Waste disposal levy increases – what is it for and what it does it mean?
Read on to find out how the increase in the levy will affect you.
From the 1st July 2021 and we will see the first increase of the waste disposal levy. This levy is currently set at $10 per tonne on all waste that is sent to landfill. The purpose of this increase in the levy is to encourage New Zealanders to be more responsible about the waste they produce and to find more efficient and better ways to reduce, reuse and recycle waste. The government has proposed that the increased revenue gathered from the waste disposal levy will be used for resource recovery and waste minimisation.
Read on to find out how the increase in the levy will affect you.
How will the waste disposal levy increase affect me?
It will be up to the disposal facility operators to pay this levy based on the amount of waste that is disposed of their facility. However, they are likely to choose to pass this on to the waste producers including households and businesses. The Ministry for Environment estimates that when fully implemented the increase in the levy could increase the cost of the weekly kerbside rubbish collection by 25c, depending on individual council decisions. According to the Invercargill City Council the increase in the waste disposal levy has the potential to increase household waste by $4 to $30 per annum by 2023.
Learn more about how to reduce your household waste.
Who else will be affected?
The construction and demolition industry is one of the country’s largest waste producers by weight. It makes up about half of all waste going to landfill. The current landfill levy only applies to municipal waste (about 45% of waste to landfill), but from 1st July 2022 there will be a fee of $20 per tonne on all waste from construction and demolition.
What are the Waste Disposal Levy increases?
The waste disposal levy is introduced under the Waste Management Act 2008. It is currently set at $10 per tonne on all waste sent to landfill. From 2021 this rate will progressively increase. This increase will start for municipal (Class 1) landfills to $20 per tonne on 1st July 2021.
The confirmed class and increase in the levy are outlined in the table below:
| Landfill Class | Waste Types | 1st July 2021 | 1st July 2022 | 1st July 2023 | 1st July 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Municipal landfill (Class 1) | Mixed municipal wastes from residential, commercial and industrial sources | $20 | $30 | $50 | $60 |
| Construction and demolition fill (Class 2) | Range of waste from construction and demolition activities including rubble, plasterboard, timber and other materials | $20 | $20 | $30 | |
| Managed fill (Class 3) | Contaminated but non-hazardous soils and other inert materials (e.g., rubble) | $10 | $10 | ||
| Controlled fill (Class 4) | Soils and other inert materials (e.g., rubble) | $10 | $10 |
Find out more
For more information about the waste disposal levy.
If you have any questions about how the waste levy disposal will affect your skip bin hire give us a call.
