Zero Waste: Community Resource Recovery Groups

Volunteers at the Rakaia Resource Recovery Centre (photo left) sort recyclables after their weekly collection.

Some of the best waste reduction initiatives in New Zealand have been initiated and implemented by community groups.

New Zealand has a worldwide reputation for the community-led success of its grassroots recycling enterprises.  Overseas, many recycling operations are government directed, rather than community inspired, and many countries seek information from us on how our community initiatives operate.  

Many community group recycling operations have thrived, often in peripheral areas, where there is not a lot of competition from reycling companies.

Some of the more established groups are now successfully contracting with councils to do the waste work for their communities.

These community groups have proved that they can create jobs and generate money flows within their communities.  Meaningful jobs and businesses have been created by diverting resources from the wastestream.  Community businesses add value to local businesses through purchasing, processing and transportation services and helping to up-skill the local work force.

Community groups are well placed to design systems and processes that are readily adapted in their local community.

Successful community initiatives include Xtreme Waste and Wastebusters Trust Canterbury

• Xtreme Waste is based in Raglan, has worked in partnership with Waikato District Council for three years and operates a fully functional resource recovery centre and kerbside collection. The community business employs 23 local people and currently diverts 64% of waste from landfill. www.xtremewaste.org.nz
  
• Ashburton based Wastebusters Trust Canterbury is a sucessful operation that now employs 21 people (many of whom were previously on benefits and now work part-time). The Trust runs a resource recovery centre and kerbside collection service, educational programmes in schools and have also successfully tendered for resource recovery work in neigbouring areas.  They have won five council contracts while competing on the open market for this work.   www.wastebusters.orcon.net.nz
  
  There are at least 40 community enterprises involved in waste minimisation and resource recovery throughout the country.  (See our Community Profiles page for more details on some of them).