Porirua City Council

Location: Wellington Region, North Island
Population: 50,000

Porirua City is 20 minutes north of Wellington, and is situated around a picturesque harbour. With a population of approximately 50,000, with residents hailing from many different cultures, Porirua City is an exciting place full of life, colour and fun. It has energy and a heart.

In May 2000 Porirua City Council officially adopted a Zero Waste Policy as part of the new Solid Waste Management Plan. Over 3 years, the Plan has progressed Council moving from providing waste disposal services to leading waste minimisation and waste management in Porirua City.

– Porirua City Council owns the city's Spicer Landfill which is operated by Onyx Group. A commercial weigh-station opened in May 2002 alongside a new hard-stand tipping area for domestic users. The amount of landfill airspace used was 30% less in the 2002-2003 year than in the previous year.  Contributing factors include improved face management, introduction of kerbside recycling, and opening of the Trash Palace resource recovery centre.

- Kerbside recycling was introduced to the city in June 2002. The system uses 60 litre crates with materials sorted at the kerbside by contractor AllBrite Industries Ltd
2700 tonnes was collected kerbside in the first 12 months of the contract.

- The Trash Palace resource recovery centre operates from the vicinity of the Spicer Landfill site, adjoining the Spicer Botanical park with native bush walks. Trash Palace is owned by Porirua City Council, and operated in partnerhips with local not for profit organisation Mana Community Enterprises. The centre was constructed using a wide range of reused, low impact and sustainable materials.
The Palace provides locals with a place to drop off reusable items and to purchase low cost materials and household goods.
An environment centre opened in February 2004 and has completed a pilot series of 11 public workshops on urban sustainability.  Other projects under development include piloting an experiential programme for primary schools.

- Council has discontinued it's annual streetside Inorganic Collection and replaced it with a year round pick up service from private property, operated by Trash Palace. Materials are re-sold or reused where possible, with scrap metal, whiteware and other materials recycled. Previously, all collected material was landfilled. Trash Palace is projected to diverted over 400 tonnes from landfill in it's first year of operation, and now employs more than 10 staff with turnover of around $10,000 per month.

For more information and pictures of Trash Palace, go to  www.trashpalace.co.nz

- Council has helped to establish worm farms in over 10 schools in Porirua City through the Waste-Wise Organics programme.

Download a copy of TOWARDS ZERO WASTE (pdf, 170KB), Porirua Solid Waste Action Plan (May 2000)

For further information please contact 04 237 5089 or visit the Trash Palace website: www.trashpalace.co.nz

Trash Palace Shop