With 12,000 tonnes of waste filling up Hawke's Bay's Omarunui landfill after the cyclone, councils, contractors and private companies are working together to find new ways of recycling silt-ridden materials.
Before Gabrielle hit the landfill was due to be full in four years' time, but that's now just 18 months away.
Crews are breaking the back of the problem at a new mixed waste site that opened last week.
Here's our reporter, Laurten Crimp.
