‘Not cricket’ to send event recycling to tip
The Black Caps vs Australia second Test at Hagley Oval last month may not have generated a lot of satisfaction amongst cricket fans, but it did create a lot of waste, despite the best efforts of some spectators.
A little sleuthing by keen cricket follower and avid recycler, Sue Craig-Stewart, led to the discovery of dozens of bins of recyclables being dumped straight into skips – 58 of them – headed to the tip.
“I’m fed up with it to tell you the truth. We try really hard to reduce our landfill waste and other people are not playing ball, especially the council,” said Craig-Stewart.
She and her husband were pleased to see yellow-lidded wheelie bins labelled “Recycling” at the Test, having complained to the council about the lack of recycling options at previous cricket matches.
The couple watched throughout the day as spectators separated out their detritus, carefully placing cans, plastic and cardboard into the recycling bins.
She was worried by the lack of signage showing what could be recycled, and saw some people putting non-recyclables like coffee cups into a bin.
Some bin liners were black plastic and others transparent, which Craig-Stewart thought might have corresponded to landfill and recyclables.
But when her curiosity got the better of her and she followed someone emptying the bags, she discovered they were all ending up in the same skip.
She said she was told the contents were “contaminated and would be sent to landfill.” She later rang the company, WasteCo, who confirmed that and said the problem lay with people who don’t know what can and can’t be recycled.
But Zero Waste advocate Sue Coutts said blaming the consumer is a common greenwashing tactic.
“People always say it’s not possible, that people are too stupid and won’t help, but that’s just the blame game.”
Quite the opposite is true, said Coutts. “You just need to put in place a decent system – everyone loves it, they help and they work together to make it happen.”
“It’s just a matter of committing – finding a partner that wants to, choosing the right company to deliver and then paying them what they need to get it done.”
Coutts pointed to Wanaka organisation Wastebusters, who have worked for years with events like Warbirds over Wanaka (which had around 65,000 attendees this year).
“They have a really great system, separating materials out, working with the stallholders and the punters on the ground to make sure everything that can be gets recycled properly.”
The problem comes about when companies genuinely reducing waste have to compete on price with those that don’t, she said.
It also takes a toll on public trust, Coutts said.
Councils and other government agencies have an extra onus to ensure their actions match their policies of waste reduction, increasing recycling and reinforcing that recycling matters, she added.
Venues Ōtautahi chief executive Caroline Harvie-Teare said the council-owned company had not produced a waste management plan, nor was a waste analysis report produced afterwards.
The Test generated 58 small skips (3 cubic metres each) of waste, including recyclables, which were sent to landfill “due to contamination”, she said.
There was no sorting scheme in place, but they are “a staple of many other events we hold,” Harvie-Teare said.
When Christchurch City Council’s new Waste Management and Minimisation Bylaw came into force in December, the council said one of the main thrusts was requirements to better manage waste at large events.
Craig-Stewart has contacted the council twice regarding her experience, but has yet to receive a response.
The 71-year-old described herself as an avid recycler of about 40 years, and is fired up at the deceit.
“It’s awful, especially when people think they’re doing the right thing and it’s just going nowhere.”
WasteCo did not respond to requests for comment.