The estimated composition of landfill waste in New Zealand:
Organic matter 39%.
Paper 19%.
Construction and demolition waste 17%.
Potentially hazardous 8%.
Plastic 7%.
Metal 6%.
Glass 2%.
Other 5%.
Source: Ministry for the Environment (1997)

Just over half the litter is paper (53 percent) and a quarter is plastic (26 percent). The remainder is divided among metal (6 percent, half of it cans), glass (4 percent), and a miscellany of items, such as wood, ice cream sticks, food scraps, tyres, rubber items, clothing and construction material. The metal and glass proportions have declined significantly over the decade, while the plastics proportion has expanded. Much of the paper, plastic, metal and glass litter comes from discarded packaging, particularly food and drink containers.

One way of reducing the amount of waste at landfills is to increase the fee for dumping it. A 1993 study of local authorities’ waste reduction initiatives found that disposal fees at landfills tend to be lower than the costs of landfill maintenance or expansion (Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, 1993). As a result, landfilling is seen as the cheap and convenient option in many cities and districts. The relationship between dumping fees and landfill waste volumes is shown in a 1993 comparison of four New Zealand cities (see Figure 3.14). Where fees are higher, businesses and householders have a greater incentive to produce less waste-or to dispose of it in other ways.