Recycling workers shaken by deer carcass discovery

Staff members at Southland’s recycling centre were left distressed after someone put a deer carcass in their recycling bin.

A message on social media from WasteNet said it was disappointed to report several properties had put animal remains, including a full deer carcass, in their yellow recycling bins in the past month.

‘‘These actions have caused considerable distress for the staff who work at the recycling centre, and contaminates all the recycling that was in those loads.

‘‘We do not understand why people think that animal parts or carcasses could be recycled.’’

Recycling in Southland is sorted by staff from Southland disAbility Enterprises.

General manager Hamish McMurdo said animal carcasses were regularly found in Southland’s recycling bins.

While he couldn’t recall a whole deer carcass being put in a bin before, he said it would have ‘‘definitely’’ happened in the past.

‘‘There’s usually an animal of some sort each day. During duck shooting you get ducks. During lambing you get lambs ... Crayfish remains are always a good one.’’

He said it was stressful for the sorting staff to find them.

‘‘No-one likes seeing dead animals. And often they stink, which makes it even worse. The recycling around them gets dead animal on them so that material can’t be recycled.’’

McMurdo said recycling trucks had cameras on them so staff usually knew which area the dead animals came from.

WasteNet said animal carcasses should be disposed of in a farm offal pit or other appropriate manner.