The hazardous waste collection point at the Lincoln Street Resource Recovery Centre in Frankton, Hamilton.
The hazardous waste collection point at the Lincoln Street Resource Recovery Centre in Frankton, Hamilton.
An increase in the Government’s waste disposal levy and inflation are being blamed for higher fees at Hamilton’s Resource Recovery Centre and the Hamilton Organic Centre.
From July 1 the Government levy increased by an additional $20 for every 1000kg of waste going to landfill.
The increase is reflected in new fees and charges at the Resource Recovery Centre, operated by Hamilton City Council’s kerbside contractor Enviro NZ.
“It’s necessary to enable us to keep these facilities open, so residents, industry and business can all do their part to reduce, reuse, recover and recycle,” said the city council’s sustainable resource recovery service manager, Trent Fowles.
An average of 400 vehicles go through the resource recovery centre each day to drop off recycling or waste.
An average of 400 vehicles go through the resource recovery centre each day. Image / Hamilton City Council
“Recycling gets sent to the Materials Recovery Facility, we compost food scraps and green waste, divert large amounts of building and construction waste and provide a safe disposal system for lithium batteries which can catch fire or explode in kerbside bins or collection trucks,” said Fowles.
Enviro NZ’s dedication to reducing waste to landfill has earned the Resource Recovery Centre a green-star certification from the New Zealand Green Building Council for successfully diverting construction waste from landfill.
In previous months, the centre has also recorded record-breaking waste diversion rates.
During the past 12 months, 933,000kg of material dropped off at the centre, was repurposed, a 69 per cent increase from the previous year, the council said.
One of the main contributors to the annual increase was 230,000kg of wood, diverted from the centre each month. The majority of which was recovered and repurposed as biofuel.
“It’s a really important facility for Hamilton,” said Fowles. “Recovering resources, rather than just sending them to landfill helps us meet our 2018-2024 waste management and minimisation plan, which sets out our goals to guide the council towards waste reduction.”
Users of the Hamilton Organic Centre in Wickham Street will also see a small fee increase, ensuring the facility can remain operational, as its running costs continue to rise.
Visit fightthelandfill.co.nz for more information on the Lincoln Street Resource Recovery Centre and the new fees and charges.
