Composting systems and workshops

More than 50% of rubbish going to Napier’s landfill is compostable green waste and food scraps. When organic material is mixed with other rubbish it struggles to degrade and that valuable nutrient is lost forever. What a waste!

Napier City Council is subsidising ‘on-property’ treatments such as home-composting systems, worm farming and Bokashi bins by 75% to encourage Napier residents to reconsider their green waste disposal.

Why should I compost?

It is important to keep organic matter out of landfill for a number of reasons, but most importantly when it degrades, it produces methane – a greenhouse gas 23 times more damaging than carbon dioxide.

It also takes up valuable space and is filling our landfill faster, which means we will have to find another place to bury our rubbish much sooner than expected.

Composting is a much more valuable and sustainable way of dealing with organic waste and it helps enrich garden soil too. It is a virtuous cycle of returning organic material to feed Papatūānuku (the land) rather than damage it.

How do I get a subsidised system?

Vouchers for the compost systems can be obtained by attending an online workshop hosted by the Hawke’s Bay Environment Centre. We can only issue one voucher per household, although two members of the household are welcome to attend the online talk or in person workshop (when Covid-19 Traffic Light Levels allow).

What will the workshop cover?

The workshop is a beginner’s guide on how to use a traditional compost bin, a worm farm and the Bokashi bucket system to ferment food waste. It will provide enough information to get the right system for you and your whānau to get started at home. The Environment Centre will provide on-going support after the workshop.

We will also ask you to do three quick surveys at three months, six months and 12 months after the purchase. This will help us see how successful the scheme has been at diverting organic waste from landfill and whether households have continued to use the bins.

The scheme is for Napier residents only and we will ask you to provide proof of address at the workshop.

So how much will I still need to pay?

We are offering a subsidy of 75% for the systems you will need to get you started on your compost, worm farm or Bokashi journey!

The final cost of each system is provided in the table below: