The beginner’s guide to bins
Change. It’s one of the few things in life that’s inevitable – alongside taxes and death. Yet when it comes many people are shocked, terrified and lost – and it seems many were exceptionally lost in New Plymouth recently when two new plastic bins arrived to shake up the waste and recycling game.
New Plymouth residents’ new food scraps bin (the mini one with a green lid) and landfill bin (the red-topped one) have got people talking, that’s for sure.
They’ve inspired a colleague of mine, who has never recycled at home to start.
He’s now putting glass in the blue crate rather than wrapping every glass bottle in newspaper and putting it in his rubbish bag.
And they’ve made my flatmate realise plastic bottles don’t go in the bin, which is a great revelation too.
But it’s the people who are still confused who I’m here to help. And I know you’re out there because the minute someone mentions the new bins, a question follows.
Can you put bones in your scrap bin? Yes. What about newspaper? Yes if you’re using it to wrap up scraps. Do teabags go in the landfill bin or the scrap bin? Scrap bin. How close to the kerb should the bins go? Close as you can. Make sure the bins are not touching each other. And, of course, should we be throwing lids of bottles and jars into the bin rather than recycling? Yes we should, if the lids are under 10cm in diameter.
No-one I talk to is 100 per cent certain about these things, but they really want to get it right.
First thing you can do to clear things up is read the wee pamphlet that came inside the bins. It’s got everything you need.
I’m not judging you if you didn’t read that and threw it out straight away, because many of us feel that way about instructions.
So what goes where?
It’s really very (very) simple. Your red-topped bin takes everything you used to throw in your red rubbish bag, except your food scraps.
And that’s because they’ve got their own home now – the mini bin with the green lid.
That’s the only change to what goes where. The ONLY change.
All food scraps including vegetable peels, bones, sea shells, tea bags, your flatmate’s attempt at risotto and kitchen paper towels can all go in the greentopped bin.
The green bins were introduced because 40 per cent of what was going into the landfill was food scraps. That’s crazy, when it can all be turned into compost and put back into the earth in a good way.
For now, the scraps are being trucked 300 kilometres north to Hampton Downs where it’s being turned into compost, but at least that’s not in the landfill. And in time they will probably be composted closer to home.
And, when does each bin go out?
If you check the side of you bin, there’s a white sticker with your address and it’ll tell you the day your bins go out. And the calender that came in your bin tells you what to put out each week.
But very simply, your redtopped bin goes out with your blue glass crate one week, and your yellow recycle bin goes the next. If you’re unsure, check what your neighbours are doing. They often know more than you.
Oh and, your food scraps bin goes out every week.
But, if you’re still lost about days, search your address at www.newplymouthnz.com/ Residents/Your-Property/ Rubbish-and-Recycling/ Recycling-and-Rubbish-DaySearch and it will tell you.
Here’s some other useful stuff to know.
If you’re worried about your bin lid opening, and things flying away, the council can be contacted for a lid lock. I bet you didn’t know that.
And if you’re still unsure on where things go, there’s a handy index on the New Plymouth District Council website that tells you what you can put where.
Plus, there’s a few quirky things that don’t have to go into your landfill anymore, like your toothbrushes – they can go to Green Door Cafe.
My top tip – keep the inside of your bins clean so they don’t start to stink. You can sprinkle baking soda over the bottom of the bin as it soaks up odours wonderfully.
Other great odour removers are coffee grounds and slices of lemon.
Finally, if you’re missing a bin, contact the council. They’ll sort you out a replacement.