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Why we shouldn't celebrate a drop in landfill waste just yet

Photo: Creative Commons Poor economic times have seen the amount of commercial and industrial waste being sent off to landfill plummet, according to the latest snapshot of our waste and recycling habits. But it is too soon to celebrate as behind the figures, households are still need to clean up their act. Waste & Recycling Industry Association's (WRIA) 2024 Waste & Recycling Snapshot found waste sent to landfill dropped from 4.7 million tonnes in 2023, to 3.7 million tonnes in 2024. But WRIA spokesperson Barney Irvine told Midday Report it was not all good news. "That seems positive in face value, but sitting behind it there hasn't been a meaningful change in behaviour when it comes to waste minimisation and recycling," he said. Irvine said households are generating more waste then they did the previous year and recycling less, with an increase of 53,000 tonnes (up about seven percent). The consumption of food and drink products, which together with their packaging, constitute the lion's share of household waste, remains strong even in tight economic times, Irvine said. While households were not cutting back in their consumption, there are signs that people are opting for more affordable alternatives, Irvine said. The report saw a shift away from drinks sold in bottles to products sold in less premium packaging material, like cans and plastic. Glass recycling volumes were down by 14 percent, while plastics and tin/aluminium were up by 13 percent and 46 percent respectively. The big drop in waste was driven mainly by the commercial and industrial sectors which saw a 23 percent fall in waste material collected from their sites. "That's all about the slowdown in the economy really, in particular the slow down in building and construction activity which generates a heck of a lot of waste," Irvine said. While waste volumes are currently low, Irvine said the public and policy-makers should be under no illusions about the fact that they will rise again as soon as the economy starts to recover. "Now's not the time for anyone to think that it's a case of job done," he said. "The government should take advantage of the current lull in demand to push ahead in key policy areas, and lay the foundation for a much more resilient, dynamic waste and recycling system into the future." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.