Hic-cup in green efforts

A ‘compostable’ solution to the plastic water cooler cup problem at Marlborough civic buildings is being explored, as the council reveals it splashed out on 7000 of the single-use cups last year.

Figures provided to the Express show the Marlborough District Council bought 3000 plastic recyclable cups for ‘‘customer use’’ at its Seymour St reception and Blenheim Library, and 4000 for ‘‘everywhere but reception and the library’’.

The ‘‘single-use’’ plastic cups came under fire last month after councillor Michael Fitzpatrick pointed out during a climate change report that the council still used them at water cooler stations, which he said was a ‘‘nono’’.

The figures were requested under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act (LGOIMA).

The report showed the council spent just $300 on the cups last financial year. About 95 per cent, or 6650, of them were recycled.

The Picton Library did not use plastic cups, but instead had in sink chilled water and washable glasses.

The LGOIMA report also said the council was also looking at reducing the need for disposable cups, and substituting them for ‘‘compostable’’ cups.

Council solid waste manager Alec Mcneil said authorities had to ‘‘probe into the integrity’’ of whether items were actually compostable.

‘‘What does it mean by compostable? Do you have to have access to a compost facility? If we buy the product, and find we don’t have the facility to get to the temperatures to break it down, we haven’t achieved our aim.’’

He said authorities also had to look at whether the ‘‘compostable’’ item broke down into micro-plastic, which was ‘‘worse than plastic’’, or plant materials.

The Wellington City Council was caught sending compostable takeaway cups to landfill in June, so it could get a Biogro certified compost product.

Plastics New Zealand chief executive Rachel Barker said what happened to the cups after recycling depended on what materials they were made from.

‘‘A lot of plastic cups in New Zealand would be made from polypropylene or polystyrene. If they’re collected ... then they are recycled into other products,’’ she said.

‘‘If you can get the collection [of the cups] under control and the sorting of that plastic into a