Recycling change coming
Only plastics 1, 2, and 5 will be accepted in kerbside bins from February
Councils across New Zealand will only be accepting plastics 1, 2 and 5 in kerbside recycling bins come February 2024. This is a change from what most Waikato councils, including Waipā District Council, have previously accepted, which were plastics 1 through 7.
This change was part of the Ministry for the Environment’s Standardising Kerbside strategy, which required all councils to collect the same items in kerbside recycling.
Waipā District Council waste minimisation adviser Shelley Wilson says that the changes come into effect nationwide from Thursday, February 1, 2024.
“The new rules set out exactly what can be recycled in kerbside bins, with only seven items to remember — plastics 1, 2 and 5, tins, cans, paper, and cardboard,” Wilson says.
This is because these recyclables could be made into new products over and over again and supported a circular economy, where products don’t get thrown away.
Plastics 3, 4, 6, and 7 were hard to recycle and there were limited recycling options for them in New Zealand or overseas.
The Soft Plastics Recycling Scheme would continue to be available for soft plastics, like plastic bags.
The best way for residents to identify recyclable plastics was to check the numbers found on the bottom.
“For Waipā District the only changes are that we will no longer accept the following items in kerbside bins: Aerosols (like fly spray or spray deodorant); Aluminium foil or trays; Lids, caps and bottle tops, Small plastics or papers and Large plastics or metal cans,” Wilson says.