What a waste

We can all agree that our food waste should not go into a landfill.

Beyond that the New Plymouth food waste story becomes increasingly murky, illogical and reeks of gross waste of money.

In 2019 the NPDC announced with great fanfare its ‘‘Zero Waste’’ policy, which included the kerbside collection of food waste.

By the council’s own figures this fully costed pick-up service was calculated to add five per cent to the average rate bill.

As I and many other households already compost our kitchen waste and turn it into an asset for the garden at no cost to the council I contacted its waste manager and asked if there was an opportunity to opt out? The answer was a firm ‘‘No’’.

The 5 per cent includes a home composting education component. I attended one of the workshops at Brooklands and while well run there were less than 20 participants. This is promotionally invisible and has had no follow-up that I am aware of.

The kerbside collection programme was based on the waste being processed at Ureti.

However, the council had chosen this company without ensuring itself that the required resource consents were in place.

Since this embarrassment came to light the council has been forced to ship the waste 300km to Hampton Downs and will do so for two more years.

When I queried one of the councillors about the cost he told me that these weekly shipments were mere ‘‘backloads’’.

They might be backloads but they are not free!

Herb Spannagl, New Plymouth