Hamilton’s mountain of recycling waste
A mountain of usually-recycled waste has gone from Hamilton homes into landfill after the service was suspended during the coronavirus lockdown.
In alert level 4, city residents threw out enough extra waste to fill 18 buses.
In other words, there was an extra 234 tonnes or an 11.6 per cent increase in rubbish during April compared to the monthly average, Hamilton City Council compliance manager Trent Fowles told
Yet it was no surprise to him. Under alert level 4 and 3, recycling collections from the curbside were halted and sent straight to landfill. Glass recycling continued from April 20. Fowles said council’s initial advice under lockdown was for residents to stockpile their recycling, but the Ministry of Environment then asked residents to avoid stockpiling recyclable materials.
‘‘Normally glass is separated by colours, but at this time, all glass is thrown into a truck and sold as mixed glass. There isn’t much value in this but it does mean it can get recycled. I am not aware of anyone who is stockpiling, it’s not the best way to move forward.’’
Full kerbside recycling collections will resume on Tuesday, June 2 but paper and cardboard will continue to be sent to landfill.
‘‘There is no international market for paper and cardboard at the moment. This can be put out as normal, but it won’t be recycled. It is very difficult to tell when this will be reintroduced to recycling.
‘‘We are playing catch-up with a lot of stuff, but it will be good to get things back to normal, slowly.’’
Fowles is asking residents to recycle their one and two plastics, cans, tins and glass at the Hamilton Organic Centre on Wickham St. The Refuse Transfer Station on Lincoln St will be closed for recycling. Rubbish drop-off is still available.