Whiriki Consulting Ltd completed Solid Waste Analysis Protocol (SWAP) audits of rubbish bins collected from randomly selected households across the district over the past two weeks.
All councils in New Zealand are required to conduct waste assessment audits to understand the make-up and source of the waste in rubbish bins. The goal is to reduce the amount of waste that ends up in landfill. SWAP audits are widely accepted by most councils and form part of the assessment.
Landfills cost money. Diverting as much as we can away from the landfill is not just an environmental decision but a financial one. Council uses the findings from these assessments to develop strategies to ensure more waste is diverted into yellow or green bins rather than the red bin. This could involve more education, promotion of good practices and finding solutions for households.
The audit used a different truck to collect rubbish from randomly selected households and mix it before sorting. This ensures that no individual households can be identified. A key thing to remember is that ownership of the contents of your rubbish transfers to the service provider at pickup. If you have sensitive information that is easily identifiable, do not dispose of it in the bin.
The project budget was under $17,000 and was fully funded by the Waste Levy from the Ministry for the Environment, not ratepayers’ money. Council expects the results of the survey by February 2026.
