The Canterbury Waste Joint Committee, which the Christchurch City Council is a part of and hosted last Monday, has decided to expand the One Planet Resource Portal.
The One Planet website is a space for Canterbury councils to share their resources for raising awareness and providing information about our environment.
The project has focused on Canterbury but will be open to collecting resources nationally and then making them available to the contributing territorial authorities.
Timaru District Councillor Ruth Clarke said growing this forum will establish a consistency in the message councils are trying to project.
"We’re all trying to sing off the same song sheet," she said.
Clarke explained the expanded site will be cost and time effective for councils because it reduces duplication and facilitates a central place for discussions to happen.
She said by utilizing shared resources, it will directly and positively impact the way communities interact with their environment.
"Using recycling as an example, making resources easier to develop and disseminate helps to educate the public and reduces contamination. This has a direct result on the efficiency of recycling materials by improving material quality and reducing waste to landfill."
The pilot project is set to last till June 2021 and will cost the committee $10,000 (excl. GST) under the supervision of Clarke.
One Planet has continued to work alongside with the Zero Waste Network, Sustainable Living Education Trust, the waste sector organisation, WasteMinz and environmental educators nationwide.