[Not government policy]
4. Reminding ourselves of some important aspects of the waste issue
Different viewpoints on the desirability of a levy on waste, the means of collecting and using it as well as its quantum are influenced by a wide range of variables. These include the nature of the person’s / organisation’s business, the degree of public and private (company) involvement in waste activities in a particular part of the country and existing arrangement for waste management, including charging. Some key factors are listed below as a reference for the following section on positions and possibilities:
- New Zealand generates around 3.2 million tonnes of waste annually
- domestic waste is 1.5 million tonnes, half from kerbside pick-up and half from direct delivery to transfer stations or landfills
- nation wide waste volumes to landfill are not rising significantly
- domestic markets for recovered materials are still limited and international markets are subject to commodity cycles
- most Territorial Local Authority landfills are charging at or above full cost level
- commercial landfills charge some customers at less than full cost for competitive and operational reasons
- many landfills are privately owned and by definition charge at a rate to make a profit; most do
- landfill disposal prices in New Zealand are low by comparison with many countries, however and current disposal prices are not strong drivers of waste diversion and recovery
- there has been a very strong trend to fewer, newer and larger landfills in New Zealand and it is expected to continue
- a significant number of Territorial Local Authorities have no landfills
- most Territorial Local Authorities have one or more transfer stations, many of them new (or upgraded) weigh bridges are now a common feature of both landfills and transfer stations
- new large landfills coming on stream tend to exert a downward pressure on disposal charges where there is competition and an upwards pressure where there is none
- haul distances to landfill have increased but travel time is a more critical economic factor for waste operators
- price increases at landfills/transfer stations have led to measurable increases in diversion activities in some instances
- Territorial Local Authorities pay considerable sums from rates income to operate kerbside and other recyclables collection schemes
- the public consistently support waste recovery and recycling schemes in all parts of the country.
