Tararua council looking to improve on waste minimisation with recycling

A wheelie bin, similar to this one, will be supplied to properties in Dannevirke, Eketahuna, Pahiatua and Woodville for recycling. Photo / NZME

Tararua District Council is hoping to improve its waste minimisation with the gradual rollout of wheelie bins and glass crates for recycling.

Mayor Tracey Collis said the rollout over the next few months had created a buzz in the community.

"A lot of people [are] most excited to have a wheelie bin to put their recycling in."

The council had done a review of the district's solid waste and found that 24 per cent of waste could have been composted and 19 per cent could have been recycled, she said.

It was hoped that the bins would assist with waste minimisation targets and make it easier for people to recycle.

Council group manager of infrastructure Chris Chapman said a bag of materials would go out with the wheelie bin.

He said this would include some education and information on when the wheelie bins could go out and when the crates would, as well as what types of recyclables could go in the bins.

The wheelie bins would not be meant for normal refuse as that could lead to contamination.

"If there's a whole lot of contamination where people are putting just their normal refuse in, it won't get collected, it'll just get left there," Chapman said.

"If there is contamination it means that that whole load has to go to landfill, which means rates have to fund the disposal, which hurts the ratepayer.

"We do want to make sure we help in whatever way, shape or form needed to make this a success really because it's all for the benefit [of] the ratepayer."

Collis said that there was a financial benefit to people to recycle and keep their waste to a minimum.

Costs of disposing of waste were going up and up, Chapman said.

He said there were very limited opportunities to reduce the cost through efficiencies.

"What we can do is try and minimise that waste - two thirds of it can be repurposed or recycled."

Properties in Dannevirke, Pahiatua, Eketahuna and Woodville would be supplied with a 240 litre wheelie bin and a 45 litre container over the coming months.