The new recycling system with the four separate bins was introduced in August last year. Photo / Supplied
Hamilton City Council's much-discussed new rubbish and recycling service is a finalist in the 2021 Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) Awards.
The service, introduced at the end of last year, is the biggest change to the city's rubbish and recycling service in 20 years and is a top-runner for the
LGNZ award in the category environmental well-being.
With the new recycling service more than 60,000 Hamilton households received separate wheelie bins: One each for food scraps, mixed rubbish, recyclable plastic and paper as well as a glass crate to help reduce the amount of rubbish sent to landfill.
Since the service started, the amount of waste saved from landfill has dramatically increased: from 27 to 58 per cent. Another 4.5 million kilograms of food scraps have been turned into compost which can then be reused in the city's gardens and parks.
