Lazy recyclers face scrutiny
Christchurch’s laziest recyclers are being targeted in a fresh campaign to halt thousands of tonnes of recycling being needlessly sent to landfill each week.
More than 350 truckloads of contaminated recyclable material have had to be dumped since the city’s yellow bin recycling facility EcoCentral reopened its doors on May 4 following the coronavirus lockdown.
The amount sent to landfill in the last five weeks is 15 times higher than the whole of last year, when just 23 truckloads of recycling had to go to waste.
While international markets for recyclable materials are shrinking and have tightened up standards on quality, the council is adamant there is a key problem – we have become lazy.
‘‘The goalposts haven’t moved at all,’’ said Christchurch City Council head of waste Helen Beaumont.
‘‘If there’s more than 10 per cent contamination in a load then it won’t be accepted in the sorting and processing centre. That is the same as last year, so it is that people have got really slack.’’
Despite repeated pleas from the council the problem is getting worse.
In the week starting May
11, 59 truckloads – 35 per cent of all recycling – was sent to landfill. Each rejected load contained an average of
20 per cent contamination. But that figure has soared over the past month to peak at 59 per cent last week.
And it comes at a cost – contaminated recycling over the last five weeks has cost ratepayers about $357,000.
The council is now clamping down on the worst offenders and, if necessary, will confiscate bins.
Inspectors and auditors last week hit the streets to carry out spot checks, redoubling their efforts to dish out gold stars to those following the rules and educational material to those who did not.
A handful of suburbs have been uncovered as the worst culprits, including Riccarton, New Brighton, Southshore, Aranui and Wainoni.
‘‘Where we’ve identified trucks that have come in from particular areas we can
■ Soft plastics, bags or scrunchable types go in the red bin
■ Remove and discard lids/bottle tops in the red bin
■ Rinse before putting in your yellow bin
■ Leave the recycling loose in the bin – do not bag it up
■ All disposable takeaway drink cups go in the red bin.
go out and do leaflet drops and have a targeted education campaign there,’’ Beaumont said.
Asked why it was so hard to persuade people to recycle properly, Beaumont said it was partly because some had yet to get the message that the dumping of rubbish in yellow bins that was allowed under lockdown had stopped.
Others, she felt, may be sceptical about what happens to recycling given the difficulties posed by the recycling market.
‘‘I think some people think, ‘Oh, what’s the point, they’re going to dump it all anyway’, which is just not true.
‘‘We are not going to dump it all anyway, and it’s even more important that people are tidy with their recycling so that the product is much better quality and we can effectively sell it on the international market still.’’
Which plastics can be recycled created the most confusion, EcoCentral chief executive Craig Downie said.
‘‘Only clean, rigid bottles and containers – plastics type 1, 2 and 5 – are accepted in the yellow bin, the rest go in the red bin.
‘‘All plastic container lids and small pieces of paper – or anything smaller than your open hand – are not recyclable because they are too small for the machinery to process.’’
While bottle lids and shrink-wrapped labels are classed as contamination by buyers, the plastic rings on bottle necks do not need removing as they do not cause problems for recycling.
‘‘It is greatly appreciated when [sheath labels] are removed as it improves the quality of the product but it is not essential for your recycling bin to be accepted.’’
The main contamination was from people putting food scraps, soft plastics, gas bottles, clothing, full rubbish bags, small appliances, tools, hazardous waste and garden waste in their yellow bin.
Helen Beaumont Christchurch City Council head of waste
‘‘The goalposts haven’t moved at all . . . so it is that people have got really slack.’’