Waipā District Council changes plastic recycling

Council to stop collecting plastics grades 3, 4, 6 and 7. Photo / Supplied

Plastic grades 3, 4, 6 and 7 will no longer be collected as part of Waipā District Council's kerbside recycling service.

The change, approved by councillors at the Service Delivery committee meeting, was prompted by export markets no longer taking these plastic types as they are a lower value plastic, frequently contaminated and are harder to recycle and make into new products.

Plastics graded 1, 2 and 5 will continue to be collected in the yellow mixed recycling along with tin cans, paper and cardboard.

The glass collection in the blue bin remains the same.

Waipā District Council transportation manager Bryan Hudson said, plastics 3, 4, 6 and 7 are no longer readily recyclable and currently have a negative market value, meaning Council are paying to send these materials to landfill.

He said Waipā residents should stop placing plastics 3, 4, 6 and 7 in their kerbside recycling bins and dispose of these plastics in their general waste instead.

These types of plastics include ice cream containers, yoghurt pots and takeaway containers.

"There is no longer a market for these kinds of plastics, so we have nowhere to send them. They are very hard to recycle and have very little value.

"However, there will be little change on the cost to Council to Waipā ratepayers because plastics 3, 4, 6 and 7 have little value," he said.

"We have found that because we take such a wide range of plastics, people give little consideration to what is truly recyclable.

"Our aim is to try and promote waste reduction, and ensure all recycling we collect can be sold onto the market."

Residents are advised they don't have to re-sort recyclables already in their bins, but will be expected to comply after the next collection cycle.

Council's recycling contractor will be resuming bin inspections, when safe, to check for contamination and to confirm Council's community education programme around recycled plastics is working.

For more information on recycling in Waipā, head to www.waipadc.govt.nz/recycling.