Live ammunition turns up in Waipa District Council recycling again

Live ammunition has been found again at the Waipā Recycling Sorting Centre in Te Awamutu, where every item is sorted by hand. Photo / Dean Taylor

More live ammunition has been found at the Waipā Recycling Sorting Centre in Te Awamutu.

A shotgun cartridge was found the day after a helium tank was pulled out of another load of recycling on its way to the sorting line.

Both items were collected from Cambridge properties and had they exploded, could have caused serious injuries to the work crew.

It’s the second time in recent months that live ammunition has been discarded in a recycling bin, with live ammunition found on the sorting-line conveyor belt at the Te Awamutu recycling plant on August 2.

Waipā District Council group manager service delivery Dawn Inglis said while most people were getting recycling right, “blatant laziness” was putting lives at risk and was unacceptable behaviour.

“Recycling is sorted by hand, by real people. When they come to work, they don’t expect to be in danger from recycling.”

The helium tank and the cartridge had been tipped into a collection truck, compressed by the truck compactor, dropped on to the shed floor, and then scooped up by the loader and tipped into the hopper before they were noticed.

“The ammunition made it to the sorting belt and fortunately, the tank was identified and removed before it got to the sorting line,” Inglis said.

“These items pose a serious hazard, particularly the helium tank, which was clearly labelled on both the box and the tank. There is no excuse, just irresponsible behaviour.”

A fill-your-own helium balloon tank clearly labelled that it doesn't go into household recycling.

There are several recycling and safe disposal options in Waipā for household hazardous materials and other items needing specialised treatment, such as e-waste, gas bottles, paint and mobile phones.

More information can be found on the Waste Less Waipā website.

A household hazardous waste collection event will be held in Cambridge on October 13.

Registrations are essential and can be made online or by calling 0508 CHEMICAL (0508 243 642).