A rate-funded kerbside collection? Waste survey sent to Whanganui residents

Waste Minimisation Working Party chair Rob Vinsen says kerbside collection would help Whanganui people reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill. Photo / Bevan Conley

A household waste survey has been delivered to about 18,000 letterboxes as Whanganui District Council considers a return to the waste collection market.

The $10,000 survey asks if urban residents would prefer a ratepayer-funded recycling and rubbish collection, a recycling only collection or to retain the current recycling drop-off and user-pays rubbish collection.

Councillor and Waste Minimisation Working Party chair Rob Vinsen said either form of kerbside collection would help reduce waste to landfill but the council wanted to know what residents thought.

"These options will come at a cost which will be paid for through rates, although many residents will find that this may be less expensive than what they are currently paying through private waste collection," he said.

"People expect a kerbside recycling service like that which is provided in cities of a comparable size to ours."

A council-run kerbside recycling-only collection would cost urban households about $100 per year ($2 per week), while a rubbish and recycling collection would cost $220 per year ($4.20 per week).

Vinsen said even if the council did start a kerbside collection, the Whanganui Resource Recovery Centre would remain open for recycling, waste minimisation and sustainability initiatives.

Whanganui District Council is considering a kerbside recycling and rubbish collection and is conducting a household survey. Photo / File

"We also hope that in time, if a kerbside service is provided, more products will be able to be collected and recycled at the kerbside and people will participate in recycling to a larger degree because it is easy to do."

The council started considering the matter earlier this year after Envirowaste decided to stop collecting rubbish bags in the city and Waste Management, the only other private waste collection company, indicated it was considering a similar move.

Envirowaste also stopped its recycling collection in April.

The feedback collected in the household waste survey will be presented to council in December and be used when it considers rubbish and recycling collection as part of next year's Annual Plan.

The survey closes at 5pm on October 26.

People in the urban area of Whanganui who not received the survey can call 349 0001 or email stuart.hylton@whanganui.govt.nz.

For more information about the survey and waste collection and minimisation, visit www.whanganui.govt.nz/waste-survey.