Auckland food scrap bins: Low uptake on some streets

Local politicians in South Auckland say that only a handful of households on certain streets use food scrap bins and want increased community engagement.

Auckland Council recently celebrated diverting 30,000 tonnes of food waste from landfills in under two years - the equivalent weight of more than 300 blue whales.

Pacific families are yet to fully embrace food scrap recycling, highlighting the need for greater engagement to showcase its value and importance. Photo / Auckland Council

While Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board Chair Apulu Reece Autagavaia acknowledged this achievement, he said greater community engagement is needed, particularly among Pasifika communities.

Apulu says there are often just five food scrap bins out on his street on collection day, a concern echoed by the Manukau Ward councillor.

Food waste bins were rolled out in Auckland in 2023 as part of the city's long-term plan to achieve zero waste by 2040.

Apulu said his local board area has yet to fully embrace the service, indicating that the council still has significant work to engage the community.

Chair of the Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board, Apulu Reece Autagavaia is calling for more engagement with Pacific families for them to see the value in the food scraps bin programme. Photo / PMN News Mary Afemata

"Unless our community [is] taken along on the journey, then a lot of us will not engage with it,” he says. “We won't see the value in it.”

Apulu raised his concerns at a recent board meeting, saying the community needs to understand why they are paying higher rates for the waste minimisation plan.

“That can be very difficult for communities such as ours, where we're struggling to make ends meet. We know how important the environment is, but when these things don't match up, a lot of people can get turned off."

Apulu also said that the community should be informed about the scheme’s benefits, including how it contributes to home energy.

“Our families are, especially our elderly from the islands; they are naturally green-fingered people. They're really good at growing food and so forth.

"And so food scraps and using that as a way to grow our food, to recycle the food scraps, that's a natural thing for us."

However, Apulu noted that as housing becomes denser, many people need more connection to what happens to their food scraps.

Manukau ward councillor Lotu Fuli said education is key regarding the food scrap bins programme. Photo / Auckland Council

He said there was a low uptake in his neighbourhood, with only five households using the food scraps bin on his street.

Manukau Ward Councillor Lotu Fuli has seen similar trends in her area.

“I can tell you, in my street, on food waste day, there's not even one bin. You're lucky to see one bin.”

Data shows that 40 per cent of household waste is food.

"So it should reduce your waste that goes into the big bin by 40 per cent."

Fuli said education is key.

"We're asking for a huge cultural shift for our country and our community. And we're not there yet.

Justine Haves, Waste Solutions General Manager, commits to helping families and communities use food scraps bins to achieve zero waste by 2040. Photo / LinkedIn

“The food waste bin, hopefully by 2026, people will be used to it."

Councillor Richard Hills, Chair of the Policy and Planning Committee, said residents who used the food waste bins helped reduce the city's environmental impact, contributing to a sustainable future.

Auckland Council was approached for comment regarding the criticism about the need for greater engagement with the South Auckland community, particularly with Pacific families, to help them understand the value of food scrap bins and encourage their participation.

In a statement, Justine Haves, the General Manager of Waste Solutions, acknowledged the challenges faced by Pacific families, who are more likely to have larger households.

"To support these families, we encourage people to order a second food scraps bin at no extra charge to their rates bill.

“Our Community Engagement team worked with a range of key community partners to engage with Pacific communities during the roll-out of the food scraps service.

“We will continue working with community partners and leaders to understand the challenges and barriers that families face, to support those who want to make use of their food scraps bin and help Tāmaki Makaurau on our journey to zero waste by 2040.”

Since April 2023, the food scrap collection programme has become one of the largest in Australasia, reaching over 465,000 Auckland households.

It has generated enough energy to power 300,000 homes for a month.

The diverted food scraps have produced enough liquid fertiliser to cover nearly 100 square kilometres of productive land - the equivalent of 13,500 rugby fields.

The food scraps bin programme is estimated to have saved 19,600 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions from landfills, comparable to removing 6000 cars from Auckland’s roads or planting half a million trees.

The food scraps are processed at New Zealand’s only anaerobic digestion facility, operated by Ecogas. The facility converts the scraps into biogas, electricity, heat, and liquid fertiliser.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.