Visiting Waiheke and playing your part

Welcome to Waiheke. We have a unique island environment and there are some things that you need to know to help maintain this special piece of paradise. 

Water

Water is a precious resource on Waiheke. Rainy days are welcomed and water conservation in the home is a way of life.

If you run out of water you can buy it –but it is expensive. To conserve water:

• Keep showers short
• Use the plug in the sink and, where suitable, collect and re-use the water on the garden
• Full washing loads for dishes or clothes
• Don’t run the tap while teeth-cleaning
• Don’t flush the toilet unnecessarily

Septics

Every home on Waiheke has a septic tank; it is a ‘living’ system and is sensitive to what you put in it. Whatever you wash into a drain will end up in the septic tank so:

• Don’t flush anything down the toilet except toilet paper and human waste
• Don’t put excessive amounts of waste water through the system – reuse grey water etc for gardening purposes
• Make sure household cleaners and detergents can be safely used in septic tanks. Avoid using bleach as this is particularly harmful to septic systems. The WRT has a range of septic friendly B.E.E cleaning products available for purchase so come in and see us at the Waiheke Resource Centre in Artworks.
• Avoid tipping grease, oil, coffee grounds etc down the plughole.

Recycling and Rubbish

All rubbish created on the island has to be transported off. Waiheke has no landfill and it costs $200 to transport every tonne of waste we collect. Waiheke islanders are very good at recycling and we encourage you to be to.

Reduce You can help reduce waste on the island by thinking before you buy. Buying in bulk, bringing your own containers for goods, growing your own food and using reusable shopping bags are all practical ways that reduce the amount of waste on the island.

Re-use Your trash may be someone elses treasure and on Waiheke there’s a strong culture of reuse. You can donate items to childcare centres and schools for arts projects or to local op-shops; use the local papers’ recycling columns or even sell unwanted gear at the local Saturday market in Ostend.

Composting your food waste is another re-use option. The Waiheke Resources Trust can advise you on composting including traditional composting methods as well as worm farming or the Bokashi anaerobic methods. Garden waste can also be composted or you can drop it off at the transfer station in Ostend.

Recycle  There are both a household recycling collection and public recycling bins available on Waiheke.  Contact the transfer station on 09 372 1070 for information on collection days for your area. While you are out and about we encourage you to use the public recycling bins around the island and prevalent at the popular beaches.

For household recycling collection items for resysling should be clean and put into plastic shopping bags or official recycling bins. If you miss the household collection it’s free to drop your recyclables at the transfer station in Ostend without charge.

Rubbish collection Every household on Waiheke gets 52 official red rubbish bags or a 120litre Wheelie Bin every year paid for through the rates. Rubbish can only be picked up in these official recepticles, but extra bags can be bought from the local supermarket, the council offices in Ostend or at the transfer station in Ostend. 

Places to Visit and Volunteering Opportunities

There are many special places on Waiheke and in the Hauraki Gulf to visit and lots of ways to get involved with environmental projects happening.