Glenorchy
New Zealand generates more than 17 million tonnes of waste every year. That’s about 3,300 kilograms for each person in the country. Almost 13 million tonnes of this waste end up in landfills, so only a third of the waste produced by our country is recycled.
We all need to take responsibility for the rubbish we create. We’ve set out rules for waste minimisation for Otago in our Regional Plan: Waste.
Waste disposal and recycling services operate throughout the region. Check the facilities available near you and help reduce the amount of rubbish sent to landfill. Your city or district council has information about recycling services available in your area.
Reducing waste will help us transition from a take, make, dispose approach to a circular economy that lowers greenhouse gas emissions.
"Today’s economy is massively wasteful. Most of the materials we use, we lose, the things we make are consistently under-utilised, and our efforts to fix it treat the symptoms, not the cause."(Andrew Morlet, expert on the circular economy)
Cleanfill materials are natural soils such as clay, soil, and rock, and some manufactured materials such as concrete, brick or tiles.
Contaminants in soil can cause adverse effects on both human health and the environment through both short-term and long-term exposure. You can find the HAIL (Hazardous Activities and Industries List) database here.
It is estimated that around 14,600 Otago properties, or 38,000 people (around one in five Otago residents) are serviced by septic tanks.
Stock effluent spillage from cartage trucks onto Otago roads can be dangerous to other road users and cause problems.
If you observe any type of pollution in Otago, please contact our Pollution Hotline at 0800 800 033 or fill in the form on our Report Pollution page. Your information is crucial in helping us maintain a cleaner environment for everyone in Otago.
The ORC plays a vital role in preserving Otago's natural resources by implementing rules to prevent pollution and environmental harm across the region.
