Waste Management and Minimisation Plan Te Mahere Whakataaharahara Para

Our waste is increasing and the impacts of how we manage this will continue to grow unless we do something about it now.

We have developed a plan to help all Hamiltonians to work towards reducing waste to landfill – whether they are at home, work, school, or play. With Council only managing 13% of all Hamilton’s waste, fighting the landfill will require a commitment from all of us. 

The Waste Management and Minimisation Plan (2024-2030) outlines our vision and approach to hitting our targets for waste reduction in the city.

The key outcomes and focus areas were developed on completion of a waste assessment, which gives us an overview of how we’re currently operating.

Understanding our key outcomes and focus areas helps us identify actions and prioritise which ones will help us achieve our targets. You’ll see funding allocated in our Annual Plan and Long-Term Plan to reflect this.

Click here to read or download the plan

Our vision and key outcomes

Hamilton is leading the way towards a low-waste city.
Kei taumata te ara para kore a Kirikiriroa.

	We need to make it as simple as possible to find and use low-waste solutions within our city and our neighbourhoods, which means recognizing and considering the needs of our diverse population when we design and implement infrastructure and services.
	Through the kerbside collection, we only directly manage around 13% of the waste generated in Hamilton. It will take a collaborative effort from iwi, Mana Whenua, Mataawaka, community, business, government, and other key stakeholders and collaborators to identify and reduce waste sent to landfill.
	Each day we send tonnes of usable items and material to landfill. By prioritising circular economy initiatives, such as recycling, repairing, reusing, and re-manufacturing, we can stop this from happening and keep resources in use for as long as possible, which is friendlier on our wallets and the environment.

How we will deliver on our vision

further reduce the amount of organic waste going to landfill
ongoing efforts to reduce construction and demolition waste
support a move to a circular economy (where products are used over and over again)
recover more from waste streams
adapt to changing lifestyles and ways to living
shape national direction on waste and resource recovery
regulatory and council management.

Targets

The Plan is focused on the waste hierarchy and reducing the amount of waste produced in our city. To measure success, we have set four key waste reduction targets for Hamilton to measure over the next six years.

What are we doing?

There are over 30 actions included in our plan that relate to our current activities and new activities. Check out a few of the highlights below:

Operate a $600,000 community grant fund to support locals to deliver waste minimisation initiatives.
Commission a study to understand the flow of construction and demolition materials so we can divert these away from landfill.
Developing a circular economy plan for Hamilton.
Launch a network of community resource recovery hubs focused on reusing, repairing, repurposing, recycling, the sharing economy and avoiding waste.
Provide event organisers with a new framework to reduce waste volumes and costs.
Deliver education initiatives that help Hamiltonians to understand the impacts of disposable consumption.
Be a strong advocate for national change for things like product stewardship and the Container Deposit Scheme.
Investigate and implement the most relevant approach for disaster waste management in Hamilton.
Effectively manage illegal dumping and littering with education and enforcement.

Who is involved?

The strategy was created through a collaboration of Council's Elected Members and key staff from a variety of areas, including Resource Recovery, and Sustainability and Climate Change. Other key stakeholders included iwi, industry, Waikato Regional Council and other organisations dedicated to fighting the landfill.