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Waste and recycling

Business waste and recycling

What is cleaner production?

Cleaner production (CP) is the promotion of sustainable practices within business', helping companies improve their environmental, social and economic performance.

CP applies to any:

  • Business
  • Industry
  • School
  • Office
  • Hotel
  • Hospital.

Why is cleaner production important?

CP will assist your company to meet the requirements of both the Resource Management Act (1991), and the legal requirements of your local authority. You will also benefit from:

  • increased efficiency in the use of raw materials, reducing material costs
  • minimise waste discharge, reducing waste treatment and disposal costs
  • reduce or eliminate your need for end-of-pipe treatments (landfill and waste water treatment plants)
  • improve your production costs
  • improve environmental performance
  • improve your company's environmental image.

Cleaner production initiatives

There are a number of programmes that fall under the CP initiative, each tackling a different aspect of business waste reduction and recycling:

  • Used together the following documents should assist business' in identifying where no-cost, low-cost improvements can be made
  • BusinessCare - providing training and support, they aim to increase the number of people who have cleaner production skills throughout the country, giving business and industry greater access to experts to help them towards a sustainable future
  • BusinessCare Case Studies - section contains references or links to a range of national and international case studies. You can search the case studies database by selecting either a sector OR topic
  • Environmental Accommodation Providers of Auckland (EAPA) - this program assisted accommodation providers to improve their property's environmental performance and reduce operating costs. This section includes case studies full of useful data
  • Environmental Operations Plan (EOP) - is a comprehensive do-it-yourself audit designed to help companies identify and address environmental issues and comply with New Zealand's Resource Management Act (1991)
  • RENEW waste exchange - free online service enabling business to exchange materials they no longer want
  • Resource Efficiency in the Building and Related Industries (REBRI) - helps business' reduce their impact on the environment and become more efficient.
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