Recycling bin lids set to close against mixed plastics in Palmerston North, New Zealand
The list of plastics which residents of Palmerston North, New Zealand, will not be able to put in their kerbside recycling bins is about to grow.
Council staff cannot find a market for mixed-grade plastics such as some meat trays, soft plastic bags and other packaging, stuff.co.nz reported.
Since July 2019, the unwanted plastics have been gathered and stored at the Awapuni recycling center.
The stockpile has grown to fill 1,291 bales, weighing 371 tons.
Water and waste operations manager Mike Monaghan said the facility was running out of room to store any more, and there were risks it would attract vermin and feral cats.
The bales were deteriorating after so long exposed to UV light and there was a danger the plastics could start blowing away towards the Manawatū River, or could even be a fire risk.
It would cost an estimated $55,000 to $65,000 to dump it in the landfill.
The mixed plastics, graded three, four, six and seven, had in the past been shipped offshore, but the last time the council did that it cost money.
The plastics will be classed as hazardous waste from next year and the council will need to get permits to export them.
About half of New Zealand’s councils had already stopped collecting mixed plastics, including items such as small yoghurt bottles, meat trays, foam cups and protective packaging on battery packs.
The items make up between 400 grams and one kilogram of what an average household puts in the recycling bin each fortnight, about 5 percent of their total recycling materials.
The type of plastics that will still be accepted include those classed one, two and five — items such as clear soft drink bottles, milk bottles, shampoo and cleaning product bottles, and peanut butter jars.
Although some councils have stopped collecting ice cream and large yoghurt containers, Palmerston North still takes them because there is a local recycler who can use them.
A change to the Waste Management and Minimization Bylaw is required for the
council to stop accepting mixed plastics, so it has embarked on a round of public consultation.
Monaghan said he understood environmentally aware city residents would be disappointed with the proposal.
“This problem we face is an unfortunate reality that many others a grappling with too.”
Although council staff could not see an alternative to stopping collection of the mixed plastics, the consultation was an opportunity for the public to suggest any other ideas.
The council is asking people to use their purchasing power when buying packaged goods, so they do not get stuck with the problem of what to do with them after use.