Recycling increases 32 per cent

Manukau residents are proving themselves to be great recyclers, with volumes increasing 32 per cent in the first year of the new recycling service.

That’s an extra 6900 tonnes, or an average 67.6kg per household, that is now recycled instead of going to landfill.

The 32 per cent increase is well ahead of the 15 to 25 per cent target the council set when introducing the new recycling service on 30 June 2008. The new service saw residents provided with a 240 litre recycling wheelie bin that takes a wider range of material and the establishment of a new state-of-the-art sorting facility run by Visy Recycling.

In the first year of the new service Manukau residents recycled approximately 28,140 tonnes, enough waste to fill 11 Olympic swimming pools. This compares to 21,250 tonnes in the final year residents used the smaller green crates for recycling.

The new service has also successfully increased the proportion of household waste that is recycled. Thirty per cent of waste is now recycled, compared to a rate of 22 per cent in 2007.

The amount of Manukau rubbish that went to landfill was 63,769 tonnes in the year to July 2009, a 14 per cent reduction from 74,360 tonnes the previous year.

Manukau City Council Environment and City Design Portfolio Leader Sharon Stewart says it is great news that the new recycling service has had an impact on the amount of rubbish ending up at landfills.

“Residents have obviously really taken up the opportunity to recycle more and the council would like to thank them for that.

“The new service has been a huge success and that’s thanks to Manukau people.

“The aim was to make it easier to recycle more. People have made the most of it and increased their recycling.

“We’d also like to encourage people to try to recycle even more if they can. For example, some people may not realise they can recycle cardboard juice cartons and milk containers.

“It is great to see that people are generally putting the right things in their recycling bin. Only five to six per cent of material that ends up at the sorting facility are things that shouldn’t have been put in a recycling bin.

“However some things that can’t be recycled, for example grass clippings, plastic bags, clothing and nappies are being put in some recycling bins. In a few cases concrete has been put in bins.

“People should remember putting the wrong things in the recycling could damage the recycling plant or cause injury to staff,” Cr Stewart says.

To thank Manukau residents the council is running a competition with support from Visy Recycling, Enviroway, Fisher & Paykel and the Packaging Council of New Zealand. Prizes include a dishwasher, fridge, washing machine and bikes. Find out more and enter by reading the 16 August edition of Manukau Matters or go to www.manukau.govt.nz/recycling