Public Glass Recycling Trialled in Wellington

Wellingtonians are once again able to drop off glass bottles and jars for recycling as the Council trials bottle bank bins in Karori, Kelburn and the central city.

The two-month trial will determine how best to provide glass recycling in public places and feedback will be welcome during this period.

If the bottle bank bins are regularly used and no rubbish is dumped at or in the bins, they will become permanent fixtures.

The Council's Three Waters and Waste Portfolio Leader, Councillor Ngaire Best, says kerbside recycling meets most people's needs most of the time but there are times when people have more glass than usual.

"We hope the new public bins will be useful on those occasions when households have a lot of glass to dispose of and find their glass recycling crates are overflowing," she says.

"We also hope people will treat them with respect and only use them for clean bottles and jars."

This initiative is expected to further increase the quantities of glass the city is recycling and add to the a million dollars a year the Council makes from recycling. This funds around a quarter of collection costs.
The bottle banks, which people will be able to use from today, are at:

• 236 Raine Street, Karori - kerbside next to Karori New World
• 3 Gladstone Terrace, Kelburn - in the car park
• The Mill, 233 Victoria Street - in the car park.

 

Each bottle bank has three 240-litre wheelie bins that will be emptied daily. The bins are for clean brown, green and clear glass bottles and jars only and people using them should colour sort their glass as they drop it off.
Remember:

• No lids
• No broken glass
• No Pyrex, e.g. glasses and mugs; ceramics, window glass, mirrors or light bulbs.