Waste Management and Minimisation Bylaw 2021

About the Bylaw

The Bylaw enables Council to manage the negative impacts of waste on the environment, and protect the health and safety of the public and people involved in waste management.

It provides more detail on how we dispose of waste, including how we manage waste from multi-unit developments, events, construction/demolition sites, and unaddressed/advertising mail.

Solid Waste Management and Minimisation Bylaw 2021 (PDF 385KB)

Multi-unit developments

Owner and/or managers of existing or planned multi-unit developments (MUDs) must make adequate provision for the management of all waste, recycling and organic material generated on the premises.

If a MUD includes 5 or more units/apartments, we recommend considering a communal (shared) waste storage area.

For best practice guidance on designing or upgrading waste storage areas see the MUD Guidance brochure (PDF 742KB)

Compliance with the bylaw is required when you have 10 or more units. If you are establishing 20 or more units the District Plan is also triggered. We encourage owners and/or managers of developments to consult with the Resource Consenting team to develop an appropriate waste management and collection scheme for your site when this threshold is met.

Events

We encourage event organisers to minimise litter and waste at events.

From 25 January 2022 (in accordance with clause 13 of the Bylaw) if you’re running an event with more than 1,000 people, you must submit an event waste minimisation plan to the Council for approval.

The Waste Minimisation Guide (PDF 3.75MB) helps event organisers understand best practice waste minimisation. It has advice on reducing the amount of waste produced at events, recycling and reusing, and sending less material to landfill.

The Event Packaging Guidelines (PDF 3.8 MB) helps event organisers and vendors in the Wellington Region minimise waste from food packaging.

Construction and demolition sites

Most materials from construction/demolition sites can be reused or recycled and we encourage developers to minimise litter and waste.

From 25 January 2022 (in accordance with clause 14 of the Bylaw) anyone applying for building consent for building work with an estimated value of $2million or higher must submit a construction site and demolition waste management plan to Council for approval. This must happen before any building work starts.

The BRANZ website has tools to you plan waste management for construction/demolition sites.

Unaddressed mail and advertising material

The new Bylaw prohibits people putting unaddressed or advertising material:

• in any letterbox which is clearly marked "no circulars", "no junk mail", "addressed mail only" or words of similar effect, or around or near any such letterbox or associated vehicle access way
• on any vehicle parked in a public place
• in a letterbox that is already full of mail and/or advertising material.

For a list of exceptions see the Bylaw.