If you attended this year’s WasteMINZ conference in Hamilton you might have spotted Civic’s EV street-cleaning truck simulation. We had some fun and jazzed up the truck’s features and capabilities, including automated pick-up and washing of wheelie bins and equipment for hard surface pressure-washing with steam or water.
This year’s WasteMINZ conference and expo was another great industry event and an excellent opportunity to network, hear from experts and check out some of the innovations happening in this space. Themed around Toitū Te Whenua Whatungarangaro He Tangata (The land remains when people have disappeared), there was heavy emphasis on integrating Māori kaitiakitanga principles into waste minimisation by focusing on the guardianship of our taonga or natural resources.
There was also a significant push for improving recycling throughout the country and looking to standardise what is and isn’t collected for recycling. As well as this, there was discussion around changing behaviours around waste in schools (in particular primary schools) and local businesses, through increased education and engagement. There were also plenty of conversations around the planned increase of the refuse disposal levy, which is likely to be substantial and double tipping costs for waste collection providers. The main reason for the increase is to make recycling, which is expensive, a more viable option and in the long-term reduce material to landfill.