Photo: South Westland Coastal Cleanup via RNZImpacts of the West Coast landfill “eco disaster” could be felt for generations and potentially “tens of thousands” of old dumps around the country also posed environmental risks, scientists warn. Tonnes of recycling and rubbish has been washing up on previously pristine Westland district beaches after an old Fox Glacier landfill breached following a major storm last month. The buried dump was scoured out by the flooded Fox River, with rubbish washing into the Cook River and carried to the sea. Seadon said a simple fix was to reduce waste, particularly in construction and demolition, and organics, which together made up two thirds of the country’s landfill waste. Plastic bags also had an environmental impact disproportionate to their weight, as evidenced by the bags strewn across West Coast beaches.

Source: Otago Daily Times April 10, 2019 00:11 UTC