Waikato Herald
  • Waikato Herald home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Rural
  • Lifestyle
  • Lotto results

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Lifestyle
  • Lotto results

Locations

  • Hamilton
  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Matamata & Piako
  • Cambridge
  • Te Awamutu
  • Tokoroa & South Waikato
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Weather

  • Thames
  • Hamilton
  • Tokoroa
  • Taumarunui
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Waikato News

Plastic electricity network pillars reused as recycled raw material

Hamilton News
16 Jul, 2020 12:13 AM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

The plastic electricity pillars are repurposed as raw materials with components re-introduced into the manufacturing and assembly process in Feilding. Photo / Supplied

The plastic electricity pillars are repurposed as raw materials with components re-introduced into the manufacturing and assembly process in Feilding. Photo / Supplied

Reducing waste and its environmental impact are the main drivers behind WEL Networks and Gyro Plastics' sustainable initiative to recycle network pillars that are no longer in service.

WEL is the first electricity distributor to partner with Gyro Plastics as part of its Product Stewardship Programme that's aimed at increasing the amount of product collected - diverted from landfill - recycled and reused as recycled raw material.

Since the initiative started in November 150 pillars have been recycled.

As part of WEL's end of job process, once the pillars are removed from the network, any metal or brass is removed, they are rinsed with water and placed into a cage.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Once the cage is full, with about 60 pillars, it's sent to Gyro Plastics in Feilding.

The cage is refilled with WEL's pillar replacement order before it's sent back to WEL's Hamilton premises.

"Sustainability is a company-wide focus for WEL and we're always looking at what we can do to improve," says group manager procurement Alison Barrow.

"The cage goes down full and comes back full. It's been very good and we've had a lot of positive feedback. By diverting our pillars from landfill and working with Gyro Plastics, we're supporting the sale, responsible and sustainable production of infrastructure plastic solutions," Barrow says.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The recycling process starts once Gyro Plastics receive the pillars. Once the process is complete, recycled and repurposed raw materials and components are re-introduced into the manufacturing and assembly process.

"Our product designs allow for a variation in plastic properties giving us the ability to use recycled plastic powder interchangeably with virgin plastic. Our recycled plastic powder is used in any manufacturing where an in-ground item would be traditionally manufactured in black virgin plastic.

"Within our premium range of pillars which are used by WEL, this typically means that bases (as opposed to lids) can be made from recycled plastic powder.

"Diversion from landfill is our immediate goal. With further uptake from the electricity industry, greater resource use, economic and energy savings will be gained," says Gyro Plastics managing director Trudi Duncan.

Discover more

Power networks join for seamless recharging experience

22 Jun 10:53 PM

More councils cutting back on recycling some plastics

09 Jul 10:10 PM
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Waikato News

Waikato Herald

'Serious injuries': Crash closes highway

11 Jul 05:30 AM
Waikato Herald

Mixed verdicts delivered for Tribesmen accused of murdering one of their own

11 Jul 05:00 AM
live
Waikato Herald

Fresh Auckland flood fears as high tide coincides with rush hour downpours

11 Jul 03:25 AM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Waikato News

'Serious injuries': Crash closes highway
Waikato Herald

'Serious injuries': Crash closes highway

11 Jul 05:30 AM

Emergency services are responding to a two-vehicle crash which has closed SH29.

Mixed verdicts delivered for Tribesmen accused of murdering one of their own
Waikato Herald

Mixed verdicts delivered for Tribesmen accused of murdering one of their own

11 Jul 05:00 AM
Fresh Auckland flood fears as high tide coincides with rush hour downpours
live
Waikato Herald

Fresh Auckland flood fears as high tide coincides with rush hour downpours

11 Jul 03:25 AM
'Significant delays': Serious crash closes SH3 south of Te Kuiti
Waikato Herald

'Significant delays': Serious crash closes SH3 south of Te Kuiti

11 Jul 01:01 AM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Waikato Herald e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Waikato Herald
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP