'Could get out of hand': Napier council stops providing free replacement recycling bins

Replacement bins will no longer be free for residents. Photo / Supplied

Napier City Council has voted to charge for replacing recycling bins when lost, stolen or broken.

The council on Thursday voted on a $15 charge for those wanting a replacement bin.

Environmental solutions manager Cameron Burton said after delivering the original 75,000 crates, council had been providing replacements for free, but now need to impose a charge.

"There are two reasons for this, one is that it is unfair for ratepayers who look after their council owned crates, to effectively bear the cost of the purchased crates damaged by others.

"Two, if there is a free availability of crates, without cost, the cost to council of replacing those could get out of hand.

"It also incentivises less care of council property by handing them out freely, and reduced the effectiveness of waste minimisation if we are handing out additional plastic crates."

Council said replacing on average, 20 crates per week, would cost $10,000-$15,000 per year.

Burton has found the bins as far away as Haumoana, and had heard of people using the bins as a receptacle when moving house, and not returning them to the original property (crates are given to a property, not a person).

"Some have been reversed over by occupants of properties, so there are multiple reasons why they disappear."

If the recycling company breaks the crates, they will be replaced free of charge.

Other municipalities also charge for replacement crates, for example Tasman, which charges $21.90 for the crate and $27.70 to have it delivered.

The contractors will only pick up three crates from a property, so people cannot use the service to gain extra crates.

Councillors unanimously voted in favour of the motion.