The survey is driven by the central government’s announcement in May 2023 that by 2030, all district and city councils must provide food waste (or combined food and green waste) collection for households in urban areas with a population of over 1,000. This will apply to Westport, Reefton, Greymouth, and Hokitika, but Runanga and Carters Beach may also be included.

The three West Coast District Councils have joined forces with Development West Coast and the Ministry for the Environment to explore the topic and frame up options for how food and green waste collection could work in urban centres from 2030 onwards.

To understand people’s current attitudes and behaviours, West Coasters are encouraged to participate in the region-wide food and green waste survey, which will be live between 8 July and 29 July 2024.

This will help your Council understand the situation on the West Coast and evaluate the potential demand for collection and processing services.

The survey will be live between 8 July and 29 July 2024 and only take five minutes.

You will be asked questions about your current approach to food and green waste and your preferences for collecting it. This is your chance to have your say right from the start.

Please note: the survey's may be publicly available on the council’s website, through inclusion in council agendas, and/or retrievable by request under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987. Contact details will redacted under the Privacy Act 2020.

What is happening currently with food and green waste?

Food scraps and wasted food are currently disposed of with general household rubbish. This rubbish is transported to landfills for disposal, creating emissions and added cost for ratepayers. 

Food and green waste collection could be one way to reduce the amount of waste in landfills. However, to make it work, we need to find collection and processing solutions that fit our region. Therefore, the survey is crucial.

New Zealand-wide, more than 300,000 tonnes of food scraps and wasted food are sent to landfills every year, rotting and producing methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. This is approximately 30 – 40% of the waste that ends up in landfills nationwide. Waste audits completed in Buller and Grey in 2018 showed that these figures are broadly consistent with the national average, with 49% of kerbside waste being food waste. 

In the big picture, reducing food waste sent to landfills is a critical step if Aotearoa New Zealand is to meet its emissions reduction target of decreasing waste-caused methane gas by 40 per cent by 2035.

Have your say

Individuals, organisations, and businesses can participate in the survey. The more people who participate, the more information we gather - the better we can plan. It is a fantastic chance for people coast-wide to bring in their voice right from the get-go.

 Online

Surveys can be completed online by visiting https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/foodandgreenwastewc

Paper

Download the paper survey form here. The form is also available from the councils’ offices and libraries in Grey, Westland, and Buller. Completed paper surveys can be posted to each council or dropped off at the Westport, Reefton, Greymouth, and Hokitika council offices.

Email

Email your filled-out survey form to your district council with the subject “Food and green waste collection”. You can find the email address below.

Post

Return your paper survey form to the mail slot at your district council office.

Questions?

Visit your Council’s website or grab some information from the Council’s offices and libraries in your district. You can email your district council with the subject “Food and green waste collection” if you have any questions.

FAQs

Want to know more? Please read our Frequently Asked Questions to learn more about food and green waste on the coast and in Aotearoa.