It’s 12 months away yet but it is coming: From July next year organic waste will be collected kerbside in Central Otago and processed into compost.

Food waste is currently trucked to Queenstown Lakes District Council’s (QLDC) refuse site at Victoria Flats in the Gibbston Valley, which is proving costly.

Last week Central Otago District Council (CODC) contracted EnviroWaste who are expected to deliver more sustainable and efficient waste management services to the district from July next

year. 

This includes the introduction of a new organic kerbside waste collection.

According to a CODC statement, services will include transfer station operation, kerbside collections, glass crushing plant operation, organics facility operation, and the servicing of drop-off

containers for rural recycling and waste.

CODC says the new contract is a significant step forward for Central Otago’s commitment to sustainable waste management, and will see approximately 1,400 tonnes of waste that was

otherwise destined for landfill converted into compost. 

EnviroWaste will be responsible for collecting the district’s organic waste, processing it into compost using aerated static pile composting technology, then supplying it to ‘local end’ markets. 

The compost will also be available to be used by council’s parks and reserves team, and in small quantities for local, domestic purchase.

“We will also receive benefits in cost efficiencies, new technology, capital investment into the re-development of the Cromwell Transfer Station, and enhanced sustainability practices,” CODC

infrastructure manager, Quinton Penniall said.

The Redruth Resource Recovery Park in Timaru would be used for organics processing temporarily until a new organics processing facility can be constructed in Central Otago.

The council is also in talks with the QLDC, as a potential user of the new organics processing facility.

Further waste reduction initiatives are being explored through direct negotiations with Wastebusters on the full functionality of the Alexandra Resource Recovery Park.

The negotiations involve the range of divertible materials that can be received in the future and the potential implementation of a similar facility in Cromwell.

Central Otago District Waste Portfolio Lead, Nigel McKinlay

CODC waste portfolio lead Nigel McKinlay said he was excited to see the district make such an important move towards reducing waste.

“Diverting waste from landfill brings us one step closer towards achieving our long-term sustainability goals and this will benefit not just our current population, but future generations.”

CODC was forced to sell carbon credits from its publicly-owned pine forests recently, to avoid a waste bill budget blow-out relating to use of the Victoria Flats facility.  

QLDC works out how much refuse comes from Central and charges CODC for the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) units that must be purchased from the government to off-set the associated

emissions from the site. The unit price had been jumping up despite government attempts to temper increases.