Plastics 1, 2 and 5 change in place next week
A change to Waipā District Council’s recycling service will be in place from next week.
From Monday 15 June, Council will only collect plastic types 1, 2 and 5 - used to make things like milk bottles and ice cream containers.
Plastics types 3, 4, 6 and 7 - found in things like biscuit trays, tomato sauce bottles and some takeaway food containers - will no longer be recycled and need to go into the rubbish bin.
The change to the recycling service, prompted by a shift in international recycling markets, will see Council join dozens of other councils, including Taupo District, Whakatane District and Nelson City Council, in a shift away from collecting these plastic types.
Council transportation manager Bryan Hudson said these plastics had a negative market value and were currently being sent to landfill.
“There is a nationwide shift away from these plastics 3, 4, 6 and 7. They simply cannot be recycled and are valueless. There is just nowhere to send them.
“Although these plastic types only make up a small percentage of what we collect, it is important for Council to stop accepting them to drive a change in the market.”
A comprehensive report released by the Waste Management Institute of New Zealand found plastic types 3, 4, 6 and 7 made up around just three per cent of all recycled plastics.
“People may not realise how few items are actually plastics 3, 4, 6 and 7 so it should be a simple change to make,” Hudson said.
“In saying that, is it vital people stop putting these plastics in the recycling so other good recycling does not become contaminated.”
Hudson said residents should look for the recycling symbol on all plastic containers to see what number they were.
“It is really simple, anything with a 1, 2 or 5 goes into your yellow mixed recycling bin. Any other number goes into the rubbish bin as do containers without numbers.”
For more information on plastic types and Waipā’s recycling service head to www.waipadc.govt.nz/recycling.
Examples of plastics accepted:
Type 1 – soft drink bottles, water bottles and
juice bottles.
Type 2 –
milk bottles, cream bottles and some shampoo and cleaning products.
Type 5 – ice
cream containers, some yoghurt containers and take away containers.
Examples of plastics not accepted:
Type 3 – biscuit trays, blister packs and some
food packaging.
Type 4 –
tomato, mustard and barbeque squeeze bottles.
Type 6 –
Some take away containers, soft cheese containers, such as cottage cheese and
sour cream, and some yogurt pots.
Type 7 –
other plastic or combined materials such as juice cartons.