Whakaitihia ō rukenga kai me ō parapara māra, hurihia rānei hei wairākau Reduce and compost your food scraps and garden waste

Ways to manage unwanted food and garden waste that are better for the environment and could help save you money.

• Plan your meals and only buy the  kai Sustenance such as food. you need.
• Store your kai correctly so it lasts longer.
• Use leftovers to make more meals - visit Love Food Hate Waste for tips and recipes.
• Take leftovers home from a restaurant.
• Donate surplus kai to a foodbank.

Visit Ministry of Primary Industries  for more information about how to waste less kai.

Small amounts of  pest plants Plants and weeds that are harmful to pets, property and the environment, spread easily and threaten our native plants. can go in your general household rubbish bins, but general garden waste cannot. To dispose of garden waste, you must book a private garden waste collection service.

To reduce your garden waste, you can:

• make mulch from:
  • grass clippings and leaves
  • prunings from trees and plants
  • wood chips
  • bark
  • branches, sticks and twigs
• use this mulch A layer of material like bark, leaves or grass clippings spread on top of soil to keep it moist and reduce weeds. in your garden to slow down weed growth
• leave grass clippings on the lawn after mowing to return vital nutrients to the soil
• only cut the top third of the grass each time you mow
• replant parts of your lawn with slow-growing native plants that need less maintenance.

You can further reduce your food and garden waste by composting.

Composting is the process of breaking down food scraps, garden waste and some household waste into nutrient-rich soil to help plants grow.

You can compost:

• food scraps except meat, bones and oils
• tea and coffee grounds
• some garden waste
• tissues and paper towels
• paper and cardboard.

Visit How to dispose of weeds for information about composting and mulching weeds.

Find out more about council-funded composting on the Compost Collective website.