Palmerston North's Aleisha Rutherford: Help to reduce your household waste

Palmerston North deputy mayor Aleisha Rutherford took part in Plastic Free July. Photo / Supplied

OPINION:

We've just wrapped up Plastic Free July in our house, something I know many of you were participating in, making small swaps here and there to cut down on plastic waste.

Some of our recent changes include using reusable/wipeable hot plate liners instead of baking paper, loose leaf tea, and the kids' favourite - using a bubble bar and soap cage for bubble baths.

Plastic Free July Aotearoa is held annually in partnership with the Ministry for the Environment and WasteMINZ (the Waste Minimisation Institute of New Zealand) and has the aim of helping Kiwi households reduce plastic waste – especially of single-use plastics.

In our whānau we also focus on reducing waste overall.

I'm a big believer that we do what we can with the resources we have, and if we collectively take steps in the right direction, we can make a positive difference for our environment.

A tool the council has just launched to make this easier is our new waste reduction website hub pncc.govt.nz/rubbishandrecycling.

This now has a range of information answering the most common questions the council receives about rubbish, recycling and waste.

Along with outlining the council's regular rubbish disposal services and tips for reducing waste, the site provides an A-Z of recycling options for more than 200 items - including engine and cooking oils, food waste, car seats, chemicals, electronics, and batteries.

There's information about how to join groups of community waste warriors who voluntarily clean-up parks, waterways and other public spaces, as well as how to organise your own clean-up.

Did you know the council can supply gloves, rubbish bags and disposal for a clean-up and suggest areas to head to?

With recent changes to what goes in your kerbside recycling there is information on what the different plastic numbers mean and what the council collects.

Doing a quick audit of what's going in your bin could lead to some further recycling opportunities.

Check out your local kindergarten and see what additional schemes they have in place to recycle items such as toothpaste tubes, bread tags and pens.

One of my favourite hub pages talks about the difference between biodegradable and compostable.

Biodegradable plastic is often seen as a great solution when it's a bit misleading. Breaking plastics down to microplastics harms our waterways and aquatic life.

Keeping an eye on labels and choosing compostable products when possible is the more positive choice.

Check out the council's new resource and see what recycling changes your household may be able to make.

• Aleisha Rutherford is the deputy mayor of Palmerston North.