Napier City Council is set to ban shopping bags from its kerb-side recycling scheme as it continues to struggle to find an economic way to reuse the city's waste plastic.
The council stopped accepting any plastic for recycling at Taradale's Redclyffe transfer station in May because the high level of waste being dumped in the collection bins meant it was uneconomic to sort and process the recyclable material.
Nowcontamination of the plastic shopping bags residents are putting out for recycling - including with paper supermarket till receipts - means the council's recycling contractor is having difficultyselling them on.
As a result, councillors will vote tomorrow on a proposal from staff, endorsed by Napier Mayor Bill Dalton, to exclude shopping bags from its fortnightly street recycling collection.
The change of policy would bring Napier into line with Hastings District Council which does not accept plastic bags as part of its kerb-side recycling service.