Reducing waste

Need to know

Some businesses are required to measure and report on waste being sent to landfill. This is mandatory for all Carbon Neutral Government Programme agencies.

The Government is introducing regulated product stewardship for six ‘priority’ products and banning some hard-to-recycle plastic products such as polystyrene takeaway food and drink packaging.

This Q&A will provide you with information and resources to make sure your business is meeting best practices for reducing waste.

How it works

Scroll down and answer the questions to review how sustainable your business is based on what you're doing to measure and reduce waste.

This will help you identify the areas where you are doing well or need to improve. Plus there’s helpful advice on making changes and promoting your successes.

Keep a handy record of your answers by downloading and completing the checklist. Your answers are not saved in Docket.

Step 1: Measure

Do you measure and/or audit the amount of waste your business creates?

YES

Great! It’s likely that businesses who buy your products and services want to hear about this. Here are two examples of how you could communicate this when bidding for new work or reporting on your sustainability actions.

"We identify our waste streams created at each stage in the lifecycle of our products and services from sourcing and supply, to creation, distribution and end of life."

"We have been measuring [and auditing] our waste streams since [year], through [waste auditor]."

Note: Include some brief insights into your measurement results e.g. largest stream is [x] because of [x].

Want to learn more about best practice or how you could do more?
Click ‘No / Unsure’ below for more information and resources.
NO / UNSURE

There is a general expectation that a business should be aware of its waste streams and volumes. Once you start measuring the waste your organisation creates, you can identify where it can be reduced and track progress.

Best practice is to identify, measure and/or audit all waste streams in your business. Look across each stage in the lifecycle of a product or service from sourcing and supply, to creation, distribution and end of life.

Learn more

Guide to a waste audit - Recycle.co.nz

Circular Economy Directory, search for waste auditors - Sustainable Business Network

A guide to implementing recycling systems in multi-tenanted office buildings - Ministry for the Environment

Step 2: Mitigate

Are you taking action to design out waste from your business processes?

YES

That's great. Here is an example of how you could communicate this

"We are taking action to [reduce / eliminate] waste from our business processes by [e.g. reintroducing waste materials from production process back into the production process / introducing a managed worm farm to process canteen scraps / asking our suppliers to take back packaging where possible / introducing reusable cup system for staff].”

Note: Explain why taking action is important for your organisation and why you care.

Want to learn more about best practice or how you could do more?
Click ‘No / Unsure’ below for more information and resources.
NO / UNSURE

Taking action to reduce waste can save you money and lessen your impact on the environment. Increasingly, businesses are expecting suppliers to actively reduce waste. It is likely there are waste reduction opportunities you are missing.

Best practice is to identify areas where you can eliminate unnecessary materials, reuse materials and design products to last and/or be easily reprocessed into new products at the end of life.

Looking at your waste streams and considering how to design out waste are good ways to start introducing circular economy principles to your business.

Take action

Climate Action Toolbox, tweak your products - business.govt.nz

Climate Action Toolbox, transform your products - business.govt.nz

Circular Economy Directory, sustainability solutions for your business - Sustainable Business Network

Challenge Hub, solve your sustainability challenges - Sustainable Business Network

X-Labs, a circular economy programme for businesses

Learn more

Knowledge Hub - Discover and contribute practical examples of the circular economy

Product stewardship resources - Sustainable Business Network

Eliminating waste and pollution - Ellen MacArthur Foundation

Do you take responsibility for the waste created by your products and services?

YES

Well done! This means you have taken steps towards a product stewardship or take-back scheme. Here’s an example of how you could communicate this when bidding for new work or reporting on your sustainability actions.

"Our organisation has a product stewardship scheme. We take ownership of the waste created by our [products / services] when they reach the end of life.

Note: Include details about customer engagement with the scheme, volume of materials diverted from landfill and how they were reused, remanufactured, reprocessed or recycled.

Still unsure what best practice means or feel like you could do more to improve? Click No/Unsure below for some more information and resources.
NO / UNSURE

Products and services can create waste in many ways throughout their lifecycle including sourcing, manufacturing, distribution, use and end of life.

Taking responsibility means providing a solution that minimises waste across the full life cycle of the product or service. This includes when it is used as well as what happens at the end of life e.g. a take back scheme for reuse, remanufacture, reprocessing or recycling.

Increasingly, customers are expecting suppliers to provide solutions that minimise waste. Best practice is to design products and put systems in place that eliminate waste and reduce resources throughout their life cycle, including end of life. This could include providing a repair service, or providing spare parts and instructions for making repairs.

Learn more

Product stewardship roadmap - Fujifilm

Product stewardship resource sheet - Sustainable Business Network

Regulated product stewardship, six priority products - Ministry for the Environment

Have you made commitments or set targets to reduce or eliminate waste?

YES

Nice work! Here’s an example of how you could communicate this when bidding for new work or reporting on your sustainability actions.

"We have made commitments to [reduce / eliminate] [type of waste] by [year]."

Want to learn more about best practice or how you could do more?
Click ‘No / Unsure’ below for more information and resources.
NO / UNSURE
A commitment and target for waste reduction can help prioritise action. You can also measure and communicate results.

Few products or services are fully circular where waste has been completely eliminated. Best practice often means committing to waste reduction and circular economy practices. This includes:
- Committing to a target to reduce waste sent to landfill.
- Committing to purchasing only low or no waste products and services
Learn more

Designing out waste - Sustainable Business Network

Circular Economy Directory, sustainability solutions for your business - Sustainable Business Network

Kai Commitment - an agreement between leading food businesses to reduce food waste and related emissions across Aotearoa New Zealand’s food value chain

Step 3: Supply Chain

Do you buy products and services only from suppliers or other businesses that are low or zero waste?

YES

Awesome! Here’s an example of how you could communicate this when bidding for new work or reporting on your sustainability actions.

"We prioritise purchasing low or zero waste products and services. Some of these include [insert chosen products and/or services].”

Want to learn more about best practice or how you could do more?
Click ‘No / Unsure’ below for more information and resources.
NO / UNSURE
According to the Zero Waste Network, zero waste means to minimise and ultimately eliminate waste. It encompasses products, services and actions that:
- Minimise waste
- Reduce consumption
- Maximise recycling
- Can be reused, repaired, recycled or composted
Consider the impacts of your supply chain when looking to reduce the amount of waste you generate. Purchasing low or zero waste products for your business is one of the simplest ways you can have a more positive environmental impact.

Take action

Circular Economy Directory, sustainability solutions for your business - Sustainable Business Network

Share Docket with your suppliers to get them started on their sustainability journey.

Benefits of sustainability for your business and supply chains - Sustainable Business Network

Sustainable procurement training and resources - Sustainable Business Network

Environmentally Sustainable Procurement - Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment

Circular economy procurement framework - Ellen MacArthur Foundation

Public procurement for a circular economy - European Commission