Dunedin City Council has announced it will begin a major redevelopment of the Green Island Resource Recovery Park next month, with completion likely by the end of 2029.
The Council’s nine-year plan for the area includes $78 million for the Green Island Resource Recovery Park redevelopment and includes a new Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) for processing yellow-lidded mixed recycling kerbside bin contents, a composting facility for green-lidded bin contents, upgraded bunkers for recyclable glass sorting and storage, an upgraded bulk waste transfer station (receiving red-lidded rubbish bin contents), roads and services to new buildings, a kerbside collections truck park and office, and a repositioned green/garden waste drop off area.
The city’s recycling drop-off area, organics receival building (completed in mid-2024), Rummage shop and education centre will remain.
“When our Resource Recovery Park is complete, we can cease transportation about 5000 tonnes of mixed recycling and 16000 tonnes of compostable material per annum to Timaru for processing. We will be able to do all the processing here, reducing transport costs and carbon emissions,” said Group Manager Waste and Environmental Solutions, Chris Henderson.
“Yes, material will be transported to recycling markets elsewhere, but at much reduced volumes because it has been processed, compacted, and baled ready for transport here in Ōtepoti Dunedin.
“DCC’s commitment to reducing waste to landfill requires this kind of investment. It will help to realise the longer term moves toward zero carbon, and waste.
“Both the MRF and the composting facility designs will allow us to scale up and provide services to neighbouring regions if the possibility arises in future,” he said.
In June, the Council awarded Turmec and its Australian partner, The Environmental Group Limited, a $11.9 million contract to supply specialist, high-end sorting machinery to process materials from kerbside collection yellow-lidded mixed recycling bins in a new materials recycling facility (MRF).
While the GIRRP is being redeveloped, the adjacent Green Island Landfill will be capped in stages in preparation for closure around 2029-30. Construction of a new city landfill at Smooth Hill is planned to commence in 2028. These projects are part of the Waste Futures programme, which included the 2024 enhanced kerbside collection bin rollout and updates to the Waste Management and Minimisation Plan, both of which are complete.
