Environment Network Manawatū increases Palmerston North-based recycling opportunities

Environment Network Manawatū communications and events lead Helen King with the TerraCycle blister pack box and the collection for Upcycling Club 1. Photo / Judith Lacy

Popping pill packs in the rubbish is a thing of the past, thanks to an Environment Network Manawatū initiative.

Environment Network Manawatū (ENM) has paid for four TerraCycle zero waste boxes for items that cannot be recycled through council kerbside services.

The box for empty blister packs has received the most interest so far, ENM communications and events lead Helen King says.

ENM received money for eight TerraCycle zero waste boxes from Palmerston North City Council’s Resource Recovery Fund.

King is monitoring the uptake for the first four boxes before choosing the next four.

The other boxes are for cosmetic, hair care and skin care packaging, name tags and lanyards, and media storage.

CDs, tapes, floppy disks, memory sticks and DVDs are some of the items that can go in the media storage box.

Nail varnish, nail remover and aerosol cans are not permitted in the beauty packaging box.

The TerraCycle boxes at ENM are for households only.

The plastic materials are shredded and converted into pellets and other raw formats. Manufacturers use these in new products.

King says a bonus of the project is meeting new people and introducing them to ENM’s resources and services.

That people are making the effort to come into the office with their recycling tells her people want to be responsible with their unwanted items.

The council does a fantastic job but it is not manageable for it to provide a recycling service for everything, she says.

People can also bring in their plastic bottle and jar tops, which Palmerston North organisation Upcycling Club 1 makes games with.

ENM is also a collection point for Kidney Kids NZ’s KanTabs programme for wine bottle tops and can tabs.

ENM at 145 Cuba St in Palmerston North is open Mondays to Thursdays 9am-4pm. There is free parking outside.

ENM also received a Resource Recovery Fund grant for its monthly repair cafe.

Precycle NZ received funding for its paper towel project. It will develop a pilot programme to collect and upcycle used paper towels and turn them into building products.

The fourth recipient was English Language Partners for its project to make composting fun. It sets out to engage with newcomers from refugee and migrant backgrounds to encourage home composting.

The Resource Recovery Fund reflects the council’s commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility. The total amount awarded this year was $40,000.