Waipā residents get kudos for recycling

Almost everyone in Waipā has got the hang of the new recycling rules.

Waipā District Council has audited its recycling collection routes and found that 95 per cent of residents are getting the right things into the right bins.

The central government-led changes came into play in February to make recycling consistent around New Zealand. Tin and aluminium cans, paper and cardboard, and plastics 1, 2, and 5 are the only recyclable items that can be collected at kerbside.

Waste minimisation advisor Shelley Wilson said she is pleased with the result and wants people to keep up the good work.

“We are stoked that so many people are getting recycling right because it keeps our locals on the sorting line safe and keeps costs down for everyone.”

Safety can be a serious issue for the workers at the Te Awamutu recycling plant. Recently, live ammunition was found on the sorting line conveyor belt.

The rusty 12-gauge shotgun cartridge was mixed in with recycling and it was sheer luck that it made it through the truck compactors and the plant loader unscathed.

“It really highlights the need for people to make sure that the items they put in their recycling are correct,” Wilson says.

“If people are unsure whether an item is acceptable in their kerbside recycling, they can head to our website and use the handy sorting tool. It has loads of information specific to Waipā and can help with where to recycle tricky items, like batteries.”

For some though, the only way to change behaviour is to suspend the service.

“With education and warnings, we are seeing the number of suspensions coming down, but there are still obvious non-recyclable items coming through to the sorting line like bags of rubbish and nappies,” Wilson said.

To find out more about recycling in Waipā visit wastelesswaipa.co.nz