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Organic Food Waste Trial Gives Insight to Wider Roll Out Next Year

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92% of respondents were positive of the trial

 

From Auckland Council

Organics collection trial offers food for thought for future service

 

 

Most participants think Auckland Council’s planned new organics collection service is a good idea, according to an independent survey of households in the trial.

Halfway through the organics trial on Auckland’s North Shore valuable feedback is flowing in on how council can create a user-friendly food waste collection service with 92 per cent of those surveyed saying the trial is a good idea.

Participants separate food scraps and other organic matter such as paper towels, tea bags and indoor cut flowers from their usual rubbish collection so it can be collected weekly and turned into compost.

Trial participants’ comments are also helping council better understand how people are adapting to the service and what effect it has on waste minimisation, before its planned roll out across urban Auckland.

Auckland Council Solid Waste Operations Manager Warwick Jaine, says the council is

pleased with results so far, but it is also aware that some people have concerns, about everything from the durability, size and fit of the kitchen caddy liners to odour issues from fortnightly council rubbish collection.

“We’re listening to all feedback and investigating solutions, such as maintaining weekly council rubbish pick up for a few years, to help ease the transition when an organics collection is introduced throughout urban Auckland,” said Mr Jaine.

 

The organics collection trial has been running since May, across nearly 2000 households in parts of Northcote, Milford and Takapuna, chosen to largely reflect Auckland’s demographics.

So far 85 per cent of households in the trial have put out their organics bin at least once, while 75 per cent are regular users of the weekly service. Both figures are well above the trial’s participation targets.

In eight weeks, the trial has diverted 31 tonnes of food waste from landfill to be processed into compost.

The trial evaluation includes a survey of randomly selected households in the trial area undertaken by Gravitas Research and Strategy, an independent research company.

A new rates-funded urban organics collection service was one of a suite of projects promised in the council’s Waste Management and Minimisation Plan of 2012 and is intended to significantly reduce waste to landfill.

 

Survey information

A survey of 337 residents in the trial area undertaken between 4 June and 27 June 2014.

A total of 92 per cent of respondents thought the organics collection was a good idea for Auckland. Of that number, 67 per cent said it was a very good idea, and 25 per cent said it was a good idea. Four per cent said it was neither a good nor bad idea, one per cent each said it was a poor or very poor idea, and another one per cent each were not sure yet or didn’t know.

When asked how satisfied or dissatisfied they were with aspects of the organics collection trial, 87 per cent of respondents said they were satisfied with the organics, recycling and rubbish collection service overall as a way to manage household waste.

Another five per cent said they were dissatisfied, while seven per cent were neither satisfied nor dissatisfied, and one per cent did not answer this question.

The trial evaluation also includes further qualitative research, to explore the initial findings in more depth and a follow up survey at the end of the trial.

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The new waste collection system which is meant to have three bins (general, recycling and organic) starts in 2015

 

Tweet of the Day

· 2 Comments ·

Pays to check in advance

 

So Auckland Transport has a nice “little” launch for their new Travelwise program in which the Mayor was attending and even speaking to the gathering. Well in his presentation this happened:

 

Oh dear someone cue the crickets…

I do not know what is more sad?

The fact no one put their hand up which shows as an indictment from our transport failings over the last 25 years, or someone forgot to check prior to the Mayor asking that rather embarrassing question…

 

Oh if you are wondering why I have not been forgiving a particular department of Auckland Transport (no not the Planning and Strategy division which I have never had issues with and actually enjoy a good relationship with) this week then check this in response to the shuttle situation from the AT CEO and see why:

 

Update: I was writing this up this happened outside the Travel Wise event:

Hopefully and by the looks of it the cyclist is okay. But with the cyclist in a bus lane where cars shouldn’t technically be and wearing hi-viz and still gets hit by a car you wonder why children do not cycle to and from school.

 

One Minute on How to Shape Auckland Over the Next Ten Years

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Opportunity for Under 25’s to enter Council Competition

 

From Auckland Council

Auckland’s young filmmakers given one minute to shape 10 years

 

Auckland’s under 25s could win a share of $7000 prize money through Auckland Council’s latest youth video challenge. The videos must be under one minute, and say what Auckland needs to invest in to become the world’s most liveable city.

Filmmakers have from 30 June to midnight 20 July to submit their video. Finalist’s videos will be put on YouTube, with the winners being those with the most views. First place will receive a $3000 prize.

“Auckland is preparing for its biggest ever investment in its future. There are plans for better ways to get around, how we treat our environment, events and things that will make our neighbourhoods safer, and also things that will create new opportunities for young people,” says Auckland Council’s youth advocate, Councillor Linda Cooper.

“This is our chance to hear from our young people about what’s most important to them – for their local areas as well as Auckland as a whole.”

Councillor Cooper says, “It doesn’t matter what you use to film it – a mobile phone is fine. What’s important is the thinking behind it and taking a chance to have your say and shape Auckland’s future; to say what sort of city you want to live in.”

The top videos will be used through the coming year to help encourage other Aucklanders to get engaged in choices around Auckland’s 10- year spending plan, the Long-term Plan 2015-2025, which sets out how much the council will spend, what on, where and when.

Videos can cover local issues or those affecting Auckland as a whole. Entrants can check out visions and ideas for local areas when local board plans are launched for consultation on 7 July.

There is also regional pride at stake, with Wellington City Council set to run a similar competition later in July.

For more information on the video competition, visit shapeauckland.co.nz

 

The rules to enter are:

  1. you have from 30 June to 20 July to make your video, answering the question: “What should Auckland spend money on to become the world’s most liveable city?”
  2. videos must be one minute or less
  3. you can use a mobile phone or whatever you want to make it. But you must send it to us in .mp4 or .mov format
  4. you can make one by yourself, one with your friends or both – and you can enter as many times as you want.

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Let see what the youth of Auckland can come up with 😀