Sustainable waste management leaders in Auckland – and NZ

Our mission to “send junk to a better place” lies at the heart of everything we do – so much so that we aim to divert from landfill at least 70% of everything we collect. No other waste management company in Auckland or New Zealand comes close to this.

As Auckland’s most sustainable waste management company, Junk Run is genuinely committed to leading the change in the way New Zealanders think about – and deal with – waste.

For us this about more than a commercial service offering; it’s a calling!

Putting your unwanted junk to work for great causes

At Junk Run we are passionate about helping our communities and the environment, which is why we give the waste we collect to not-for-profit organisations. We have always worked very carefully and respectfully with our not-for-profit partners so they know they can count on us to deliver goods that are both useful and valuable to them.

Sustainable waste management reporting that’s second-to-none

A key part of our work involves carefully hand-sorting and separating all waste items on site as we collect. This ensures items are redirected to the most suitable recovery facilities.

Cameras on all of our trucks mean we can provide real-time reporting on all the junk that we collect. It also verifies where the waste ends up. This helps keep us on target with our goal of keeping at least 70% of everything we collect out of landfill. It’s not always easy but we never stop trying until we find a home for anything that can be re-used, repurposed or recycled.

Junk Run’s sustainable waste management accreditations

So far as we know, Junk run is NZ’s only waste management company currently certified with the internationally recognised ECO warranty (ISO 14001) for our commitment to reducing damage and harm to the environment. We also have Akina Foundation accreditation.

We are also actively involved in consultation working groups with Auckland Council – Towards Zero Waste and the New Zealand Eco Labelling Trust.

Sustainable waste management is everyone’s responsibility

Junk Run is passionate about protecting the environment and supporting local communities, but it doesn’t stop with us. Sustainable waste management is everyone’s responsibility. Here are some easy things you can do to be more environmentally sustainable:

1. Think beyond recycling

One of the biggest environmental sustainability challenges is that people think recycling is THE answer to reducing waste to landfill and protecting the environment.

Recycling helps but it’s only a small step in the right direction. It is better to re-use or re-allocate unwanted items, to buy well and buy once rather than buying cheap stuff that quickly breaks – or even better still, don’t buy it at all.

Three things you can do:

Consider whether you even need to buy it in the first place and if you do, then try and get a pre-loved item that will meet your needs – this will save you money too!
Buy a quality item that will last rather than a cheap one that will quickly break and need replacing.
Business procurement policies should consider what happens to items at each stage of their lifecycle – including when they are no longer needed.

2. Avoid being duped by false environmental sustainability promises

Lots of greenwashing and junk-laundering is happening in the waste management sector. Junk Run is New Zealand’s only truly sustainable waste management company and – thanks to our comprehensive and transparent reporting – we can prove it.

Many people turn a blind eye to what really happens to their waste, resulting in much “sustainably managed” waste actually getting dumped in landfills, or dumped on local and overseas not-for-profit organisations.

Skip bins are another cause for concern because a lot of good stuff gets broken, wet and/or irreparably damaged in there. What’s more, most skip bin contents get dumped.

Three things you can do:

Instead of using a skip bin or flexibin for waste removal, get a genuine sustainable waste management company to remove your rubbish.
No matter who you use to get rid of your junk, ask them the following questions: Speaking in terms of volume NOT weight, what proportion of all the waste you collect ends up going to:

a) charities (NZ / overseas)
b) recycling
c) other re-use
d) landfill?

Also ask them how they can prove what happens to the waste they collect and how can they can prove that what you say in their waste management reports is accurate.