Live ammunition found at Te Awamutu recycling plant

Every item placed into the black and yellow recycling bin has to be touched by a human on the conveyor belt sorting line. Photo / Dean Taylor

The discovery of live ammunition on the sorting-line conveyor belt at the Te Awamutu recycling plant on Friday has prompted further calls for people to get their recycling sorted.

The rusty 12-gauge shotgun cartridge was mixed in with recycling and is the latest in a long list of hazardous materials staff have been discovering.

Group manager service delivery Dawn Inglis said the shotgun cartridge could have had a devastating impact on staff and equipment at the recycling plant.

Live shotgun cartridge located discarded amongst recycling.

“For the cartridge to have made it through the truck compactors and the plant loader unscathed was sheer luck, it could have gone off at any stage.”

Hazardous materials are only a part of the contamination of recycling costing ratepayers up to $30,000 per month in disposal fees. In the last month, staff have had to contend with loose needles and a deer carcass that made its way into recycling.

“Confusion about what can and can’t be recycled has played a big part in contamination issues for Waipā. It is very disappointing that these items are being put in with recycling and shows total disregard for the safety of staff,” Inglis said.

“It is also costing ratepayers who do the right thing thousands of dollars, and that is simply not fair.”

The “Can I recycle this?” tool, is on a specially designed website focused on waste minimisation. It allows residents to search what items can be recycled, or if there is an alternative option to sending them to landfill.

Anyone wanting to dispose of ammunition should contact their local gun shop or hunting store to find the best way to do so safely.