A Massive Environmental Win for Ōtorohanga!

A huge thank you to everyone who pitched in and played a part in our first Household Chemical Collection Event over the weekend - it was a resounding success!

Residents braved the weekend and collectively delivered over 500 kg (roughly 2.5 m³) of hazardous waste and containers - paints, oils, solvents, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides. That’s half a tonne of potential pollution that didn’t end up leaching into our soils, creeks, or local landfill.

What happens to the Chemicals?

• Oils are being recycled.
• Paints are solidified, dramatically reducing their pollution risk.
• Herbicides and insecticides are are being transported for safe destruction.
• Other hazardous chemicals are being neutralised at EnviroNZ’s Auckland site.

Impressively, when measured per capita, Ōtorohanga’s recovery rates stack up well against larger districts, proof that our community is leading the way in responsible chemical disposal.

Why This Matters in the Bigger Picture

New Zealand generates an enormous volume of waste each year - totaling 17.5 million tonnes, of which nearly 12.6 million tonnes still end up in landfills. Hazardous waste - like the kind we collected - is particularly dangerous, since it can easily contaminate water, soil, and ecosystems if mishandled.

Let’s put it in perspective: globally, we produce hundreds of million metric tonnes of hazardous waste annually. Although our event handled a small portion of that, every kg counts - especially in rural communities like ours, where infrastructure and disposal options are often limited.

When is the next one?

There’s still more out there - and we’re already planning more collection events and exploring partnerships with local businesses to make them even bigger and better.

Keep an eye out for updates on future collections and events  - because while this event was a brilliant start, our journey toward zero chemical pollution in Ōtorohanga is just beginning.