Recycling pleas ignored
The cost of dumping contaminated recycling is approaching $1 million as Christchurch residents continue to ignore pleas to separate their waste.
Two weeks after The Press highlighted the spiralling cost of dumping contaminated recycling in landfill, the problem appears to be worsening.
Last week alone, 88 trucks full of material from the city’s yellow bins had to be dumped at the tip – more than half of all the recycled products collected that week. Just 80 truckloads were recycled.
On the worst day – Wednesday last week – 30 truckloads of yellow bin recycling were sent to landfill and just five were recycled.
The suburbs that had yellow bin collections last Wednesday include parts of Riccarton, New Brighton, Southshore, Aranui and Wainoni.
The Christchurch City Council is now refusing to empty yellow bins that contain general rubbish and say if the practice continues the bin will
be confiscated.
During 2019, just 23 truckloads of recycling were so contaminated they had to be rejected and sent to landfill.
Each load costs the council $1000 to dump. In the seven weeks to May 20 – a period that included the closure of the council’s recycling facility – the council spent $800,000 sending contaminated recycling to landfill.
Since May 4, 292 truckloads of yellow bin material have been dumped at a cost of $292,000.
People are dumping food, clothing, appliances, nappies, tools, bedding and green waste into their yellow bin, undermining their neighbours’ recycling efforts.
Trucks containing more than 10 per cent rubbish have to be dumped.
Council three waters and waste head Helen Beaumont said buyers have a low threshold for contamination.
‘‘They’re not interested in taking our plastic waste if it is tainted with other material that is costly to remove. That is why we are pushing hard to ensure
only the right stuff ends up in the yellow bin.’’
For four weeks during the lockdown, EcoCentral – the council-owned company that sorts all the yellow bin recycling and operates three transfer stations – suspended its recycling operations to protect staff from the threat of coronavirus.
Council told residents that recycling would have to be sent to landfill during lockdown, and any rubbish that could not fit in a red wheelie bin could be put in the yellow one. That was supposed to be a temporary measure, but people have continued the practice.
EcoCentral chief executive Craig Downie said multiple residents were using their yellow bins as rubbish bins.
‘‘What people don’t realise is it’s costing them as ratepayers while this is going on.’’
Council resource recovery manager Ross Trotter said people who repeatedly put the incorrect material in a yellow bin could have the bin removed and the service suspended.
‘‘If people misuse their bins, they will not be emptied and if the misuse is repeated their bins may be removed and service suspended.
‘‘We cannot afford that situation to continue. We’re hoping that through the spot checks we can help people understand what belongs in their yellow wheelie bins.’’
Only clean cardboard, paper, tin and aluminium cans, glass bottles and rigid plastic bottles and containers marked with the numbers 1, 2 or 5 can go in the yellow wheelie bin.
Items that can be recycled include clean soft drink and milk bottles, yoghurt and icecream containers, aluminium tins and aerosol cans, clean glass, cardboard and paper.