It’s been a just over a year since NPDC’s Sorting Depot opened its doors and already it has helped divert around 1300 tonnes of commercial waste from the landfill.

Since opening in July 2023, the facility in Colson Road has processed more than 3,500 tonnes of waste, including treated and untreated timber, plasterboard and other construction and building materials.

The Sorting Depot is a one-stop location providing an easy and environmentally conscious option for construction and demolition companies to take unwanted materials.

NPDC Infrastructure Manager, Rui Leitão, says the infrastructure industry has an important role to play in waste minimisation. 

“The construction and demolition sectors are primary sources of waste in Taranaki, accounting for about 60 per cent of what ends up in landfills.

“The Sorting Depot does its part by keeping tonnes of valuable materials out of landfill every year. And we're not stopping there; we're actively looking into new markets for other materials we don’t currently take, like polystyrene, to keep pushing towards a more sustainable future," says Rui.

Of the material processed at the depot to date, treated timber makes up about  70 per cent followed by metals (11 per cent), untreated timber (5.5 per cent), and plasterboard, gib and gypsum at 4.5 per cent.

The team are actively looking at ways to encourage more business to us the depot.

“The more businesses we have using the site, the faster our journey toward a circular economy system will happen the more resources and materials can be reused reduces our dependence on landfill,” says Rui.

For more details about the Sorting Depot, visit npdc.govt.nz/SortingDepot

Sustainability on Site breakfast

NPDC is partnering Mitre 10 and 3R to host a free breakfast for tradies on 26 July. This informative session will cover how the Council works with local industry to reduce waste to landfill.  Go to Eventfinda.co.nz to register your place.

Fast facts:

• NPDC is working with towards an ambitious goal to Taranaki have zero waste to landfill by 2040
• When it opened, the New Plymouth depot was only the third commercial waste sorting facility in New Zealand, after depots in Marlborough and Auckland.
• 45,000 tonnes of Taranaki’s yearly landfill waste come from businesses.

© Scoop Media