Consider end-of-life disposal
In addition to considering what we’re buying, let’s also think about how it’s going to be disposed of after use. It’s great practise to consider, before sending anything to landfill, whether it can be reused or recycled. This mindset will set us all on the path of living more lightly – and can apply to everything from home and business consumables to food and fashion!
Composting at home
52% of kiwis are now proactively composting. All of our compostable bin liners and food storage products are certified for both home and industrial composting. In an ideal world, your compostable bag will be filled with compostable materials (like food scraps and green waste) and placed in your home compost pile to become nutrients for your garden.
Compostable household waste includes: Vegetable and fruit scraps, grass clippings, leaves, coffee grounds, paper and cardboard (uncoated), crushed egg shells, pasta/rice, breads, nuts, seaweed, popcorn, toothpicks, bamboo skewers, tissues, nail clippings, cotton balls, dryer lint, hair, pencil shavings, flowers, droppings from herbivorous pets.
For more information about how to compost at home, see the Compost Collective website: compostcollective.org.nz/
For information about how to avoid wasting food, see the Love Food Hate Waste website: lovefoodhatewaste.co.nz/
Industrial composting:
for a list of New Zealand facilities that accept compostable packaging please see the WasteMINZ website. It’s worth noting that commercial composting facilities all have different criteria regarding the materials they will accept (called “feedstock”) – this is due to the varying methods used to create compost (such as windrow, aerated static piles; vermicomposting or in-vessel methods).
Organic Waste Collection
The following companies collect organic waste and deliver to commercial composting facilities (please note that this is not an exhaustive list – you may be able to find others in your area).
Auckland
| Reclaim Ltd | Collect from hotels, restaurants, cafes and businesses | reclaim.co.nz |
| Pink Bins | Collect from events and festivals | pinkbins.co.nz |
| Little & Brave | Collect compostable bags, nappies and wipes | Littleandbrave.co.nz |
| Robert Lind – Envriofert | Collect from fast food outlets and food manufacturers | Envirofert.co.nz |
Wellington
| Organic Waste Management Ltd | Collect from commercial food outlets such as cafes, shops and supermarkets | organicwastemanagement.co.nz |
| Kai to Compost | Collection service for medium to large organic waste producers in Wellington city. | envirowaste.co.nz/services/commercial-services/waste-collections/ |
Christchurch
| Christchurch City Council | Weekly kerbside collection for organics including food and garden waste |
Timaru
| Timaru District Council | Weekly kerbside collection for organics including food and garden waste | timaru.govt.nz/services/environment/waste-minimisation/kerbside-collection |
Soft plastic recycling
has received bad press previously but there are a number of genuine schemes up and running in New Zealand. Just be sure that you’re recycling the right stuff – please don’t send compostable bags to soft plastic recycling – they are set up to recycle soft plastics such as bread bags, produce and frozen food bags, courier packs, bubble wrap and soft plastic packaging.
For Auckland, Hamilton and Wellington locations see: recycling.kiwi.nz/solutions/soft-plastics/store-locator