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Rubbish and recycling update - May 20 2020

paper glassKerbside recycling collection

Kerbside collection of plastic and cans for recycling will resume on July 1.  Glass, paper and cardboard collections continues as normal.

Council is aware the community is anxious to recycle plastic and cans and that having no kerbside collection has been frustrating. The impact of COVID-19 arriving while council was in the middle of awarding a new contract for this service left no option for recycling these items. During the Level 3 and 4 restrictions, any plastic and cans that were being collected by councils across the country were going to landfill.

Why have cans and plastics not been collected?

  • Earlier this year council announced that Smart Environmental Ltd was awarded the tender to deliver kerbside recycling. Unfortunately, COVID-19 arrived when council was organising to start this contract on May 1.
  • Under Level 4 everything had to stop, and even under the Level 3 restrictions it has been challenging for our new provider to get prepared. The global restrictions of COVID-19 have caused delays in importing specialist equipment for Smart Environmental’s newly-designed trucks. The lockdown also meant the truck builders were unable prepare the vehicle fleet.
  • This meant council was faced with not being able to collect any recycling at all. As a solution during Level 3, council’s outgoing contractor GreenSky agreed to extend their contract to provide a continued service to the community - picking up glass, cardboard and paper from kerbside.
  • GreenSky are unable, however, to collect plastic and cans as they no longer have a sorting facility to prepare them for recycling.
  • Council’s waste management team is passionate about reducing waste to landfill, so it’s been far from ideal to have these items going to landfill at any level. Like the rest of the community, they are really looking forward to plastics and cans being collected again in July with the certainty they will actually be able to be recycled.

What should we do with our cans and plastics?

  • If your only option is kerbside collection please continue to clean and store them if you have room to do so. Otherwise put them out with your general rubbish until kerbside collection begins again on July 1.
  • From this week the recycling stations at Henderson Rd and Blackbridge have re-opened to take all materials so you can book a spot and drop them off there. More details below.

Recycling StationRecycling stations

Recycling stations for plastic, cans, glass, cardboard, and paper are open at Henderson Rd and Blackbridge Transfer Stations – bookings essential.

  • Waste Management has a temporary contract to collect all materials, which are being sorted and recycled at their Napier facility.
  • Council considered retaining Waste Management to carry out kerbside cans and plastic collection but this would have come at a significant cost, at a time when council is working hard to reduce expenditure and the rating burden on the community.
  • Martin Place remains closed while we work through safety issues given this site has potential for large numbers to congregate.

Rural recycling

Bins reinstalled at Tutira, Poukawa, and Mararekakaho from Saturday, May 23. Bins planned to be installed at Waimarama and Pukehamoamoa from beginning of next week.

  • These sites will operate as normal although people are asked to maintain physical distancing and good hygiene.
  • Please use these bins correctly. Regularly council’s contractors come across illegal dumping, recycling not being separated properly, or still containing foods and liquids. When recycling is contaminated like this, it’s not accepted by recycling facilities and ends up in the landfill.  

 

20 May 2020

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