New Onehunga recycling centre to be supported by $2.2 million of funding

“The new centre will mean people living in and around Onehunga will be able to drop off goods they no longer need to be recycled or given a new lease of life with a new owner rather than ending up in the tip,” said Eugenie Sage.

Aucklanders will soon have a new community recycling centre as part of the Government's plan to reduce the amount of waste ending up in landfills announced Associate Minister for the Environment Eugenie Sage alongside Auckland Mayor Phil Goff in Auckland today.

A major new community recycling centre will be developed by Auckland Council in Onehunga supported by $2.2 million of funding from the Ministry for the Environment's Waste Minimisation Fund. The Waste Minimisation Fund recycles the landfill levy into projects that reduce waste.

"The new centre will mean people living in and around Onehunga will be able to drop off goods they no longer need to be recycled or given a new lease of life with a new owner rather than ending up in the tip," said Eugenie Sage.

"It is estimated the new centre will divert around 70 percent of the material received from landfill, highlighting the importance of the initiative."

It is expected the Onehunga Recycling Centre will be fully operational by 2021. It will provide a full range of Community Recycling Centre services, including drop off areas for different waste types, processing, purchase and sale of reusable goods and extra services such as community learning.

"This centre is expected to mean 260,000 fewer wheelie bins worth of waste ending up in landfill each year by 2025 (3,600 tonnes) and it will create 15 new jobs for locals.

"Onehunga locals can expect a community hub that will enable the community to reduce waste, as well as providing local jobs, training, and opportunities to volunteer. It will empower locals, community organizations and businesses as part of a shared mission to become a zero-waste city," said Eugenie Sage.

The new Onehunga Recycling Centre is the latest centre to be announced across wider Auckland, and it will become part of Auckland Council's Resource Recovery Network, which aims to have a total of 12 centers operating by 2024.

"The government is working to shift from our current linear 'take, make and waste' economy to an economy where resources are reused and waste is designed out of production. This new centre will help deliver on that.

"This project highlights the importance of central and local government, the community and mana whenua working together to achieve transformational change around waste in Auckland and in Aotearoa," said Eugenie Sage.

The Waste Minimisation Fund will contribute an estimated 84 percent of the total project cost to fast-track the establishment of the Community Recycling Centre on a council-owned site in Onehunga. It will offer services to 70,000 residents in the Maungakiekie-Tāmaki Local Board area. It will also provide processing capacity for the Western Springs Community Recycling Centre, which will serve 300,000 residents in the Albert-Eden, Waitematā, and Puketāpapa local board areas.

(With Inputs from New Zealand Government Press Release)