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Waste Streams

  • Construction and Demolition Waste –Waste from construction and demolition (C&D) activities is a large source of waste in New Zealand,  representing up to 50 percent of all waste generated in New Zealand, 20 percent of all waste going to landfill and 80 percent of all waste going to cleanfill.
  • Organics – Organics is one of the largest waste streams. It comprises 23 percent of all material sent to landfill. This page provides practical advice on how you can manage organic waste at home.
  • Hazardous Waste – Hazardous waste comes from many sources - industry, small businesses, school laboratories, households to name a few. A waste is considered hazardous if it poses a risk to people or the environment if it is not properly managed, stored, transported and disposed of. This page outlines the Ministry’s hazardous waste policy framework and provides links to specific tools and resources contributing to the management of hazardous wastes in New Zealand.
  • Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (e-waste) – e-waste is a fast-growing problem in New Zealand. Every year about 80,000 tonnes of e-waste is disposed of in New Zealand. Many of these products contain toxic substances such as lead and mercury. This page provides practical information on how to manage unwanted e-waste in a responsible way.
  • Tyres – The disposal and storage of old and unwanted (end-of-life) tyres has a number of potential adverse environmental and health impacts. The Ministry has been working with the tyre industry, the Motor Trade Association, councils and other groups interested in tyre management to develop sustainable systems for the management of end-of-life tyres. This page provides information on the Ministry’s work programme for old and unwanted tyres and tools for local and regional councils on tyre storage and enforcement options.
  • Agrichemicals –The Ministry is committed to reducing the amount of unwanted agrichemicals sitting around on properties in rural New Zealand. From 2003-2009 the Ministry for the Environment worked with 13 regional councils to collect and remove agricultural chemicals from rural properties. This page details the results of these collections.
  • Used oil – Used oil is the single largest non-watery liquid waste stream in New Zealand. An estimated 30 million litres are generated each year. This page contains information on several projects dealing with used oil that the Ministry has been involved with.
  • Household lighting –Lighting impacts the environment from product manufacture through to final disposal. The manufacturing of lamps consumes energy and resources, lamps use energy to operate, and when lamps die they become waste that must be disposed of or recycled. Here you can find guidance on the types of household lamps (or light bulbs) available and good practice for their use and disposal to minimise their environmental impacts.
  • Wastewater – Wastewater is the biggest waste by volume in New Zealand. Approximately 1.5 billion litres of domestic wastewater is discharged into the environment daily. A number of joint initiatives exist to manage wastewater.
  • Packaging - The New Zealand Packaging Accord was a five year initiative (2004-2009) to cut down on wasteful packaging. Those who signed it — industry, local and central government — voluntarily committed to doing what they can to reduce the proportion of packaging in our total waste stream. Here you will find a comprehensive background and Annual Reports from the Packaging Accord.  
  • Nappies –There is currently a lot of debate around the use of disposable versus reusable nappies. This page outlines the environmental effects associated with different nappy types and provides tips on how to reduce the environmental impact of reusable nappies. 

Last updated:22 September 2009