"A steel can begins as iron ore, coal and limestone. These elements are moulded in a 700 degrees C furnace, turning them into steel. The steel is covered with rust-proof industrial tin and then fused together to make it perfectly water and air tight. Then we toss it in the ground and expect worms to eat through it."

The wealthier humankind becomes, the more rubbish we produce. A couple of hundred years ago the industrial revolution took place. Advancement in technologies saw communication, transportation, and the production of goods improve dramatically, and the local soon became global. Our material wealth and health progressed at a staggering rate - the result being - more people living, using more and more finite resources, and unfortunately producing a huge ever-increasing amount of solid waste.

According to the Ministry for the Environment, 3.4 million tonnes of waste ends up in New Zealand landfills every year.

The need to develop good waste practices has been promoted and structured through Government initiatives and legislation over the last decade, and more aggressively in the last few years. The Resource Management Act 1991, The New Zealand Waste Strategy, Local Government Act, and international conventions such as Agenda 21, have made waste minimisation a Government priority, and responsibility has moved more and more to Local Government to promote a working partnership with local communities in order to focus on minimising waste.

There is considerable public awareness and support for waste-minimisation both globally and locally, and as a result Central Hawke's Bay District Council has adopted the policy of Zero Waste to landfill by 2015 and implemented a Waste Management System which includes:

• A recycling programme
• Separation of greenwaste
• Limited days and hours at transfer stations
• Waste minimisation education

The Agrecovery Rural Recycling Programme provides New Zealand's primary sector with responsible and sustainable systems for the recovery and recycling of persistent "on-farm" waste products.

Established in 2005 Agrecovery is a not-for-profit charitable trust put together by primary sector stakeholders. Its nationwide services are available for farmers, growers, contractors, sports turf managers, vet clinics and others within the New Zealand primary sector.

The aim of the programme is to provide a sustainable solution to help manage the sector's impact on the environment and to meet increasing customer demands for best environmental practices.

A list of participating brand owners for Agrecovery is available to view here

For detailed information about how Agrecovery can help you deal with persistent waste on your farm or property, please visit www.agrecovery.co.nz

Contact

For more information please either e-mail Brett Way, Utilities Manager, or phone him on +64 6 857 8060