Territorial Authorities Waste
Infrastructure and Services Survey
December 2013
Acknowledgements
The Ministry would like to thank the territorial authorities (TAs) that responded to this
voluntary survey for their time and effort. A list of all TAs that provided a response is provided
as Appendix 1.
Respecting confidentiality
The individual TA responses were aggregated to protect confidentiality.
In responding to the survey, TAs provided permission for the Ministry to list the council as a
contributor to a summary report of the results.
This report may be cited as: Ministry for the Environment. 2014. Territorial Authorities Waste
Infrastructure and Services Survey. Wellington: Ministry for the Environment.
Published in December 2014 by the
Ministry for the Environment
Manatū Mō Te Taiao
PO Box 10362, Wellington 6143, New Zealand
ISBN: 978-0-478-41259-8
Publication number: ME 1170
© Crown copyright New Zealand 2014
This document is available on the Ministry for the Environment’s website: www.mfe.govt.nz.
Contents
1
Introduction
7
2
Methodology
8
3
Data limitations
9
4
Data analysis
10
5
Future surveys
11
6
At a glance: Overall provision of services
What services or combination of services do territorial authorities offer?
How does private sector provision compare to territorial authority provision of
services?
How does this compare with services offered in 2011?
12
12
7
Territorial authority kerbside refuse services
Provision of service
Frequency of Collection
Funding of services
Refuse quantities
15
15
18
19
20
8
Territorial authority kerbside recycling services
Provision of service
Frequency of collection
Funding of services
Recycling quantities
22
22
26
27
28
9
Territorial authority kerbside organic waste services
Provision of service
Frequency of collection
Funding of services
Organic waste quantities
29
29
33
34
35
10
Territorial authority kerbside inorganic waste services
Provision of service
Frequency of collection
Funding of services
Inorganic waste quantities
36
36
38
39
39
11
Illegal dumping
40
12
Other territorial authority waste services and infrastructure
41
Appendix: Territorial authorities that responded to the survey (2013)
Territorial Authorities Waste Infrastructure and Services Survey
12
13
43
3
Figures
Figure 1:
Overall provision of services provided by TAs (% of TAs), 2013
12
Figure 2:
Comparison of private sector provision to TA provision of services for refuse,
recycling, organic and inorganic (% of TAs), 2013
13
Comparison of overall provision of services provided by TAs (% of TAs), 2011
and 2013
13
Figure 4:
Comparison of the number of TAs providing kerbside refuse services, 2011 and 2013
15
Figure 5:
Operation of kerbside refuse services (% of TAs), 2013
16
Figure 6:
Operation of kerbside refuse services (% of TAs), 2011 and 2013
16
Figure 7:
Kerbside refuse collection unit provided (% of TAs), 2011 and 2013
17
Figure 8:
Availability of other non-kerbside refuse services (% of TAs), 2011 and 2013
18
Figure 9:
Frequency of refuse collection (% of TAs), 2011 and 2013
19
Figure 3:
Figure 10: Funding of kerbside refuse service (% of TAs), 2013
19
Figure 11: Funding of kerbside refuse service (% of TAs), 2011 and 2013
20
Figure 12: Estimated kerbside refuse quantities collected by TAs (% of TAs), 2013
20
Figure 13: Estimated kerbside refuse quantities collected (% of TAs), 2011 and 2013
21
Figure 14: Number of councils providing kerbside recycling services, 2011 and 2013
22
Figure 15: Operation of kerbside recycling services (% of TAs), 2013
23
Figure 16: Operation of kerbside recycling services (% of TAs), 2011 and 2013
23
Figure 17: Kerbside recycling collection unit provided (% of TAs), 2011 and 2013
24
Figure 18: Recycling model offered (% of TAs), 2013
25
Figure 19: Recycling model offered (% of TAs), 2011 and 2013
25
Figure 20: Availability of other non-kerbside services for recycling (% of TAs), 2011 and 2013
26
Figure 21: Frequency of recycling collection (% of TAs), 2011 and 2013
26
Figure 22: Funding of kerbside recycling service (% of TAs), 2013
27
Figure 23: Funding of kerbside recycling service (% of TAs), 2011 and 2013
27
Figure 24: Estimated kerbside recycling quantities (% of TAs), 2013
28
Figure 25: Estimated kerbside recycling quantities (% of TAs), 2011 and 2013
28
Figure 26: Number of TAs providing kerbside organic collection services, 2011 and 2013
29
Figure 27: Operation of kerbside organic collection services (% of TAs), 2013
30
Figure 28: Operation of kerbside organic collection services (% of TAs), 2011 and 2013
30
Figure 29: Type of organics collected by TAs (% of TAs), 2013
31
Figure 30: Type of organics collected (% of TAs), 2011 and 2013
31
Figure 31: Kerbside organic waste collection unit (% of TAs), 2011 and 2013
32
Figure 32: Availability of other organic waste services (% of TAs), 2011 and 2013
33
Figure 33: Frequency of kerbside organic waste collection services (% of TAs), 2011 and 2013
34
Figure 34: Funding of TA kerbside organic waste collection services (% of TAs), 2011 and 2013
34
Figure 35: Quantities of organic waste collected (% of TAs), 2013
35
4
Territorial Authorities Waste Infrastructure and Services Survey
Figure 36: Number of TAs providing kerbside inorganic waste services, 2011 and 2013
36
Figure 37: Kerbside inorganic waste collection services (% of TAs), 2011 and 2013
37
Figure 38: Other inorganic waste services available (% of TAs), 2013
38
Figure 39: Frequency of kerbside inorganic waste collection services (% of TAs), 2011 and 2013
38
Figure 40: Funding of TA kerbside inorganic waste services (% of TAs), 2011 and 2013
39
Figure 42: Number of TAs recording incidents of illegal dumping, 2011 and 2013
40
Figure 43: Number of illegal dumping incidents recorded by TAs (% of TAs), 2011 and 2013
40
Figure 44: Percentage of processing facilities operated by or known to TAs (% of TAs), 2013
41
Figure 45: Drop off facilities available by waste stream (% of TAs), 2011 and 2013
42
Tables
Table 1:
Provision of kerbside refuse services (number of TAs), 2011 and 2013
17
Table 2:
Provision of kerbside recycling collection service (number of TAs), 2011 and 2013
24
Table 3:
Provision of kerbside organic collection service (number of TAs), 2011 and 2013
30
Table 4:
Availability of non-kerbside services for organics (number of TAs), 2011 and 2013
33
Table 5:
Provision of inorganic waste services (number of TAs), 2011 and 2013
37
Territorial Authorities Waste Infrastructure and Services Survey
5
1
Introduction
In December 2013, the Ministry for the Environment (Ministry) conducted a voluntary survey
of all territorial authorities (TAs) in New Zealand. The purpose of the survey was to collect data
from TAs on the types of waste infrastructure and services managed by or known to TAs within
their district.
WasteMINZ undertook a similar survey in 2011 as an initiative of the WasteMINZ TA Forum.
This survey supported their objective of increasing the level of knowledge sharing by TAs to
help inform local decision-making.
The purpose of the 2013 survey was to:

provide comparable data to the WasteMINZ report completed in 2011

inform the 2014 statutory review of the effectiveness of the waste disposal levy

improve the Ministry’s understanding of TA waste management and minimisation
infrastructure and services across the country, including; how they are funded, coverage
to communities and variations in their capacities.
The survey was also designed to continue to support knowledge sharing by TAs and provide
information for any potential TA shared services or collaboration.
Territorial Authorities Waste Infrastructure and Services Survey
7
2
Methodology
A series of questions were developed based on the questions of the WasteMINZ 2011 survey.
This 2013 survey used the Ministry’s online consultation tool and was sent electronically to
solid waste managers / waste minimisations officers (or equivalent positions) at all territorial
authorities (TAs).
The following service types form the core of the survey:

kerbside refuse collection

kerbside recycling collection

kerbside organics collection

kerbside inorganic collection.
The following questions were asked consistently across each of the four waste collection areas
and have provided basic information on the availability of these four collection areas:
1.
Does your council offer a kerbside (refuse) collection service in your district?
2.
Who collects the kerbside (refuse) in your district?
3.
How is the cost of kerbside (refuse) collection funded?
4.
How frequently is kerbside (refuse) collected?
5.
What was the previous annual tonnage of kerbside (refuse) collected?
In some instances, specific questions about the individual service areas were also asked.
Further questions about illegal dumping, waste infrastructure, and other waste services also
formed part of the survey.
8
Territorial Authorities Waste Infrastructure and Services Survey
3
Data limitations
1.
The responses to this survey are not representative of all territorial authorities (TAs) in
New Zealand. Fifty-three out of the 67 TAs provided a response, which accounts for 79%
of TAs in New Zealand. Further, only 44 of the 53 responses are directly comparable to the
responses provided in 2011. This is because 44 of the TAs provided information in both
the 2011 and 2013 surveys, with the other nine TAs only responding to one or the other.
TAs that did not initially provide a response were contacted in order to encourage them to
complete the survey, particularly those that had provided a response to the 2011 survey,
to achieve an appropriate sample size and comparable data overall (comparing 2011 to
2013 information). For the purposes of this report, data from all 53 respondents has been
presented to provide a sufficient sample size. There were 54 respondents to the 2011
survey.
2.
Although 79% of TAs responded to the survey, not all of these TAs answered each of the
survey questions. This therefore presents inconsistencies in the level of information
provided per question. The number of TAs that responded to each question or section has
therefore been noted throughout the report.
3.
The data in this report is self-reported by TAs and may be based on interpretations of
terminology that do not align with the Ministry or other TAs. The reliability and
consistency of the data may therefore vary. To mitigate this, TAs were asked to confirm
with the Ministry if they did not understand a question. The Ministry also followed up with
some TAs for clarification on answers where the question seemed to be misinterpreted.
4.
The multi-choice answer options provided to TAs in the survey may have also affected
how representative the data is. For example, where a TA was asked to quantify tonnages
of kerbside recyclables collected they were given the following options: Less than
1000 tonnes, 1000 – 4999 tonnes, 5000 – 9999 tonnes, 10,000 – 14,999 tonnes,
15,000 – 19,999 tonnes, 20,000 – 24,999 tonnes, 25,000+ tonnes. A TA could collect only
20 tonnes of material, and this would be grouped in the same category as those collecting
999 tonnes, or a TA could collect 80,000 tonnes but this is captured only in the 25,000+
category. The multi choice options could therefore be considered too broad to realistically
capture what TA infrastructure and services look like on the ground. The 2013 survey
questions and multi choice answers largely remained unchanged from the 2011 survey, to
allow comparisons with the baseline data of 2011. However, it is recommended that the
methodology be reconsidered for future surveys, as it results in these data limitations.
5.
The survey is focused on council provided services and infrastructure, however TAs had
the opportunity to provide some information on private waste collections or services
known to them in their districts. There may be a number of other private services not
known to the TA that are not captured in this survey.
Territorial Authorities Waste Infrastructure and Services Survey
9
4
Data analysis
The 2011 survey was intended to provide a summary of responses and baseline information
for future surveys. No conclusions were drawn from the first survey, and it was anticipated
that trend information would provide further insight as the survey was repeated over time.
Due to the availability of comparable data following the completion of the 2013 survey, it is
possible to draw conclusions about observed data trends. However, due to the data limitations
outlined in section 3 assumptions or conclusions have not been established in this report. The
summary responses for the 2013 survey have therefore been presented against information
provided in the 2011 summary responses, of which the reader of this report may draw their
own conclusions.
Note that some percentage figures in the charts provided may not add to 100% due to
rounding.
10
Territorial Authorities Waste Infrastructure and Services Survey
5
Future surveys
As previously noted, the 2013 survey repeated the majority of questions posed in the 2011
survey in order to establish trends from the 2011 baseline data. There are a number of data
limitations as a result of the design and methodology of both surveys.
It is therefore recommended that the design, methodology and delivery of any future
territorial authority waste infrastructure and services surveys are reconsidered. Changes to
future surveys may result in loss of trend data from baseline information; however, it will allow
more representative data to be captured in the future.
Another TA waste infrastructure and services survey is proposed to be undertaken in 2015/16.
Territorial Authorities Waste Infrastructure and Services Survey
11
6
At a glance: Overall provision
of services
What services or combination of services do territorial
authorities offer?
Figure 1:
Overall provision of services provided by TAs (% of TAs), 2013
Recycle
No
service
offered
Recycle/
Organic
Refuse/
Recycle/
Organic
Refuse
4% 2%
8%
4%
9%
Refuse/
Recycle/
Inorganic
66%
Over two thirds of TAs
offer both refuse and
recycling services
8%
8%
Refuse/
Recycle
0%
Four TAs do not
offer any services
No TA provided all
four services
66%
All 53 territorial authority (TA) respondents provided information on whether or not they
offered each of the collection services targeted in this survey (refuse, recycling, organic and
inorganic). TAs were considered to have offered the service if it was either council operated or
council contracted.
Most TAs offered a combination of refuse and recycling services (66%), followed by the
provision of the combination of refuse, recycle and organic services (9%). No TA (0%) offered
all four services, and four TAs (8%) did not offer any waste service.
How does private sector provision compare to territorial
authority provision of services?
In the case of refuse and recycling, private kerbside collection services are offered either in
combination with TA services, or in districts in which TAs do not provide a service. Thus both
refuse and recycling kerbside services are available in all 53 respondent districts, as seen in
figure 2.
Further to providing kerbside services, between 36 and 52 TAs indicated the availability of
other non-kerbside services across the four waste collection areas (refuse, recycling, organic
12
Territorial Authorities Waste Infrastructure and Services Survey
and inorganic). Other non-kerbside services include the availability of delivery to transfer
station or landfill and community drop off facilities or stores.
Few TAs offered organic and inorganic kerbside services, only 11% and 8% respectively. The
private sector services provide the majority of the organic waste collection market, with 47%
of TAs indicating this option. Sixty-eight per cent of TAs indicated the availability of other nonkerbside services for inorganic waste.
Figure 2:
Comparison of private sector provision to TA provision of services for refuse, recycling,
organic and inorganic (% of TAs), 2013
98%
100%
90%
96%
89%
87%
80%
77%
75%
68%
70%
60%
47%
50%
42%
40%
30%
20%
15%
13%
11%
11%
8%
10%
0%
0%
0%
Refuse
Recycle
TA only
Organic
Private only
Other non-kerbside services
Inorganic
None
How does this compare with services offered in 2011?
Figure 3:
Comparison of overall provision of services provided by TAs (% of TAs), 2011 and 2013
70%
66%
60%
54%
50%
40%
2011
2013
30%
20%
15%
11%
10%
7%
9%
8%
8%
7%
4%
4%
2%
2%
2%
2%
0%
0%
None
Refuse
Refuse/ Recycle
Refuse/ Recycle/
Inorganic
Refuse/ Recycle/
Organic
Refuse/ Organic
Recycle
Recycle/ Organic
The survey data from 2011, in comparison to the data collected in 2013, shows a decrease in
TAs offering refuse-only services, as well as a decrease in the combination of refuse, recycling
and inorganic services.
Territorial Authorities Waste Infrastructure and Services Survey
13
Since 2011, there has been an increase in recycling-only services, as well as the combination of
refuse, recycling and organic services.
The largest increase is seen in the combination of refuse and recycling services with an
increase of 12% from 2011, where 54% of the TAs offered this combination, to 2013 where
66% of the TAs offered it.
14
Territorial Authorities Waste Infrastructure and Services Survey
7
Territorial authority kerbside
refuse services
Provision of service
All 53 territorial authority (TA) respondents provided
information about whether or not they offer a kerbside
refuse collection service. The percentage of TAs providing
this service has decreased from 89% in 2011 to 87%
in 2013.
Figure 4:
50
Comparison of the number of TAs providing kerbside refuse services, 2011 and 2013
6
7
Number of TAs
40
30
No
48
46
2011
2013
Yes
20
10
0
Operation of services
Of the 53 TA respondents that provided information on who operates the kerbside refuse
collection service, 6% operate the collection service without assistance from contractors or
private operators. The most common operation was council contracted services, which 43% of
the TAs provide. This is followed by the combination of council contracted / private collection,
which 36% of the TAs indicated.
Provisions for kerbside refuse collection exist in all districts. Private kerbside refuse collection
services are available in those districts that do not provide a council service, and in some
districts both a council and private service are provided.
One TA that noted the availability of both council contracted and private collection for refuse,
reported that the council provides a kerbside collection service only in rural areas where the
private market fails to reach. Overall, the district is serviced by private operators for both
refuse and recycling.
Territorial Authorities Waste Infrastructure and Services Survey
15
Figure 5:
Operation of kerbside refuse services (% of TAs), 2013
Council
operated
Private
collection
Council contracted/
Private collection
13%
6%
Council
operated/
Private
collection
Council
contracted
2%
43%
36%
In 2011, only 4% of the 54 respondents operated the collection service without assistance
from contractors or private operators. Most kerbside refuse services in 2011 were operated
through a council contract, with private collection also available in the district (44%). In 2011,
one TA reported that some parts of the district were serviced by a council operated collection,
with other areas serviced through council contract. The TA also reported the availability of a
private operator for kerbside refuse collections.
Figure 6:
Operation of kerbside refuse services (% of TAs), 2011 and 2013
50%
45%
44%
43%
39%
40%
36%
35%
30%
25%
2011
20%
2013
15%
13%
11%
10%
6%
4%
5%
2%
0%
2%
0%
0%
0%
0%
No collection
Council operated Council operated/ Council contracted
Private collection
Council
Private collection Council operated/
contracted/
Council
Private collection
contracted/
Private collection
There has been a decrease in council provided collections from 2011 to 2013, with 48 and 46
TAs providing the service each year respectively. Private collection services were available in
the absence of a council provided service in both 2011 and 2013, with an increase in the
overall amount of private collection services available.
16
Territorial Authorities Waste Infrastructure and Services Survey
Table 1:
Provision of kerbside refuse services (number of TAs), 2011 and 2013
Provision of kerbside refuse collection services
2011
2013
Council provided collection available
48
46
No council provided collection available
6
7
Private collection available
25
27
No kerbside collections available
6
0
Other non-kerbside services available
54
52
Collection unit
A collection unit is the type of bin, bag or other receptable that waste or recyclables are placed
in for collection.
Sixty-three collection units were noted across the 46 respondents that do provide a kerbside
refuse collection service. This is because some councils provide more than one option across
their district. Thirty-one TAs reported using council rubbish bags, ie, user pays rubbish bags, as
the collection unit. The remainder reported bins of various sizes, non-council supplied rubbish
bags, or ‘other’ as the collection unit.
In 2011, 68% of the 48 respondents reported using bags (council supplied/user pays or noncouncil supplied) as the collection unit.
Figure 7:
Kerbside refuse collection unit provided (% of TAs), 2011 and 2013
80%
70%
60%
68%
59%
50%
2011
40%
2013
30%
20%
14%
13%
9%
10%
6%
11%
8%
6%
6%
0%
0%
0%
Bag
MGB - Small (80L)
MGB - Mid (120L - 140L)
MGB - Large (240L)
No kerbside service
Other
Note: ‘MGB’ = mobile garbage bin.
In 2013, 31 TAs offered council bags, and six allowed non-council bags as the collection unit.
The differentiation between council and non-council provided bags was not provided in 2011.
Territorial Authorities Waste Infrastructure and Services Survey
17
‘Other’ captures those councils that use larger bins, such as 360L, and sticker user pays
systems.
Availability of other non-kerbside services
All 53 TAs provided information on the availability of other services for refuse.
In most districts, the public also have access to a landfill and/or transfer stations.
One TA indicated that no other non-kerbside council services are available for refuse as private
operators manage the refuse in the district, however the ‘non-kerbside services’ questions
were not limited to TA provision only.
It should be noted that some TAs indicated availability of private collectors in the ‘other’
category.
Figure 8:
Availability of other non-kerbside refuse services (% of TAs), 2011 and 2013
100%
93%
94%
90%
80%
70%
60%
2011
50%
2013
37%
40%
31%
28%
30%
25%
20%
10%
2%
0%
0%
None
Self-delivery to transfer station
Self-delivery to landfill
Other
Frequency of collection
Of the 45 TAs that provided information on the frequency of collection, 38 provide weekly
refuse collection services.
In 2011, weekly collections were also the most common, with 45 of the 48 TAs providing
weekly kerbside refuse collection service.
18
Territorial Authorities Waste Infrastructure and Services Survey
Figure 9:
Frequency of refuse collection (% of TAs), 2011 and 2013
100%
94%
90%
84%
80%
70%
60%
2011
50%
2013
40%
30%
20%
11%
10%
6%
4%
0%
0%
Fortnightly
Weekly
Other
Funding of services
Forty-six TAs provide a kerbside collection service for refuse.
Twenty-nine per cent fund the service from rates only (either targeted and/or general). A
solely user-pays model is used by 23% of TAs and a further 33% offer a service that is partly
funded by the users, in combination with rates funding.
Figure 10:
Funding of kerbside refuse service (% of TAs), 2013
General
rates
Other
No
indication
Targeted rates/
General rates
4%
4% 2%
13%
Targeted rates
21%
23%
User-pays/
Targeted rates/
General rates
4%
2%
6%
Targeted
rates/ Other
User-pays
23%
User-pays/
General rates
User-pays/
Targeted rates
In 2011, of the 48 TAs that provided a kerbside refuse collection service, 31% used a solely
user-pays model, with 19% funding through targeted rates.
Territorial Authorities Waste Infrastructure and Services Survey
19
Figure 11:
Funding of kerbside refuse service (% of TAs), 2011 and 2013
35%
31%
30%
24%
25%
23%
23%
21%
20%
15%
19%
2011
15%
13%
2013
10%
6% 6%
5%
4%
2%
4%
4% 4%
2%
2%
0%
0%
0%
0%
No indication
User-pays
User-pays/
User-pays/
Targeted
Targeted rates General rates rates/ Other
User-pays/ Targeted rates Targeted
General rates
Targeted
rates/ General
rates/ General
rates
rates
Other
Refuse quantities
Of the 46 TAs that provide kerbside refuse collection, 61% reported that annual tonnage of
refuse collected was less than 5000 tonnes.
Figure 12:
Estimated kerbside refuse quantities collected by TAs (% of TAs), 2013
40%
35%
35%
30%
26%
25%
24%
20%
15%
10%
7%
4%
5%
2%
2%
15,000 – 19,999
tonnes
20,000 – 24,999
tonnes
0%
Less than 1000 tonnes 1000 – 4999 tonnes
20
5000 – 9999 tonnes
10,000 – 14,999
tonnes
Territorial Authorities Waste Infrastructure and Services Survey
25,000+ tonnes
In 2013, lower tonnages of refuse were reported to be collected than in 2011.
Figure 13:
Estimated kerbside refuse quantities collected (% of TAs), 2011 and 2013
40%
35%
35%
30%
28%
26%
25%
24%
24%
22%
2011
20%
2013
15%
13%
10%
7%
7%
4%
5%
2%
2%
4%
2%
0%
Less than 1000 tonnes
1000 – 4999 tonnes
5000 – 9999 tonnes
10,000 – 14,999 tonnes
15,000 – 19,999 tonnes
20,000 – 24,999 tonnes
25,000+ tonnes
Territorial Authorities Waste Infrastructure and Services Survey
21
8
Territorial authority kerbside
recycling services
Provision of service
All 53 territorial authority (TA) respondents
provided information about whether or not they
offer a kerbside recycling collection service. The
percentage of TAs providing this service has
increased from 80% in 2011 to 89% in 2013.
Figure 14:
50
Number of councils providing kerbside recycling services, 2011 and 2013
11
6
Number of TAs
40
30
No
20
43
47
Yes
10
0
2011
2013
Operation of service
Fifty-three TAs provided information on who operates the kerbside recycling collection
services in their district. Thirteen per cent (seven TAs) operate the collection service without
assistance from contractors or private operators. The most common operation is council
contracted services, which 64% (34) of the TAs provide.
22
Territorial Authorities Waste Infrastructure and Services Survey
Figure 15:
Operation of kerbside recycling services (% of TAs), 2013
Council
operated
Private
collection
Council contracted /
Private collection
11%
Council
contracted
13%
11%
64%
In 2011, 67% of the kerbside recycling services offered by councils were provided through a TA
contracted service. Five TAs reported that there were no kerbside recycling services available
in their districts.
Figure 16:
Operation of kerbside recycling services (% of TAs), 2011 and 2013
70%
67%
64%
60%
50%
40%
2011
2013
30%
20%
13%
10%
11%
9%
11%
11%
7%
6%
0%
0%
No collection
Council operated
Council contracted
Council contracted/
Private collection
Private collection
Provisions for kerbside recycling collection exist in all 53 respondent districts. Private kerbside
recycling collection services are available in those districts that do not provide a council
service, and in some districts both a council and private service are available.
Private collection services were available in the absence of a council provided service in 2013;
however, not in all cases in 2011.
Territorial Authorities Waste Infrastructure and Services Survey
23
Table 2:
Provision of kerbside recycling collection service (number of TAs), 2011 and 2013
Provision of kerbside recycling collection service
2011
2013
Council provided collection available
43
47
No council provided collection available
11
6
Private collection available
10
12
No kerbside collections available
5
0
Other non-kerbside services available
54
51
Collection unit
Sixty-six collection units were noted across the 47 TAs who provide a kerbside recycling
service. This is because some TAs offer more than one type of collection unit, largely for the
collection of different recyclables, ie, separate glass and plastics receptables.
The most common recycling unit provided in 2013 is a recycling crate (either of medium or
large size), with 49% of TAs providing this unit as an option. In 2011, medium to large recycling
crates were also the most common, with 62% of the 43 respondents providing this as an
option.
Figure 17:
Kerbside recycling collection unit provided (% of TAs), 2011 and 2013
40%
34%
35%
30%
28%
26%
25%
25%
20%
24%
19% 19%
2011
17%
2013
15%
15%
13%
13%
11%
9%
10%
8%
5%
5%
2%
0%
0%
0%
Bag
Crate - Mid (45L
- 55L)
Crate - Large
(60L -70L)
MGB - Small
(80L)
MGB - Mid
(120L - 140L)
MGB - Large
(240L)
Separate paper
No kerbside
service
Other
Note: ‘MGB’ = mobile garbage bin.
Recycling model
All 47 TAs that offer kerbside recycling services reported collecting paper and cans. Plastics 1
and 2, glass and cardboard were also collected by over 90% of TAs.
24
Territorial Authorities Waste Infrastructure and Services Survey
Figure 18:
100%
6%
Recycling model offered (% of TAs), 2013
4%
2%
2%
90%
23%
23%
28%
32%
32%
80%
70%
60%
83%
50%
94%
96%
100%
98%
40%
77%
100%
98%
Paper
Cardboard
77%
72%
68%
68%
30%
20%
10%
17%
0%
Glass
Plastic 1
Plastic 2
Plastic 3
Plastic 4
Plastic 5
Collected
Plastic 6
Plastic 7
Cans (steel and
aluminium)
Tetra
Not collected
In 2011, TAs reported that cans, paper, cardboard and plastic numbers 1 and 2 were all
collected, and that the remaining plastic numbers (3 – 7) were collected, on average, by 83% of
TAs.
Figure 19:
100%
95%
94%
Recycling model offered (% of TAs), 2011 and 2013
100%
96%
100%98%
100%100%
100%100%
100%98%
89%
90%
86%
84%
83%
80%
81%
77%
77%
72%
68%
70%
68%
60%
50%
2011
2013
40%
30%
30%
20%
17%
10%
0%
Glass
Plastic 1
Plastic 2
Plastic 3
Plastic 4
Plastic 5
Plastic 6
Plastic 7
Cans (steel and
aluminium)
Tetra
Paper
Cardboard
Note that in 2011 a minimum of 10 TAs, and up to 23, did not provide information on whether
or not they collected particular materials. For example, 10 TAs did not indicate whether they
collect glass, and 23 TAs did not indicate whether they collect plastic number six. The variation
in sample size should be noted when comparing the 2013 recycling model to 2011.
Availability of other services
All 53 TAs also noted the availability of other services for the public to drop off their recyclable
materials to. Residents in 45 districts can take their recyclables to the transfer station. Thirteen
TAs indicated ‘other’ options are available, such as community and rural drop off sites, e-waste
collection sites, and private services for commercial businesses.
Territorial Authorities Waste Infrastructure and Services Survey
25
Figure 20:
Availability of other non-kerbside services for recycling (% of TAs), 2011 and 2013
100%
87%
90%
85%
80%
70%
57%
60%
49%
50%
2011
2013
40%
30%
24%
25%
20%
10%
4%
2%
0%
0%
0%
No Indication
Self-delivery to transfer
station
Self-delivery to landfill
None
Other
In 2011, 47 TAs also noted the availability of self-delivery to transfer stations for recyclable
materials. Thirty-one TAs reported that drop off centres were also available. Other services for
recycling in the districts included public place recycling bins (for example Love NZ), private
services for businesses and households, and community collection initiatives.
Frequency of collection
Of the 47 TAs that offer kerbside recycling services, 33 TAs provide this service on a weekly
basis.
Figure 21:
Frequency of recycling collection (% of TAs), 2011 and 2013
90%
84%
80%
70%
70%
60%
50%
2011
2013
40%
28%
30%
20%
16%
10%
2%
0%
0%
Fortnightly
Weekly
Other
In 2011, of the 43 TAs that offered kerbside recycling, 36 provided a weekly recycling collection
service.
26
Territorial Authorities Waste Infrastructure and Services Survey
Funding of services
Sixty-four per cent of the 53 TAs reported that kerbside recycling services are funded by
targeted rates.
Many TAs have a mixed model of funding, for example user pays and waste disposal levy
funding supported by a portion of targeted or general rates.
Figure 22:
Funding of kerbside recycling service (% of TAs), 2013
Levy
funded
Other
General rates/
Levy funded
No
indication
User-pays/
Targeted rates
User-pays/
Levy funded
4%
2%2%
2%
General rates
11%
6%
Targeted rates/
General rates
User-pays/
General rates
2%
2%
6%
Targeted rates
64%
In 2011, 48% of the 46 TA respondents provided a kerbside recycling collection service
through targeted rates and 13% through general rates.
Figure 23:
Funding of kerbside recycling service (% of TAs), 2011 and 2013
70%
64%
60%
48%
50%
40%
2011
30%
2013
20%
19%
13%
11%
10%
6% 6%
6%
4%
0%
2%
6%
2% 2%
0% 0%
2% 2%
0%
2%
2% 2%
4%
0
0%
No
indication
User-pays User-pays/ User-pays/
Targeted
General
rates
rates
Targeted
rates
Targeted
rates/
General
rates
General
rates
User-pays/ User-pays/ General Levy funded
Targeted Levy funded Rates/ Levy
rates/
funded
General
rates
Other
Territorial Authorities Waste Infrastructure and Services Survey
27
Recycling quantities
Total estimated annual quantities for TA provided kerbside recycling services were provided by
41 TAs. Eighty-one per cent reported that annual tonnage recycled was less than 5000 tonnes.
Figure 24:
Estimated kerbside recycling quantities (% of TAs), 2013
60%
49%
50%
40%
32%
30%
20%
10%
10%
5%
2%
0%
2%
0%
0%
0%
Less than 1000
tonnes
1000 – 4999
tonnes
5000 – 9999
tonnes
10,000 – 14,999 15,000 – 19,999 25,000 – 29,999 30,000 – 39,999 40,000 – 49,999 50,000+ tonnes
tonnes
tonnes
tonnes
tonnes
tonnes
This can be compared to data provided for the 2011 survey, where relatively similar numbers
were reported by 37 respondents.
Figure 25:
Estimated kerbside recycling quantities (% of TAs), 2011 and 2013
60%
54%
49%
50%
40%
32%
30%
2011
2013
24%
20%
10%
10%
8%
5%
3%
3%
3%
0%
2%
0%
0%
3%
3%
2%
0%
0%
Less than 1000
tonnes
28
1000 – 4999 tonnes 5000 – 9999 tonnes
10,000 – 14,999
tonnes
15,000 – 19,999
tonnes
25,000 – 29,999
tonnes
Territorial Authorities Waste Infrastructure and Services Survey
30,000 – 39,999
tonnes
40,000 – 49,999
tonnes
50,000+ tonnes
9
Territorial authority kerbside organic
waste services
Provision of service
All 53 territorial authority (TA) respondents provided
information on whether or not they offer a kerbside
collection service for organic waste. Six (11%) provide
this service, as was the case in 2011.
Figure 26:
Number of TAs providing kerbside organic collection services, 2011 and 2013
50
Number of TAs
40
30
48
47
No
Yes
20
10
6
6
2011
2013
0
Operation of service
Of the six TAs who provide organic waste collections, two of the services are council operated
and four are council contracted.
Fifty-three per cent of the 53 TAs also reported that a private organics collection service is
available.
In 2011, six of the 54 TA respondents provided a kerbside organic waste collection service and
all of these were provided through a council contracted service.
Territorial Authorities Waste Infrastructure and Services Survey
29
Figure 27:
Operation of kerbside organic collection services (% of TAs), 2013
Private
collection
No collection
42%
47%
4%
4%
2%
2%
Council operated
Council contracted/
Private collection
Council operated/
Private collection
Council
contracted
Figure 28:
Operation of kerbside organic collection services (% of TAs), 2011 and 2013
60%
50%
48%
47%
42%
41%
40%
30%
2011
2013
20%
9%
10%
4%
2%
0%
2%
4%
2%
0%
0%
No collection
Council operated
Council operated/
Private collection
Council contracted
Council contracted/
Private collection
Private collection
In 2011, 48 TAs did not provide a service, however there was a private collection service
available in 23 districts.
Table 3:
Provision of kerbside organic collection service (number of TAs), 2011 and 2013
Provision of kerbside organic collection service
2011
2013
Council provided collection available
6
6
No council provided collection available
48
47
Private collection available
23
28
No kerbside collections available
26
22
Other non-kerbside services available
53
40
30
Territorial Authorities Waste Infrastructure and Services Survey
Organics model
Figure 29 shows the breakdown of the types of organics – green waste only, food waste only,
or both – collected by TAs across the six responses.
Figure 29:
Type of organics collected by TAs (% of TAs), 2013
Green waste/ Food
waste/ Other
Green waste
17%
33%
17%
Food waste
17%
17%
Green waste/
Other
Green waste/
Food waste
Two TAs noted collecting ‘other’ organic waste with their organic collections. The TA offering
green waste and ‘other’ noted that although the service is for green waste only, there are no
restrictions on residents placing other types of organics in their wheelie bin. The second TA
collecting other organics in their collection reported that the service accepts food soiled paper,
paper towels, tissues and other compostable cardboard and paper. It should be noted that
similar items are also likely to be accepted by the other TAs collecting food waste through their
organic kerbside collection service.
In 2011, two TAs provided a green waste service only, one provided a food waste service only,
and three provided both green and food waste collection.
Figure 30:
Type of organics collected (% of TAs), 2011 and 2013
50%
50%
40%
33%
33%
30%
2011
2013
20%
17%
17%
17%
17%
17%
10%
0%
0%
0%
Green waste
Green waste/ Food waste
Green waste/ Other
Food waste
Green waste/ Food waste/
Other
Territorial Authorities Waste Infrastructure and Services Survey
31
Collection unit
Of the six TAs that provide kerbside organic collection services, over half provide a large 240L
wheelie bin for organic collections.
Figure 31:
Kerbside organic waste collection unit (% of TAs), 2011 and 2013
Note: ‘MGB’ = mobile garbage bin.
One TA indicated ‘other’, noting the collection unit was a 10L bucket.
The TA that offers both a small and large bin noted that a small 80L unit is provided, but the
property owner may pay an annual fee to be supplied a large 240L unit.
The TA offering either a medium, large or ‘other’ bin noted that the latter option is a 40L
stacker crate.
In 2011, two TAs provided a small 80L bin and the other four provided a large 240L bin.
Availability of other services
Forty-six TAs provided information on the availability of other organic services.
In 12 districts, the public had access to a home composting subsidy for a worm farm, bokashi
bin, or similar. In 33 districts, the public may take their organic waste to the transfer station.
32
Territorial Authorities Waste Infrastructure and Services Survey
Figure 32:
Availability of other organic waste services (% of TAs), 2011 and 2013
80%
74%
70%
61%
60%
50%
40%
2011
31%
2013
31%
30%
28%
22%
20%
20%
17%
11%
10%
2%
0%
None
Table 4:
Self-delivery to transfer
station
Self-delivery to landfill
Home composting subsidy
Other
Availability of non-kerbside services for organics (number of TAs), 2011 and 2013
Non-kerbside organic services available
2011
2013
Self-delivery to transfer station
40
33
Self-delivery to landfill
17
9
Home composting subsidy
17
12
Other
15
11
None
1
6
The category ‘other’ includes education initiatives for composting (no subsidy), private
operator services, and one council noted using green waste for dune stabilisation at the beach.
Frequency of collection
Out of the six TAs providing an organic collection service, three provide a weekly collection
with the other three providing a fortnightly collection.
Territorial Authorities Waste Infrastructure and Services Survey
33
Figure 33:
Frequency of kerbside organic waste collection services (% of TAs), 2011 and 2013
70%
67%
60%
50%
50%
50%
40%
2011
33%
2013
30%
20%
10%
0%
0%
0%
Fortnightly
Weekly
Other
Funding of services
Information provided on the funding of TA organic waste collections by the six TAs shows that
five use rates (either targeted or general) to fund the service, with user-pays being the funding
method for one TA.
Figure 34:
Funding of TA kerbside organic waste collection services (% of TAs), 2011 and 2013
In 2011, three TAs funded the organic waste collection through targeted rates, and the other
three TAs funding the service via user pays, general rates, or a combination of user pays and
targeted rates.
34
Territorial Authorities Waste Infrastructure and Services Survey
Organic waste quantities
Of the six TA respondents who offer organic kerbside collection, four TAs indicated that less
than 5000 tonnes of organic waste is collected as part of their kerbside collection.
Figure 35:
70%
Quantities of organic waste collected (% of TAs), 2013
67%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
17%
17%
10%
0%
0%
0%
Less than 5,000 tonnes
5,000 to 10,000 tonnes
10,000 to 15,000 tonnes
15,000 to 20,000 tonnes
20,000 + tonnes
Of the four TAs collecting less than 5000 tonnes, two collected less than 1000 tonnes and two
collected between 1000 and 4999 tonnes.
In 2011, the same tonnages were reported – three TAs indicated collecting less than
5000 tonnes, one TA collected between 10,000 and 15,000 tonnes and one TA collected over
20,000 tonnes (the tonnage collected by this TA was 47,280 tonnes).
Territorial Authorities Waste Infrastructure and Services Survey
35
10 Territorial authority kerbside
inorganic waste services
Provision of service
All 53 territorial authority (TA) respondents provided
information on whether or not they offer a kerbside
collection service for inorganic waste.
Of the 53 TAs, four (8%) provide a kerbside inorganic waste collection. The availability of
kerbside inorganic collection has decreased from 15% in 2011 to 8% in 2013.
Figure 36:
Number of TAs providing kerbside inorganic waste services, 2011 and 2013
50
Number of TAs
40
30
46
49
No
Yes
20
10
8
0
2011
4
2013
In 2011, one TA who reported that a kerbside inorganic collection service is not available said
the service may be provided up to twice a year only on request from individual households.
Operation of services
Services for all four TAs providing an inorganic collection are contracted out by the TA.
Eight TAs noted a private inorganic collection service is available.
36
Territorial Authorities Waste Infrastructure and Services Survey
Figure 37:
Kerbside inorganic waste collection services (% of TAs), 2011 and 2013
Table 5:
Provision of inorganic waste services (number of TAs), 2011 and 2013
Provision of inorganic waste services
2011
2013
Council provided collection available
8
4
No council provided collection available
46
49
Private collection available
2
8
No kerbside collection available
45
41
Other non-kerbside services available
0
36
Availability of other services
Fifty-three TAs provided information on the availability of other services for inorganic waste,
with 68% of TAs offering sorting of inorganic waste at transfer stations.
The category ‘other’ includes re-use/second-hand shops, and private operator skip bins or
collections eg, scrap metal, whiteware.
This question was not asked in the 2011 survey.
Territorial Authorities Waste Infrastructure and Services Survey
37
Figure 38:
Other inorganic waste services available (% of TAs), 2013
70%
68%
60%
50%
40%
30%
21%
19%
20%
10%
8%
0%
None
Self-delivery to transfer station
Self-delivery to landfill
Other
Frequency of collection
Of the four TAs that provide a kerbside inorganic service, three TAs informed that this occurs
on an annual basis. One TA indicated ‘other’, noting that in one part of the district inorganic
collections occur annually, and another part of the district the collections occur biannually.
Figure 39:
Frequency of kerbside inorganic waste collection services (% of TAs), 2011 and 2013
80%
75%
70%
60%
50%
50%
40%
2011
38%
2013
30%
25%
20%
13%
10%
0%
0%
0%
0%
Annually
38
More than once a year
Less than once a year
Territorial Authorities Waste Infrastructure and Services Survey
Other
In 2011, four TAs reported the frequency of collections was annually, one TA biennially (every
two years), and one TA approximately four times per year. One TA who indicated the
frequency of collection was annually, also noted that this service is provided only in areas
where the community provide support, and are often referred to as community clean ups.
Funding of services
The four TAs that provide a kerbside inorganic collection informed that these services are
largely funded through targeted rates, though one of those TAs did indicate one area within
the TA boundary that utilises the ‘user-pays’ model of funding.
Figure 40:
Funding of TA kerbside inorganic waste services (% of TAs), 2011 and 2013
In 2011, six of the eight TAs providing a service informed that the inorganics collection was
funded through general rates.
Inorganic waste quantities
All four TAs provided information on quantities collected through their kerbside inorganic
waste collection services. Two TAs collected less than 1000 tonnes, one TA collected between
1000 and 4999 tonnes and one TA collected over 25,000 tonnes.
In 2011, seven of the eight TAs who provide the service collected less than 1000 tonnes, with
one TA collecting 23,419 tonnes of inorganic waste.
Territorial Authorities Waste Infrastructure and Services Survey
39
11 Illegal dumping
All 53 territorial authority (TAs) respondents provided information on whether or not they have
systems in place to record incidents of illegal dumping, of which 41 TAs do.
Figure 42:
Number of TAs recording incidents of illegal dumping, 2011 and 2013
4
50
12
Number of TAs
40
30
No
50
Yes
41
20
10
0
2011
2013
Of the 41 TAs who record incidents, 77% recorded actual incidents of illegally dumped waste in
2013. Ninety-three per cent of TAs reported recording incidents of illegal dumping in 2009/10
financial year in the 2011 survey, 15% more than in 2013.
Seventy-one per cent of the TAs who provided information on illegal dumping reported that
the number of incidents of illegal dumping over the 2012-13 financial year was between 0 and
499 incidents, with a further 12% unsure of the number of incidents. However, 62% of TAs
reported that this was an increase in the incidents of illegally dumped waste from the previous
financial year (2011/12).
Figure 43:
Number of illegal dumping incidents recorded by TAs (% of TAs), 2011 and 2013
71%
70%
60%
60%
50%
40%
2011
2013
30%
26%
20%
12%
12%
10%
10%
5%
0%
2%
2%
0%
0%
0%
0-499 tonnes
40
500-999 tonnes
1000-1499 tonnes
1500-1999 tonnes
Territorial Authorities Waste Infrastructure and Services Survey
Unknown
Not indicated
12 Other territorial authority waste
services and infrastructure
Forty-seven TAs provided information on ‘other services in their district’, for example, whether
there are processing facilities for certain recyclable materials or what drop off facilities are
available for particular waste streams.
Processing facilities
Fifty-one per cent of the 47 respondents have no processing facilities, which would indicate
that recyclable materials collected through the kerbside collection services or drop off facilities
would need to be transported to on-shore or off-shore facilities for processing.
Figure 44:
Percentage of processing facilities operated by or known to TAs (% of TAs), 2013
60%
51%
50%
40%
30%
28%
23%
21%
19%
20%
19%
13%
10%
9%
4%
4%
0%
0%
Tyres
Scrap metal
E-waste
Recycling
plastic
Recycling glass
Recycling
paper /
cardboard
Recycling
aluminium
Recycling
other
Incinerator
None
Other
Drop off facilities
The respondents also provided information on the types of wastes accepted at one or more
‘drop off’ facilities available in their district. Drop off facilities may include transfer stations and
urban and rural residential recycling bins.
There have been some changes to waste streams accepted at drop off facilities such as
transfer stations between 2011 and 2013. For example, there have been increases in the
availability of drop off facilities across most waste streams, for example e-waste, hazardous
waste, clean fill, metals, construction and demolition waste, and paint.
The category ‘other’ includes materials such as hazardous waste and used oil.
Territorial Authorities Waste Infrastructure and Services Survey
41
42
Territorial Authorities Waste Infrastructure and Services Survey
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
E-waste
41%
68%
Figure 45:
Tyres
65%64%
Hazardous
waste
48%
60%
Refuse
57%
79%
Green waste
69%
87%
Cleanfill
30%
55%
Plaster board
35%
45%
Paper and
cardboard
80%
92%
Plastics
76%
91%
57%
77%
69%
79%
Ferrous metal Non-ferrous Gas cylinders
metal
65%
81%
Drop off facilities available by waste stream (% of TAs), 2011 and 2013
Batteries
72%
75%
C & D Waste
31%
42%
Paint
56%
74%
Re-usable
items
52%
60%
Glass
78%
91%
Vehicles
39%
45%
19%
Tetra
15%
Animal
carcasses
9% 9%
6%
None
11%
Other
0%
6%
2013
2011
Appendix: Territorial authorities that
responded to the survey (2013)
Ashburton District Council
South Taranaki District Council
Auckland Council
South Waikato District Council
Buller District Council
Southland District Council
Carterton District Council
Stratford District Council
Central Hawke's Bay District Council
Tasman District Council
Central Otago District Council
Taupo District Council
Christchurch City Council
Timaru District Council
Clutha District Council
Waikato District Council
Dunedin City Council
Waimakariri District Council
Far North District Council
Waimate District Council
Gisborne District Council
Waipa District Council
Gore District Council
Wairoa District Council
Hamilton City Council
Waitaki District Council
Hastings District Council
Waitomo District Council
Hauraki District Council
Wanganui District Council
Horowhenua District Council
Wellington City Council
Hurunui District Council
Western Bay of Plenty District Council
Invercargill City Council
Whakatane District Council
Kaikoura District Council
Whangarei District Council
Kaipara District Council
Kapiti Coast District Council
Kawerau District Council
Mackenzie District Council
Manawatu District Council
Marlborough District Council
Masterton District Council
Napier City Council
Nelson City Council
New Plymouth District Council
Opotiki District Council
Otorohanga District Council
Palmerston North City Council
Rotorua District Council
Ruapehu District Council
Territorial Authorities Waste Infrastructure and Services Survey
43