Thanks to everyone who has contributed ideas so far for the review of our regional waste plan – we’re up to nearly 200 pieces of feedback – thank you!

From what you've told us - you care about packaging, a lot! Whether it’s finding ways to reduce or avoid it, or improve how its recovered and recycled, packaging is a hot topic. Feedback has included wanting to see more producer responsibility and products not sold in recyclable packaging, amongst many other ideas.

You also care about food waste and garden waste, and for many of you, building waste is a big topic. Alongside that have been many other suggestions and ideas.

So what are we doing with this feedback?

We are starting to draft a new Waste Management and Minimisation Plan for the region, which will be coming out for formal public consultation early in 2025. Your feedback forms part of the information we’ve been gathering about what needs to change in the plan, so right now we’re reviewing everything you’ve written.

Waste Matters!

Every day, millions of things that can be reused or recycled are thrown away, but we want to change that.

To seriously address climate change, we all need to take significant steps forward in our approach to waste.

At Nelson City and Tasman District Councils, we have started the review of our shared waste plan. This will be our opportunity to rethink waste, not just how we manage it, but how we reduce it and even avoid creating it in the first place.

To make these changes, we are all going to need to work together.

Over the next few months, we’d like your ideas on what our focus should be. There will be a formal consultation on a draft plan early in 2025 but meanwhile, this is your opportunity to tell us what you think matters.

To get us started, you can put your ideas on this page.

Want to know more about national direction? An updated New Zealand Waste Strategy was released in 2023, which will be the roadmap for the next three decades for a low-emissions, low-waste society.

Waste is everyone’s problem, and we all have a role to play in the solution. The little things we can all do will, together, make a big difference.