Whanganui residents Lee Matson (left) and June and Mike Miller are dismayed at the end of kerbside recyclin. Photo / Bevan Conley
Upset Whanganui residents say canning a kerbside recycling service is a lost opportunity and the Whanganui District Council needs to be held responsible.
For nearly three years private entity EnviroWaste has offered a crate recycling service to Whanganui residents, but from April 1 the service will no longer be available.
Every fortnight, service-users could put out two crates - provided by EnviroWaste and filled with anything that was recyclable - and it would be collected. All for $5.50 a month.
An EnviroWaste national spokeswoman said the service was being withdrawn due to low uptake from Whanganui residents.
"I can't comment any further," the spokeswoman told the Chronicle.
But Castlecliff resident June Miller said lots of people she'd spoken to didn't even know the service existed.
"It's a real shame and I think it sends a bad message, I mean here we are talking about being plastic bag-free and then we losean opportunity like this - counter-productive really," Mrs Miller said.
She said it was only by chance she found out about the service.
"I was down at EnviroWaste's drop-off site and the lady there told me about it. We signed up straight away.
"My husband used to think it was easier just putting the recycling in the rubbish but having that service meant recycling was an easy habit to get into," Mrs Miller said.
Her husband Mike said he assumed they stopped it because it wasn't economically viable.
"But if the council had got behind it or more people were aware of it maybe it would have been economic for them," Mr Miller said.
The Millers' neighbour, Lee Matson, said the Whanganui District Council needed to be held accountable.
"Whether the service was provided by the council or a private entity it wouldn't matter but making sure a cost-effective recycling collection service was available was the council's responsibility," Mr Matson said.
Whanganui District Council chair of the waste minimisation working party, councillor Rob Vinsen, said the council was notified about the ending to EnviroWaste's kerbside recycling service late last week.
"The council has a legislated requirement to ensure that waste-reduction opportunities are available to the public," Mr Vinsen said.
"If the private sector does not offer them we would need to look at how council can provide these opportunities."
He said the waste minimisation working party was discussing the local situation and intend to involve the public in any decision making later this year.
Mrs Miller said many elderly people used the service because it was the only way they could recycle.
"They didn't have transport to get to the drop centre and I imagine a lot of people will go back to putting their recycling in the bin again which is a shame."
Mrs Miller said her daughter was living in Christchurch where residents there were given three wheelie bins - one for waste, one for recycling and one for green waste.
"And it was paid for with rates."
She said her grandchildren had grown up with that service and were now educated and recycling was just the thing to do for them.
"They come up here and are confused that there isn't a recycling bin. It's time Whanganui steps up," Mrs Miller said.