Wastebusters announced yesterday (Wednesday April 26) it will be closing down its Alexandra reuse shop and recycling services on June 30, 2023.

General manager Tony Pfeiffer said Wastebusters is proud to have delivered reuse, recycling and zero waste education in Central Otago for the last eight years, continuing the great work that Central Otago Wastebusters started in 2000.

With the Wastebusters lease on the Alexandra site coming up for renewal on June 30, it was time for the organisation to face up to commercial realities, he said.

“We’ve had to make the hard call that it’s not financially viable for us to continue to operate on the Alexandra site,” Tony said.

“The Wānaka operations for Wastebusters have subsidised the running of the Alexandra reuse shop and Alexandra recycling services over the last eight years.

“As a social enterprise, we need to ensure that we are financially viable for our people, our place and our impact, so we can continue to work for zero waste into the future. It wouldn’t be responsible of us to commit to operating a loss-making site into the future.”

Tony recognised the hard work and impact created by the founders of Central Otago Wastebusters, and all the many staff who had worked for both organisations over the last 22 years. 

“Wastebusters has appreciated all the support from the community over the last eight years, and the positive relationship that we have developed with the Central Otago District Council [CODC],” he said.

“We were asked by Central Otago Wastebusters to come into the community back in 2015 and provide reuse, recycling and waste reduction services when Central Otago Wastebusters was in financial difficulties. 

“Over the last eight years, we have been honoured to have diverted waste from landfill, provided jobs within the Alexandra community, ensured real recycling for businesses and residents, and delivered zero waste education and community engagement.

"While withdrawing from the Alexandra Boundary Rd site is a very hard decision to make, we are hopeful that we can now pass on the reuse and recycling torch to another social enterprise or business that can keep offering these services to the community.”

Tony said looking after the Alexandra Wastebusters staff is the top priority for the organisation.

“Wastebusters will be prioritising the welfare of our Alexandra team and working hard to support them to transition into future employment.”

Tony said plans will be made for the Wastebusters cats.

"Buster and Sid are well-loved icons within the Alexandra community. We will ensure they find their forever homes as part of the transition."

Wastebusters is continuing to negotiate with CODC to see if there are any ways Wastebusters can continue providing waste reduction impact.

The organisation will cease all of its recycling services in Alexandra, Cromwell and surrounding rural communities on June 30, 2023, including to business customers.

Wastebusters plans to hand over the community recycling drop-off at Boundary Rd to CODC the same day.

“We fully appreciate the loyal support that our business customers have shown to Wastebusters through these tough years, and we know this will come as an unwelcome shock to many of them,” Tony said.

“Volatile commodity markets and intense competition in recycling markets has meant that we are one of the last social enterprises in the country to be doing recycling. 

“With the government delaying plans to bring in a Container Deposit Scheme, we just can’t hang on any longer in Alexandra.”

Tony said there were several commercial recyclers servicing Alexandra and Cromwell businesses. He encouraged any business customers who will no longer be serviced by Wastebusters to continue recycling with another commercial recycler.

The Wastebusters Reuse shop in Alexandra will also stop operating on June 30.

A full hand-over of the Alexandra Boundary Rd site to the CODC will happen over the next few months, with the date to be confirmed.

“Obviously our Wānaka staff will be impacted by the loss of part of our Wastebusters whānau with the closure of the Alexandra site,” Tony said.

The Wānaka reuse shop, Wanaka business and events recycling, the public recycling drop-off at Wastebusters in Wanaka and its waste reduction advice and community engagement will continue to operate as normal.

Tony said Wastebusters remains in a resilient position overall, and the future of the social enterprise is secure.

PHOTO: Alexia Johnson