Waste minimisation is the practice of reducing the amount of waste we generate and dispose of. Its main goal is to achieve a more sustainable way of living that will ensure the future of our planet. In 2016, New Zealanders sent an average of 730.6 kilograms (kg) to landfill per person*. This means: New Zealand is currently one of the highest producers of waste in the developed world. We’re wasting the natural resources that went into creating the products in the first place, which in turn puts pressure on those that remain. We’ve adopted a throw-away culture that is ‘enabling’ us to pollute our land, air, water and associated ecosystems. Any unnecessary waste we create here also contributes to worldwide pollution. Minimising our waste is key to protecting ourselves, our natural world, and our future. *Ministry for the Environment