Rubbish at recycling site ‘a disgrace’
Raw meat, clothes and rubbish have piled up at landfills as Wellingtonians clear their homes, during and after the lockdown.
Waste at one Wellington landfill on Monday was stacked high at a recycling drop-off point and it couldn’t fit in the bins.
Wellingtonian of the Year environment category nominee Richard Moore said the state of the recycling station located at Spicer Landfill in Porirua was ‘‘a disgrace’’.
‘‘Here, they provide a free flytipping service to landfill.’’
Porirua City Council water and waste manager David Down said the council had noticed an increase in fly-tipping and illegal dumping during the lockdown.
‘‘We’ve had TVs, beds, food waste, tyres – not unusual as such but certainly not the waste types we’ve set it up for.’’
It was so bad that it had increased to about 10 times the normal level.
Despite the mess on Monday, Down said the level was back down to pre-lockdown levels.
Petone’s Michelle StronachMarsh, who collects rubbish on the foreshore, said she had noted an increase in illegal dumping around Wellington since the lockdown. ‘‘That’s a real concerning thing that people are not dealing with their litter.’’
A Wellington City Council spokesperson said there had not been an increase in fly-tipping and dumping around recycling stations at the Southern Landfill.
‘‘This used to be a problem but not now, thanks to efforts by our Tip Shop staff. They regularly check the area throughout the day to ensure we don’t get dumping.’’
The Hutt City Council had not seen an increase in illegal dumping, its spokesperson said.