Rural recycling trial an innovative move

A rural recycling service is starting at Pongakawa on Saturday.

Recycling for rural residents near Pongakawa is about to get easier thanks to a rural recycling trial programme coming to their neighbourhood.

Western Bay of Plenty District Council is launching a six-month trial of a manned trailer to take domestic recycling, 9am-1pm every second Saturday at BP Pongakawa.

Starting November 30, users will be able to recycle; glass (bottles and jars), plastic (No 1 and No 2), tin and aluminium cans, paper and cardboard (flattened). No whiteware, oil or green waste will be taken.

The council's resource recovery and waste team leader, Ilze Kruis, says the trial follows consultation, through the annual plan in 2018, on the proposal to introduce a rural recycling drop-off point. The intention was to make it easier for rural communities to be able to recycle with 76 per cent of respondents in support of establishing rural recycling drop-off points.

The east of the district was chosen to run the trial as this was seen as the area with the greatest opportunity to reduce travel times to facilities.

"We are always looking at alternative recycling and rubbish collection models to achieve better oversight and management of solid waste and recycling throughout the district," says Ilze.

"We'll let the recycling do the talking to see if there is an appetite for further recycling drop-off centres.

"A big thank you must go to Wayne Parry and the team at BP Pongakawa for joining the cause and allowing council to use the premises for the trial. With its easy access off the state highway it is a perfect fit."

Considering submitters' concerns around illegal dumping, the trailer, manned by local waste minimisation company Waste Watchers Ltd, eliminates litter and rubbish as the site is manned and mobile.

Waste Watchers Ltd director Marty Hoffart says running the trial for the mobile recycling centre is a really progressive move.

"Not many councils around the country have done something like this, by taking the collection out to the rural community. There is a need and a demand in rural areas, so this is a great initiative to provide ratepayers with more opportunities to recycle."

The trial will be funded through the Waste Minimisation Levy and district-wide Environmental Protection Rate.