WasteMINZ

01/10/2026

🚨 Health & Safety legislation is changing. Are you ready?

Join Understanding the upcoming HSWA changes on 29 October for a free webinar with WorkSafe, breaking down the upcoming changes to the Health & Safety at Work Act (HSWA), what they'll mean in practice, and how your business can prepare ahead of the 1 April 2027 implementation date.

Learn about the key legislative amendments, what businesses may need to do differently, and the guidance, tools and support resources being developed to help organisations transition successfully.

📅 Thursday 29 October
🕐 1:00pm - 2:00pm
📍 Online webinar

There will also be an opportunity to ask questions and gain practical insights into what's changing, what it means for your business, and how to prepare for the transition.

Register now: https://www.wasteminz.org.nz/events/29-oct-understanding-the-upcoming-hswa-changes

29/09/2026

♻️ Recycling Week is coming! ♻️

From 19-25 October, New Zealanders will come together to celebrate the positive impact of recycling and the people, organisations, and initiatives helping to keep valuable resources in circulation.

Whether you're a business, school, council, community group, or recycling organisation, now's the time to get involved and be part of this nationwide celebration.

👉 Register for free today to access official campaign resources, promotional materials, and activity ideas to help make your Recycling Week a success.

From workplace challenges and school activities to community events and awareness campaigns, every action helps raise awareness of the important role recycling plays in Aotearoa.

✅ Free to register
✅ Access official resources and activity ideas
✅ Promote your Recycling Week activities
✅ Showcase your organisation's commitment to recycling

📅 Recycling Week: 19-25 October

Register today: https://www.reclaim.co.nz/recycling-week-2026

28/09/2026

🌱 How do you choose the most sustainable remediation option?

Join ALGA/WasteMINZ’s Sustainable Remediation in Practice, an interactive online workshop exploring how environmental, social and economic considerations can be incorporated into contaminated site decision-making. Participants will work through a practical case study using Ramboll's SURE tool to assess and compare remedial options.

✅ Introduction to sustainable remediation principles
✅ Hands-on experience using the SURE tool
✅ Compare and assess remediation options
✅ Explore how scoring and weighting can influence outcomes
✅ Live discussion and Q&A throughout the session

📅 Tuesday 13 October
🕚 11:00am - 12:30pm

Ideal for contaminated land consultants, environmental scientists, remediation practitioners, regulators, project managers and sustainability professionals.

Register now: https://landandgroundwater.com/events/alga-wasteminzs-sustainable-remediation-in-practice-online-workshop-using-the-sure-tool/

25/09/2026

🍾 What does the future hold for glass packaging in Aotearoa New Zealand?

Glass packaging is popular with consumers but increasingly losing market share to lighter weight and more easily managed materials like plastics and aluminium.

Director of Reloop Robert Kelman explores Reloop's Glass policy briefing, which examines the future of glass beverage packaging in Aotearoa New Zealand as producer responsibility, deposit return and reuse policies reshape the economics of packaging collection and recycling globally.

👉 Read the article and join the conversation:

Explore the future of glass packaging in New Zealand as producer responsibility and container return schemes reshape recycling and market dynamics.

25/09/2026

🌱 Compostable packaging: solution or source of confusion?
Compostable packaging is often promoted as part of a circular economy. But what happens when certified compostable products don't match the collection systems, processing facilities, or consumer expectations needed to handle them?
Join our panel discussion, Compostable packaging: Good intentions, complex outcomes, for an honest conversation about the challenges, misconceptions and realities of compostable packaging in Aotearoa New Zealand.
📅 Wednesday 15 October
🕐 1pm - 2pm
🎟 Free for members | $59 + GST for non-members
Hear from experts across the organics, packaging, waste and local government sectors as they explore how compostable packaging fits within New Zealand's resource recovery systems.

Register here: https://www.wasteminz.org.nz/events/15-oct-compostable-packaging-good-intentions-complex-outcomes

23/09/2026

🐔 If a bird flu outbreak occurred tomorrow, would we be ready?

Preparing for an avian influenza outbreak requires more than a response plan. It requires understanding the practical options available for managing large volumes of poultry mortalities safely, effectively, and sustainably. Composting as a disposal option for bird flu outbreaks will explore how composting could support New Zealand's response efforts and what the sector can learn from both local and international experience.

Join representatives from The Ministry for Primary Industries, Poultry Industry Association New Zealand, Egg Producers Federation New Zealand, and WasteMINZ for a free webinar focused on building awareness and readiness across the poultry and waste management sectors.

During the session, we'll:
✅ Share local composting case studies and lessons learned
✅ Explore international experiences managing avian influenza-affected birds
✅ Discuss the benefits and practical considerations of composting as a disposal option
✅ Examine how preparation before an outbreak can support a timely and effective response when needed

📅 Friday 2 October
🕤 9:30am - 11:00am
💻 Online
🎟 Free to attend

Register now: https://www.wasteminz.org.nz/events/composting-bird-flu-outbreaks

22/09/2026

🤔 What happens after the fuel crisis?

Even as fuel prices ease, the effects on the waste and resource recovery sector are far from over. Join our upcoming panel discussion to explore the long-term impacts, challenges, and opportunities emerging from recent fuel price volatility.

Hear from industry leaders and sector experts as they discuss what comes next and how organisations can build greater resilience for the future.

📅 Tuesday 29 September
🕚 11am to 12pm

👉 Secure your spot: https://www.wasteminz.org.nz/events/29-sep-beyond-the-pump-the-long-term-impact-of-the-fuel-crisis-on-waste-and-resource-recovery-sectors

19/09/2026

🌏 Tomorrow is Zero Emission Day!

A little planning today can help reduce your environmental footprint tomorrow.

Could you: 🚌 Walk, cycle, carpool, or take public transport? 🔌 Switch off unused appliances? 🥗 Choose a lower-carbon meal?

Small actions may seem insignificant, but when thousands of people take part, the impact adds up. Let's give our planet one day off and see what changes we can make.

18/09/2026

Meet Alannah Gaspari ♻️

At Repurpose It, Alannah is helping create pathways for materials to move from waste to safe, compliant reuse. Through collaboration, technical expertise and a passion for resource recovery, she's supporting practical circular economy outcomes.

Read more about Alannah's work: https://www.wasteminz.org.nz/news/alannah-gaspari-from-assessment-to-reuse-in-contaminated-materials

18/09/2026

👖 New jeans or new-to-you jeans? The difference is bigger than you might think.

Research commissioned by WasteMINZ member Wanaka Wastebusters has found that the environmental footprint of a brand-new pair of jeans can be up to 180 times higher than buying a second-hand pair.

It’s a great example of why reuse matters. Keeping the clothes and resources we already have in circulation for longer can make a real difference.

But also has an important message: reuse and recycling alone aren't enough. We need to look at how much clothing is being produced and consumed in the first place.

Ka pai tō mahi to the Wastebusters team for putting some numbers behind the benefits of choosing second-hand. 👏

Read more via 👇
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/environment/1374425/environmental-imprint-of-new-jeans-180-times-higher-than-second-hand-pair-research

The environmental cost of a new pair of jeans could be enough to make a shopper blue.