SEPTEMBER 2019 NATIONAL Litter Audit ISBN 978-0-473-49359-2 NATIONAL PUBLISHED BY: Litter Keep New Zealand Beautiful PO Box 58932, Botany, Auckland [email protected] 09 264 1434 Audit www.knzb.org.nz SEPTEMBER 2019 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: Keep New Zealand Beautiful would like to acknowledge that financial support for the 2019 National Litter Audit was received from the Waste Minimisation Fund, which is administered by the Ministry for the Environment. DISCLAIMER: The Ministry for the Environment does not necessarily endorse or support the content of this publication in any way. COPYRIGHT: Reproduction, adaptation, or issuing of this publication for educational or other non-commercial purposes is authorised without prior permission of the copyright holder(s). Reproduction, adaptation, or issuing of this publication for resale or other commercial purposes is prohibited without the prior permission of the copyright holder(s). ISBN 978-0-473-49359-2 2 | Keep New Zealand Beautiful 2019 National Litter Audit MESSAGE FROM THE ASSOCIATE MINISTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT New Zealand prides itself on its reputation as being “clean and green”. Ensuring that reality matches the image we need major shifts in the way we care for the land and waters of Aotearoa, and the climate, to reduce the impacts of human activities. We need nature to sustain us and we need to connect with and restore nature. Research for Keep New Zealand Beautiful has found that 99% of New Zealanders believe it is crucial for our country to maintain its clean, green image, with 93% believing it is very important not to litter. We need to do much more to reduce waste and work is happening here. It is heartening to learn that 84% of waste that could become litter is dealt with appropriately, by being put in the bin (preferably a recycling bin if it can be recycled). That still leaves 16% that isn’t. In tonnage terms, this is significant. And it represents an unacceptable amount of litter pollution that ends up in nature, including in rivers and streams and the ocean. We can and must do much better. Shifting to more sustainable practices requires changes in behaviour. Central and local government need to make this easy but individual actions around what products to use and consume, and what happens to our stuff at the end of its life, make a big difference. Funded through the Government’s Waste Minimisation Fund, this report is one of various initiatives underway to better manage litter in New Zealand. These projects are providing better data, helping to raise awareness about the impacts of litter, and encouraging people to refrain from littering. Better data helps identify the policy changes that will be the most effective and where investment is required. This report also gives us a baseline dataset to monitor litter into the future. It helps us shift to a circular economy, where we focus on designing out waste and pollution, keeping products and materials in use longer, and restoring and being restored by nature. This Keep New Zealand Beautiful report helps fill an important gap in our knowledge around litter to ensure our “clean green” image is a reality. Hon Eugenie Sage Associate Minister for the Environment 3 | Keep New Zealand Beautiful 2019 National Litter Audit Contents OVERVIEW 17 KNOW WHAT YOU’RE LOOKING FOR? CLICK ON THE PAGE BACKGROUND AND CONTENT 19 NUMBER OR USE THE Purpose 19 PDF BOOKMARKS TO NAVIGATE TO IT Limitations 19 NATIONAL LITTER AUDIT METHODOLOGY 20 Scope 20 Material Categorisation 20 Sites 23 Research Regions 23 Volumes 23 Timing 24 Litter Audit Training 24 Methodology 24 Litter per 1,000 m2 25 Illegal Dumping 25 NATIONAL 26 At a Glance 26 Comparisons by Site Types 27 Comparison by Main Material Types 30 Site Types by Material Types 34 The Dirty Dozen 36 Site Gradings 40 HIGHWAYS AND RAILWAYS 43 At a Glance 43 Comparisons by Site Types 43 4 | Keep New Zealand Beautiful 2019 National Litter Audit Comparison by Main Material Types 45 Site Types by Material Types 54 The Dirty Dozen 55 Site Gradings 60 THE REGIONS 63 AUCKLAND REGION 64 At a Glance 64 Comparisons by Site Types 64 Comparison by Main Material Types 67 Site Types by Material Types 71 The Dirty Dozen 72 Territory Summaries 75 Site Gradings 75 BAY OF PLENTY REGION 77 At a Glance 77 Comparisons by Site Types 77 Comparison by Main Material Types 80 Site Types by Material Types 84 The Dirty Dozen 85 Territory Summaries 88 Site Gradings 88 CANTERBURY AND CHATHAM ISLANDS REGIONS 90 At a Glance 90 Comparisons by Site Types 90 Comparison by Main Material Types 93 Site Types by Material Types 97 The Dirty Dozen 98 Territory Summaries 101 Site Gradings 101 GISBORNE AND HAWKE'S BAY REGIONS 103 At a Glance 103 Comparisons by Site Types 103 5 | Keep New Zealand Beautiful 2019 National Litter Audit Comparison by Main Material Types 106 Site Types by Material Types 110 The Dirty Dozen 111 Territory Summaries 114 Site Gradings 114 MANAWATU-WHANGANUI REGION 116 At a Glance 116 Comparisons by Site Types 116 Comparison by Main Material Types 119 Site Types by Material Types 123 The Dirty Dozen 124 Territory Summaries 127 Site Gradings 127 NORTHLAND REGION 129 At a Glance 129 Comparisons by Site Types 129 Comparison by Main Material Types 132 Site Types by Material Types 136 The Dirty Dozen 137 Territory Summaries 140 Site Gradings 140 OTAGO REGION 142 At a Glance 142 Comparisons by Site Types 142 Comparison by Main Material Types 145 Site Types by Material Types 149 The Dirty Dozen 150 Territory Summaries 153 Site Gradings 153 SOUTHLAND REGION 155 At a Glance 155 Comparisons by Site Types 155 6 | Keep New Zealand Beautiful 2019 National Litter Audit Comparison by Main Material Types 158 Site Types by Material Types 162 The Dirty Dozen 163 Territory Summaries 166 Site Gradings 166 TARANAKI REGION 168 At a Glance 168 Comparisons by Site Types 168 Comparison by Main Material Types 171 Site Types by Material Types 175 The Dirty Dozen 176 Territory Summaries 179 Site Gradings 179 TASMAN, NELSON AND MARLBOROUGH REGIONS 181 At a Glance 181 Comparisons by Site Types 181 Comparison by Main Material Types 184 Site Types by Material Types 188 The Dirty Dozen 189 Territory Summaries 192 Site Gradings 192 WAIKATO REGION 194 At a Glance 194 Comparisons by Site Types 194 Comparison by Main Material Types 197 Site Types by Material Types 201 The Dirty Dozen 202 Territory Summaries 205 Site Gradings 205 WELLINGTON REGION 207 At a Glance 207 Comparisons by Site Types 207 7 | Keep New Zealand Beautiful 2019 National Litter Audit Comparison by Main Material Types 210 Site Types by Material Types 214 The Dirty Dozen 215 Territory Summaries 218 Site Gradings 218 WEST COAST REGION 220 At a Glance 220 Comparisons by Site Types 220 Comparison by Main Material Types 223 Site Types by Material Types 227 The Dirty Dozen 228 Territory Summaries 231 Site Gradings 231 BRANDED LITTER 233 Industry Categories – Overall 233 Most Prevalent Brands 234 Industry Categories – Analysis 236 APPENDIX 1 248 Table 2 - Site Types 248 Table 3 – Territory Data 250 Table 4 – 2019 – Areas Surveyed - m2 253 APPENDIX 2 254 Table 5 – Data Collection Form 254 8 | Keep New Zealand Beautiful 2019 National Litter Audit LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1 - National 2019 % of Items per 1,000 m2 by Site Type 26 Figure 2 - National 2019 % of Volume per 1,000 m2 by Site Type 27 Figure 3 - National 2019 % of Weight per 1,000 m2 by Site Type 27 Figure 4 - National 2019 Items and Volume per 1,000 m2 by Site Type 28 Figure 5 - National 2019 Items and Weight per 1,000 m2 by Site Type 28 Figure 6 - National 2019 Items and Volume per 1,000 m2 by Site Type 29 Figure 7 - National 2019 Items and Weight per 1,000 m2 by Site Type 30 Figure 8 - National 2019 Items and Volume per 1,000 m2 by Main Material Type 31 Figure 9 - National 2019 Items by Weight per 1,000 m2 by Main Material Type 31 Figure 10 - National 2019 Items and Volume per 1,000 m2 by Main Material Type 33 Figure 11 - National 2019 Items and Weight per 1,000 m2 by Main Material Type 34 Figure 12 - National 2019 Sites by Material Types - Items per 1,000 m2 35 Figure 13 - National 2019 Dirty Dozen - Items per 1,000 m2 - Object Sub Categories 36 Figure 14 - National 2019 Dirty Dozen - Volume per 1,000 m2 - Object Sub Categories 38 Figure 15 - National 2019 Dirty Dozen - Weight per 1,000 m2 - Object Sub Categories 40 Figure 16 - National 2019 Grading - Visual Site Ranking 42 Figure 17 - National 2019 Grading - Site Litter Hotshots Ratings 42 Figure 18 - Highways 2019 Items and Volume per 1,000 m2 43 Figure 19 - Highways 2019 Items and Weight per 1,000 m2 44 Figure 20 - Railways 2019 Items and Volume per 1,000 m2 44 Figure 21 - Railways 2019 Items and Weight per 1,000 m2 45 Figure 22 - Highways 2019 Items and Volume per 1,000 m2 by Main Material Type 46 Figure 23 - Highways 2019 Items and Volume per 1,000 m2 by Main Material Type 46 Figure 24 - Highways 2019 Items and Volume per 1,000 m2 by Main Material Type 47 Figure 25 - Highways 2019 Items and Weight per 1,000 m2 by Main Material Type 48 Figure 26 - Railways 2019 Items and Volume per 1,000 m2 by Main Material Type 50 Figure 27 - Railways 2019 Items and Weight per 1,000 m2 by Main Material Type 51 Figure 28 - Railways 2019 Items and Volume per 1,000 m2 by Main Material Type 52 Figure 29 - Railways 2019 Items and Weight per 1,000 m2 by Main Material Type 53 Figure 30 - Highways and Railways 2019 Sites by Main Material Type - Items per 1,000 m2 54 Figure 31 - Highways 2019 Dirty Dozen - Items per 1,000 m2 - Object Sub Categories 55 Figure 32 - Highways 2019 Dirty Dozen - Volume per 1,000