastructure in place for this method Council has control of the waste Disadvantages: Bag collection poses health and safety risk to workers Litter issues with broken bags (dogs/cats/birds) Ensures public health is protected by removing waste from household. Promotes effective waste management. Reduces potential harmful effects of waste at its source. 2. Convert to a wheelie bin service Advantages: Better for worker health and safety. Provides cleaner refuse storage and handling for residents Disadvantages: High establishment cost May increase refuse collected Older residents may have difficulties with bins. Potentially conflicts with commitment to zero waste. Requires new contract for collection services Ensures public health is protected by removing waste from households. Enhances worker health and safety Promotes effective waste management. Reduces potential harmful effects of waste at its source. 15 December

32 Ashburton District Council Waste Management and Minimisation Plan Expand refuse collection areas into the more densely populated rural fringe and lifestyle block areas. Recycling and recovery 4 Retain existing 45 L crate based recycling collection Comments: Provides a more convenient service for these residents Would need to be considered on a case by case basis to determine whether it is cost effective to expand collection into any one area. Residents in these areas can currently use private collection contractors or deliver their refuse to one of the RRPs. Advantages: System is established and working well Residents can provide for a greater quantity of recyclables by purchasing an additional crate Contractors vehicles set up for this system Disadvantages: Limited capacity of crates Occasional litter issues with open crates in windy conditions and overflowing crates. Ensures public health is protected by removing waste from households. Promotes effective waste management. Reduces potential harmful effects of waste at its source. Ensures public health is protected by removing waste from households. Promotes effective waste management and minimisation by collecting recyclable resources that would otherwise be discarded. Reduces potential harmful effects of waste at its source. Improves the efficiency of resource use by recovering recyclable resources. 5 Replace 45L crates with 120 L (or similar) wheelie bin Advantages: Better for worker health and safety May result in more recyclable resources being collected due to greater capacity and ease of use. May be able to reduce collection frequency to fortnightly (with larger bin, e.g. 240 L) to offset some costs. Disadvantages: High establishment cost Mixed recyclables unless modify standard Ensures public health is protected by removing waste from households. Promotes effective waste management and minimisation by collecting recyclable resources that would otherwise be discarded. Reduces potential harmful effects of waste at its source. Improves the efficiency of resource use by recovering recyclable resources. 15 December

33 systems for kerbside sorting. Ashburton District Council Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2011 May need to establish Materials Recovery Facility to sort materials. Risk of increase in contamination Require new contract for collection services. 6 Expand recycling collection area into the more densely populated rural fringe and lifestyle block areas. 7 Provide additional recyclable resources drop-off facilities 8 Introduce household organic waste collection Comments: Likely to result in greater recyclable resources collection due to greater convenience for residents. Would need to be considered on a case by case basis to determine whether it is cost effective to expand collection into any one area. Residents in these areas can currently use private collection contractors or deliver their recyclables to one of the RRPs or drop-off facilities. Comments: Greater convenience likely to result in increase in recyclable resources collected. Seen as an alternative to option 6 i.e. only consider additional drop-off facilities where areas are not serviced by a kerbside collection. Location, need, cost and benefit would be subject to a more detailed study. Advantages: Decreases the amount of waste to landfill. Reduces transport costs to Kate Valley. Promotes zero waste. Disadvantages: Implementation cost is high Need to establish facilities for processing collected Ensures public health is protected by removing waste from households. Promotes effective waste management and minimisation by collecting recyclable resources that would otherwise be discarded. Reduces potential harmful effects of waste at its source. Improves the efficiency of resource use by recovering recyclable resources. Ensures public health is protected by removing waste from households. Promotes effective waste management and minimisation by collecting recyclable resources that would otherwise be discarded. Reduces potential harmful effects of waste at its source. Improves the efficiency of resource use by recovering recyclable resources. Ensures public health is protected by removing waste from households. Promotes effective waste management and minimisation by collecting recyclable resources that would otherwise be discarded. Reduces potential harmful effects of waste at point of disposal. 15 December

34 9 Council to provide a site (Pole Yard Site) for contractors to stockpile and process Construction and Demolition Materials, and to provide staff resources to the contracting sector to facilitate the establishment of the site. Comment Ashburton District Council Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2011 organic materials. Improves the efficiency of resource use by recovering recyclable resources. This option was developed from consideration of a range of options by Council for facilitating the storage and processing of C&D waste in the District. The availability of such a site will increase the diversion of C&D waste from the general waste stream and increase recycling. Promotes effective waste management and minimisation by providing for recovery of material that would otherwise be discarded. Reduces potential harmful effects of waste at point of disposal. Improves the efficiency of resource use by recovering recyclable materials. 10 Collect data on the composition of the waste stream 11 Continue to develop and improve community information and education programmes to maintain awareness of waste minimisation issues and services provided by Council Treatment and disposal 12 Implement improvements to the Ashburton Resource Recovery Park Comment Will provide data to allow Council to develop initiatives to target specific components of the waste stream for removal from the general waste stream Will allow for measuring the success of waste minimisation initiatives Ensuring programmes will result in increased and effective waste minimisation Comment Need to continually promote waste minimisation awareness to achieve maximum participation by residents to use the services provided. Ongoing and effective education is likely to provide the greatest impact of any waste minimisation initiatives. Infrastructure improvements/replacements required. Improvements to functionality of site will promote recycling/re-use/recovery. Promotes effective waste management and minimisation by allowing targeted programmes to minimise waste. Promotes effective waste management and minimisation by encouraging take-up by householders of services provided by Council. Promotes effective waste management and minimisation by maximising recovery of resources Reduces potential harmful effects of waste by 15 December

35 13 Investigate requirements for improvement of the Rakaia RRP Comment: Ashburton District Council Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2011 Means required for data collection on composition of the waste stream and volumes of materials received Overall review of site layout and operations required to maximise potential of operation. minimising quantity of materials disposed of to landfill. Improves the efficiency of resource use by maximising recovery of recyclable resources. Promotes effective waste management and minimisation by maximising recovery of resources Reduces potential harmful effects of waste by minimising quantity of materials disposed of to landfill. Improves the efficiency of resource use by maximising recovery of recyclable materials. 14 Continue to use the regional landfill at Kate Valley for ultimate refuse disposal Council is a joint venture partner for this landfill which will provide for waste disposal for the District for the foreseeable future. No other disposal option is likely to be feasible at this time Ensures public health is protected by providing a suitable disposal facility for residual waste. Promotes effective waste management and minimisation by providing a suitable disposal facility for residual waste. Reduces potential harmful effects of waste by providing a high quality landfill with appropriate environmental protection. 15 December

36 Ashburton District Council Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2011 Appendix 3 : Waste Assessment Report Tonkin & Taylor Ltd, Sep Waste Assessment for Consultation. Report prepared for the Ashburton District Council. 15 December 2011

37 ASHBURTON DISTRICT COUNCIL WASTE ASSESSMENT SEPTEMBER 2011 EDUCATION CENTRE ASHBURTON RESOURCE RECOVERY PARK

38 Table of contents 1 Introduction 1 2 The Waste Situation 2 3 Existing waste services Waste services Closed landfills 7 4 Future Demand Demand due to population growth Additional waste minimisation initiatives Waste data 11 5 Statement of options Options development Stakeholders workshop Additional considerations Summary of options Council s intended role in providing services Statement of Proposals Compliance with ADC Activity Objectives, WMA and NZWS Consultation with the Medical Officer of Health 25 Waste Assessment For Consultation Ashburton District Council September 2011

39 1 1 Introduction Ashburton District Council (ADC) has started a process to review its current Waste Management Plan to prepare a Waste Management and Minimisation Plan (WMMP) in accordance with the Waste Minimisation Act, 2008 (the Act). The Act requires that before conducting a review, ADC must make an assessment (Waste Assessment) in accordance with Section 51 of the Act. In summary, a Waste Assessment must contain: A description of the waste services provided (collection, recycling, recovery, treatment and disposal) A forecast of future demands for these services A statement of options available to meet the forecast demands, including an assessment of the suitability of each option A statement of ADC s role in meeting forecast demands, including proposals for new or replacement infrastructure A statement about the extent to which the proposals will ensure that public health is adequately protected and how they will promote effective and efficient waste management and minimisation. This assessment has been prepared to provide a basis for preparing a revised Waste Management and Minimisation Plan, and to meet the specific requirements of Section 51 of the Act. The Act requires that when preparing WMMPs a territorial authority must have regard to the New Zealand Waste Strategy. The New Zealand Waste Strategy was updated in October Whereas the previous strategy had specific targets in relation to waste minimisation, the new strategy provides a high level direction to manage and minimise waste in New Zealand. To convey this high level direction, the Strategy has two goals: Goal 1: Reducing the harmful effects of waste When planning waste management and minimisation activities, local government, businesses and communities should assess the risk of harm to the environment and human health from waste to identify and take action on those wastes of greatest concern. Goal 2: Improving the efficiency of resource use When planning waste management and minimisation activities, local government, businesses and communities should improve the efficiency of resource use to reduce the impact on the environment and human health and capitalise on potential economic benefits. The overriding requirement of the Act is that a territorial authority must promote effective and efficient waste management and minimisation within its district. This Assessment sets the context for ADC to meet this requirement. Waste Assessment For Consultation Ashburton District Council September 2011

40 2 2 The Waste Situation The Ashburton District is home to approximately 28,000 people (2006 Census Data). A large proportion of the community lives in rural communities. Approximately 55% of the population lives within the Ashburton township and approximately 45% of the population lives in rural satellite towns and farms. The population is expected to grow to 34,000 people by A District map is provided in Figure 1. Figure 1: Ashburton District Kerbside collection of refuse and recyclable resources are currently being undertaken at Ashburton, Methven, Hinds, Mount Somers and Mayfield. Refuse is collected in plastic bags and recyclable resources are collected in 45 litre plastic recycling crates. All collected materials are taken to the Ashburton Resource Recovery Park (RRP). Refuse, recyclable resources and green/household organic waste are collected in Rakaia at the kerbside in separate plastic bags. All collected materials other than refuse are taken to the Rakaia RRP. The refuse is taken to Ashburton RRP where it is consolidated with refuse from elsewhere in the District prior to transport to the Canterbury Regional Landfill at Kate Valley located in Hurunui District. Refuse dropped off at Rakaia RRP is also taken to the Ashburton RRP. Reusable items are sold at the resource recovery parks, recyclable resources are sorted and processed as required for specific markets, green waste and household organic waste (Rakaia only) is composted and the refuse collected at the Ashburton RRP is compacted and taken to the Canterbury Regional Landfill at Kate Valley. In addition to the above, recyclable resource drop off facilities are provided in Methven, Mt Somers, Willowby, Mayfield, Hinds, Hakatere Huts, Rangitata Huts and Pendarves. Details of the residual waste and recyclable resources collected in the District since 2004/05 is summarised in Tables 1 and 2. Waste Assessment For Consultation Ashburton District Council September 2011