Call for improved recycling in CHB

LUCY CRAYMER
Christopher Sunderland of Otane is on a mission to get people thinking about what they throw away. In just the three hours that Central Hawke's Bay Council surveyed what was being put into the Waipukurau dump they noted that an artificial leg, a child's plastic play house, carpet, eight television sets, six video recorders and a radio were thrown out.
Mr Sunderland said he had been talking to the council about what could be done to improve recycling.
"I have always thought we should be recycling. Something has to be done because we are going to run out of places to dump our rubbish," he said.
Mr Sunderland recycles his plastics, bottles and cardboard but would like to be able recycle more and is asking the council to provide more services.
"There is a place that recycles margarine pots, and one in Lower Hutt which takes old computers," Mr Sunderland said. He is also upset that many people make no effort to recycle. "We need to have someone at the dump saying 'let's recycle that instead of throwing it out'.
"I wouldn't mind doing that to get it under way," he said. Mayor Tim Gilbertson said recycling in Central Hawke's Bay had been going for three years and although it was working really well they would be looking at possible improvements. He said they were looking at what was being thrown out that could have been recycled and see how they could better educate people about the advantages of recycling.