Recycling gears up with rollout of bins
First collections scheduled to begin on July 1
The first of Western Bay of Plenty District Council’s new bins are being delivered this week, with Te Puke and Maketu¯ ’s bins due to be delivered in the rollout’s third week.
The new rubbish, recycling, glass and food scraps bins will be delivered to 17,000 eligible households throughout May, ahead of the first collections beginning on July 1.
The council’s kerbside services project manager Ken Buckley says households will receive one of two sets of bins, depending on where they live in the district.
A full kerbside waste and recycling service will be provided to those located within the urban zone. They will receive a 140L rubbish bin, 240L recycling bin, 45L glass crate and 23L lockable food scraps bin.
A partial kerbside waste and recycling service will be provided to those located within the rural zone and they will get a 140L rubbish bin, 240L recycling bin and 45L glass crate.
For all serviced households there will be a charge of $3.95 per pick-up for general rubbish. Payment will be through a buying a pre-paid, pay-asyou-throw tag to their red-lid rubbish bin. This service is available weekly.
Pay-as-you-throw tags can be bought from the council’s library and service centres and other retailers from June 1.
The cost of the kerbside services will be charged through an annual targeted rate. The full service cost is $149 and households receive mixed recycling, glass and food scraps collections. The partial service cost is $98 for recycling and glass collections, but no food scraps collection. The $3.95 pay per pick-up for general rubbish is additional.
“Delivering 62,000 bins to 17,000 households is not a small task,” says Ken.
“We ask for patience and understanding as we roll out the bins to households in a service designed to increase the amount of material diverted from landfill by about 60 per cent — around 1800 tonnes a year.”
The timeframes are estimates, and the council will be providing regular updates on the progress of bin rollout on its Facebook page, the Antenno app and on the Kerbside Collective website.
Rubbish and recycling bins may not arrive on the same day.
“When your new bins are delivered, please check that the property address on the side of the bins is correct and then wheel them inside your property until the new kerbside collections begin in July. Please do not use the bins before July 1.”
If the address is incorrect please contact the council’s customer service team.
An information brochure along with a 12-month collection calendar will be inside the blue glass crate. The collection calendar shows households when their first collection for each bin will be in July, as well as timings for all collections for the next 12 months.
“Dealing with our waste and recycling effectively is critical to ensure we can reduce the amount of waste going to landfills,” says Ken.
“A rates-funded recycling system makes it easier for all households to participate in waste reduction.”
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