Management of waste on Norfolk Island, as on any small island is seriously problematic. Norfolk Island has a population averaging 1800 people with around 800 visitors on the island at any one time. Norfolk Islands transient and permanent population generates approximately 0.95 tonnes of solid waste per person which amounts to approximately 2507 tonnes of solid waste every year, excluding green waste.
Surprisingly Norfolk Island does not have a government managed waste collection service, although it does have a privately operated service which is used by some people. Presumably people deal with their own waste in various ways.
The waste management station is located at Headstone Bay and consists of a re-cycling centre that sorts waste into various categories. Any waste that can be burned is dumped into an open burning pit, burnt and bulldozed over the cliff into Headstone Bay. Incompletely burned material is often washed up on local beaches. Burning is restricted to certain times of day and dependent on prevailing winds.
Some heavy steel is dumped directly in the sea although whitegoods are currently stockpiled due to pollution risks. Other materials such as aluminium are shipped twice a year to Australia for processing. Green waste is mulched and sold.
A High Temperature Incinerator is badly needed but it has apparently been to date outside the financial resources of the Island's administration.
The offensive odours we encountered passing Headstone Waste Centre on New Farm-Headstone Rd clearly indicate that the money must be urgently found for this project.
Reference