A cleaner, smarter future for our waste

Doing the right thing with your rubbish and recycling is about to get simpler across the Far North. The council is shifting the focus from throwing things away to keeping materials in use for longer, reducing what goes to landfill and protecting our environment for future generations.

At its September 2025 meeting, the council officially adopted the Solid Waste Strategy 2025–2050 and Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2025–2031. Together, these two documents provide both the long-term vision and the six year action plan needed for creating a cleaner, smarter waste system for our district.

Directed by the Solid Waste Strategy, the Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2025-2031 will lead to positive, practical changes that make it simpler for people to do the right thing with their waste. This includes expanding resource recovery centres and implementing a pilot contestable Waste grant for community and business projects that help reduce waste.

The Solid Waste Strategy 2025–2050 looks 25 years ahead and is guided by four key goals:

• Reducing waste to landfill
• Normalising resource recovery
• Building local circular economies
• Protecting and regenerating the environment.

By 2050, the vision is for a Far North where waste is minimal, resources are continually reused, and the environment thrives supporting strong and resilient communities. To stay responsive to change, but ensure the long term goals remain relevant, the Waste Management and Minimisation Plan must be reviewed every six years, meaning it will be updated four times over the 25-year lifetime period of the Solid Waste Strategy. This will help the council adapt to new technologies, changing community needs, and national priorities.

Kerbside rubbish and recycling services in the Far North are currently provided independently by a private waste management company. These services are not funded or contracted by the council. What the council does provide is 16 refuse and recycling stations around the Far North the long-term strategy, funding, and partnerships that guide how we manage waste across the district and how we plan for a smarter, more sustainable future.