No plastics at Whanganui Resource Recovery Centre until New Year

The front of the facility will be closed until its plastic baler machine is back in action. Photo / Mike Tweed

Plastics will not be accepted at the Whanganui Resource Recovery until the New Year.

A fire in the OJI Fibre Solution building at the facility on December 1 caused damage to its wiring and a plastic baling machine.

The machine needed three new motors and a gearbox replacement.

Centre manager Dale Cobb said a gearbox was being sourced from Australia, but the centre was “at the mercy of freight and travel”.

“It’s unfortunate, and we would love to be back to full operations,” he said.

“Until that baler is repaired in full, we are a little bit restricted because we won’t have the room.

“Obviously, opening the front would encourage more and more people to dump, and dump plastic.”

The centre will be closed on Boxing Day.

Cobb said came down to personal choice regarding whether members of community saved plastic or put it in general waste.

“I don’t want people hoarding meat trays and milk bottles, because they are pungent and that flow-on effect attracts rodents.”

He said the baling machine would be out of action for at least the next two weeks.

“We are doing our best, and we did well to open as soon as we did after the fire.

“The cardboard baler has worked a miracle. It’s amazing the volumes that have come through.

“For us, it’s respect to the community for sticking with their recycling habits. Whanganui [residents are] well-regarded nationally as pretty blimmin’ passionate recyclers.”

The centre will be open on December 27 from 9am to 3pm, then the following two days from 9am to 4pm.

It will be closed on January 1 and 2 before returning to normal opening hours of 9am to 4.30pm on January 3.

The front will remain closed until the plastic baler machine is back in action.

Cobb said current wait times weren’t as bad as those during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We’re getting through as much as possible.

“The key is: please sort your product before you get here. That speeds up the whole process.”

Mike Tweed is an assistant news director and multi-media journalist at the Whanganui Chronicle. Since starting in March 2020, he has dabbled in everything from sport to music. At present, his focus is local government, primarily Whanganui District Council.