Rubbish - it doesn't go away

New Zealanders use over 22 million bags each week. If you don't need one, don't take one.

New Zealanders throw away 3.6 million tonnes of rubbish every year. If we were to measure this in 9 tonne buses it would equate to 400,000 buses of rubbish - that's more than 1000 buses every day.

The crazy thing is that around 65 percent of our "rubbish" could be recycled or composted instead.

While the government is working on ways to address New Zealand's rubbish problem, at the end of the day it's what individuals do that will really make the difference.

Take action to reduce rubbish

The good news is that it's easy to reduce your rubbish - check out these action plans:

Shop environmentally Find out how you can reduce your rubbish by what you buy.

Compost kitchen scraps and garden rubbish Find out how to put your kitchen scraps and garden rubbish to a better use.

Recycle all that you can Find out how to recycle your rubbish so that the material can be used to make new products.

Make a difference at work Find out how to reduce the amount of rubbish produced at your workplace.

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Think you're doing everything you can already? Have a go at our Rubbish check-up to see if you're really reducing all that you can.

To find our more on what's happening in your region and how your local council can help you reduce your rubbish, check out our Regional links.

Feedback or questions? Email info@reducerubbish.govt.nz