Managing Rural and On Farm Waste

This rural waste management page has been designed to make it easier to find resources for managing common rural waste streams. Whether you're a farmer or supporting farmers, these resources can help you identify appropriate management options, answer common questions, and connect rural communities with existing programmes and services. The resources provided have been developed with input from farmers and catchment groups to ensure it is practical, relevant, and easy to apply on the ground.

• Farm Waste Guide – the guide outline opportunities to minimise waste on farm and bring together management and disposal options for a wide range of farm waste materials. The intent is for the guide to be localised. Localising the guide makes it easier for farmers to identify services and solutions available in their area and can help strengthen relationships between council and catchment groups if tackled together.

• Practical workshop resources – a guide to running a farmer-led workshop which can be tailored to the goals and needs of individual catchment groups. Taranaki dairy farmer and waste expert Trish Rankin has supported several workshops around the country.

• Farm recycling signs – these signs are designed to make on-farm recycling systems clearer and more user-friendly.

• Short videos (coming soon) – these videos showcase practical solutions shared by farmers for farmers, including numerous tips and tricks for effective and efficient farm waste management. (Release date likely to be late 2026.)