Waste minimisation

Waste Management and Minimisation Plan

Our 2024 Waste Management and Minimisation Plan (WMMP) has been developed to protect our district from harm and to provide environmental, social, economic, and cultural benefits as it moves to supporting a circular economy.

In summary, the purpose of this plan is to:

Present Taupō District Council’s goal of managing and minimising waste in the district.
Set objectives and policies to achieve the goal.
Provide information on how Council intends to fund the activities of the WMMP over the next six years.

Our WMMP Goal is to:

“To protect public health and safeguard the Taupō District environment by ensuring waste and diverted material is managed in a safe and sustainable manner that maintains natural and aesthetic values”

To achieve this goal, Council has set the following objectives:

That waste is disposed of appropriately and public health is protected.
Increase the total quantity of material diverted from Landfill.
Increase the quantity of diverted material through reduction, reuse, recycling, and recovery.

To learn more, read the full plan and check out some of our waste minimisation initiatives that the community can benefit from, as outlined below.

Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2024 (PDF, 921KB)

Waste Minimisation Fund

A grant is available through our Waste Minimisation Fund to help individuals and organisations reduce waste.

The fund of $10,000 has been made available from the national waste levy, which is paid by landfill operators and distributed by the Ministry for the Environment to local authorities.

Applicants can apply for any amount up to $2,000 for a project that contributes to waste minimisation, waste avoidance, reduction of waste to landfill, and/or the recovery of materials or energy.

Find out more about the Waste Minimisation Fund

Resource Wise Programme

Want to reduce your environmental footprint? Minimising your waste output is a great start.

Our Resource Wise programme is available to Taupō District schools, businesses, events, community groups, and more. We begin with a waste audit and then create a personalised plan to help reduce waste within your organisation.

Resource Wise Education Programmes (PDF, 1.6MB)

Resource Wise for Schools

The aim of the Resource Wise Schools Programme is to educate students and minimise waste to landfill.

To help schools minimise waste to landfill, we have developed a free programme in which schools work their way through five stages. Each stage contains practical activities that take participants on a journey of waste minimisation.

Resource Wise Schools Programme (PDF, 328KB)

Resource Wise for Businesses

Reduce the amount of waste your business sends to landfill with the Resource Wise Business Programme.

As part of the programme, businesses receive an annual waste audit, a summary report with a detailed action plan as well as resources and support to implement actions.

Resource Wise Businesses Programme (PDF, 388KB)

Learn about waste

Wasted New Zealand is a video series that takes you on a journey through our key waste streams here in New Zealand including recycling, waste water, food waste and landfill. Learn about where all of our waste goes and what we can all do to make a difference!

Watch the full series of videos

Waste minimisation workshops

Want to reduce your ecological footprint and find easy solutions to waste-free parenting? The nationally renowned Nappy Lady', Kate Meads, holds waste minimisation workshops in Taupo every year.

The workshops are for parents who want to make responsible choices to reduce their waste output, minimising families' ecological impact and introducing the community to exciting and modern waste-free alternatives to expensive disposable products. At the workshops, parents and parents-to-be receive tips and information on what they can do at home to reduce their waste output.

The workshops are held at the Great Lake Centre and all those who attend receive a waste-free parenting goodie bag.

Check waste-free workshop dates and costs and register online

Home composting

There are a lot of ways to do your bit for the environment and composting is an easy one. When we throw away green waste, such as food scraps or lawn clippings, it ends up in our landfill. Composting is an inexpensive, natural way to deal with this waste and decreases landfill deposits while saving you money and improving your garden.

To help educate interested residents on how to compost at home, we run regular workshops with Taupo Community Gardens in Taupo and Awhi Farm in Turangi that are free to attend!

Find out more about home composting and workshops

Recycling

Help us look after the place we love by recycling!

We actively support reducing the amount of rubbish that is sent to landfill by providing a kerbside recycling collection in urban areas that takes place on the same day of the week as your rubbish collection. In addition, we provide recycling facilities at our landfill and transfer stations around the Taupo District.

Find out more about kerbside recycling collections
Find out more about recycling at our district landfill and transfer stations