New Ministry for the Environment figures show New Zealanders generated 17.49 million tonnes of waste in the last financial year.
In 2020/21 it’s estimated 12.59 million tonnes of the total waste figure went to landfills.
Surveys show construction and demolition waste was the largest source of materials sent to Class 1 landfills at 33 percent, followed by potentially hazardous waste at 24 percent, with organic waste third at 15 percent.