Middle NZ: Huge start for new recycling bins

Plastic and tin are not being collected in Hastings under level 3 lockdown as it requires manual sorting. Photo /File

Remember when Napier residents received their new recycling bins from Napier City Council last year?

There was so much feedback about them. Some people loved them, some didn't. Some said they weren't big enough, others said they needed lids.

There's no surer fact than the fact that you can't please everyone.

Just before the lockdown I noticed that recycling bins were being dropped off around Hastings.

Off course that came to a sudden halt along with recycling collection in the Hastings District.

The message obviously didn't get through to some people who popped their recycling out as per usual.

There was a lot going on in the week before we went into level 4 lockdown so it's understandable that some people missed that message.

What I find hard to believe is that some of that recycling in the area I walk in is still there.

It's been added to every week and still it sits there.

When we went to level 3 Hastings District Council said it would resume picking up recycling. I have to say I was pretty happy about that, we did have rather a lot of glass to be recycled.

Bin distribution resumed and we got them just in time for our recycling day. Inside the top bin were was a booklet and a Covid-19 update, along with a cardboard sheet headed "Recycling in 4 easy steps".

Great. The first one I read was the Covid-19 update which very clearly stated that plastic and cans would not be collected because they required manual sorting which "under current conditions cannot be performed".

Fair enough. Yes it is a shame. But at the moment it can't be helped.

But sure enough bins full of plastic and cans were out in force.

To give credit where credit is due HDC has did a good job getting the new recycling information to everyone. It's been in all news channels plus right there in the bins.

As yet I haven't heard any complaints about the new bins, however I think the recyclers were pretty lenient when it came to bins that were a little over fill.

What a job that must have been, so big thumbs up to all those people who picked up weeks worth of recycling.

Good news time: As I write this we have had two consecutive days of zero Covid-19 cases.

This is such good news.

I will be crossing my fingers for another zero today.

More good news. On page 10 you will see that the property market in Hawke's Bay is in a strong position. This is such a positive sign for our region.

And to top off the good news while we have all been staying home in our bubbles burglaries are down more than 40 per cent.

Linda Hall is assistant editor at Hawke's Bay Today.

Obviously not everyone has been staying home or they would be down 100 per cent.

More people at home means more eyes in the community to report any suspicious behaviour, plus there have been more police out and about.

We have a lot to be thankful for, a lot to look forward to — can't wait for hugs — and a bit more work to do before we get there — as the man of the moment Director General of Health Ashley Bloomfield said yesterday, "stay the course".

Linda Hall is assistant editor at Hawke's Bay Today.