This article is sponsored by our Conference 2025 Platinum Partner, Tonkin + Taylor
As waste volumes increase and regulatory pressures intensify, local government and private organisations face ever more complex challenges in developing effective waste management and resource recovery systems that are both sustainable and resilient.
Tonkin + Taylor specialises in partnering with clients to build the technical capability to meet these demands. The team delivers tailored solutions that address each client’s unique operational, environmental, and regulatory challenges through close collaboration with local government, communities, and private organisations.
Empowering Local Government
Faced with mounting population growth, shifting environmental expectations, and increasing regulatory demands, local government sits at the frontline of delivering sustainable community services, and waste management is no exception.
Tonkin + Taylor has supported councils to meet these challenges by providing comprehensive services, including waste strategy development, waste planning, infrastructure design, and environmental compliance. Tonkin + Taylor's involvement in projects such as the Auckland Material Recovery Facility (MRF), now processing recycling for 265,000 households, Auckland’s flagship MRF has been praised by local and central government for turning a challenging landfill site into one of the southern hemisphere’s most advanced recycling operations.
By working closely with local authorities, we help turn complex waste challenges into smart, future-ready solutions, strengthening councils’ ability to meet community expectations and regulatory requirements.
Genuine engagement with communities and a deep understanding of stakeholder needs are essential to the success of any project. This reflects a council’s role to enable and encourage sustainable behaviours supporting their waste strategies. Working with our engagement and Māori advisory specialists, Tonkin + Taylor assists councils with collaborative engagement to ensure the strategy developed is inclusive of all community needs.
Supporting Pacific Communities
Pacific Island nations often face unique challenges in waste management due to their geographic isolation and limited infrastructure.
Tonkin + Taylor supports Pacific communities by delivering sustainable infrastructure solutions that build long-term resilience. Over the years, Tonkin + Taylor's work has included advising on solid waste management, resource recovery, and climate change adaptation strategies, each carefully tailored to reflect the unique environmental and cultural context of the Pacific.
Working alongside local partners in several Pacific Island countries, we have delivered composting training that supports both people and the environment. By first understanding existing practices, Tonkin + Taylor developed practical training packages tailored to local needs. This collaborative approach has strengthened the technical knowledge of the local people and enabled communities to turn organic waste into a useful resource.
By engaging respectfully with local stakeholders and embracing cultural practices, the team builds trust and ensure its waste management initiatives reflect community priorities. This approach not only leads to stronger environmental outcomes, it also helps empower Pacific communities to manage their resources with confidence and care.
When communities and councils possess the necessary knowledge and skills, they can devise solutions tailored to their unique contexts. This localised approach ensures that interventions are relevant and sustainable.
Collaborating with private organisations
Private sector entities play a crucial role in advancing sustainable waste management practices. Tonkin + Taylor partners with businesses to develop waste minimisation strategies, implement circular economy principles, and design efficient waste infrastructure. Its services in the waste advisory space encompasses sustainability policy development, carbon accounting, and stakeholder engagement, enabling organisations to align their operations with their environmental and sustainability goals.
Tonkin + Taylor has been engaging with businesses to understand their contribution to resource consumption and waste generation within Aotearoa and Australia. Working with these organisations to develop circular economy frameworks and roadmaps to design out waste and excessive resource consumption, and futureproof operations.
As part of these projects, the team has found that educating staff on the principles of a circular economy enables them to feel empowered to participate in the transition and buy into the process. This approach builds capability and understanding, which enables organisations to progress change beyond our involvement.
Through these collaborations, Tonkin + Taylor helps private organisations enhance their environmental performance, comply with regulations, and contribute to broader sustainability objectives.
Together we create and sustain a better world
The Tonkin + Taylor team takes a holistic approach to waste and resource recovery, one that recognises its deep connections to communities and culture, and the need for a more resilient future. With its renowned technical skills and respectful collaboration with stakeholders, Tonkin + Taylor's work empowers local government, Pacific communities, and private organisations to manage waste and resources responsibly, and to build sustainable, resilient futures.
