Ecostore refill stations a hit with community
15 July 2019
Recycling bins in Waipā will be a little lighter this week after hundreds of glass jars and plastic bottles were reused by the community at Plastic Free July events held over the weekend.
More than 150 people headed to the events, hosted by Waipā District Council in Te Awamutu and Cambridge, to refill their used containers for free with environmentally-friendly Ecostore handwash and dishwashing liquid.
The stalls were part of a collaborative effort between Council and Ecostore to encourage Waipā residents to reuse their containers before recycling them and promote participation in Plastic Free July.
Council Waste Minimisation Officer Sally Fraser said it was fantastic to see so many residents keen to embrace the reduce and reuse first, before recycling.
The three R's message is already well known and the team was thrilled to have so many great discussions about how people are already reusing containers in multiple ways. Being able to partner with Ecostore on such a great initiative is a way of rewarding people who are looking to reduce their single use plastic use.
Discount stickers for further refills of Ecostore products were also given out at the stalls. Anyone with a sticker can head to Bin Inn Te Awamutu, The Storeroom Te Awamutu or Forage in Cambridge for 10 per cent off refills until 31 December 2019.
Fraser said while Waipā had an excellent recycling service, it was still important for residents to reuse their containers first before they consider recycling as this will have the greatest impact on sustainability.
For more information on waste minimisation in Waipā and what you can do, head to waipadc.govt.nz/wasteminimisation.