Bin inspectors to hit the streets

9/08/2019 3:00 p.m.

A team of recycling inspectors are set to hit the streets of Waipā as part of an added recycling service being trialled by Waipa District Council and recycling contractors, Metallic Sweeping.  

Starting next week, inspectors will be checking kerbside recycling bins in an effort to improve contamination technology on board the recycling trucks and to reduce the likelihood of contaminated material being picked up. 

Council operations team leader Jennifer Braithwaite said so far Waipā’s new kerbside recycling service had been a big success. 

“We are very happy with the way things have been going. For the most part, residents have been putting the correct recycling in the correct bins which is great.  

“However, there are still occasions where non-recyclable items or dirty recyclables are being placed in the bins. These items will contaminate good clean recycling which can lead to a whole truck of otherwise good material going to landfill.  It is really important we get this right so we can deliver a valuable and efficient service to our residents.” 

Recycling inspectors will be kitted out with a high visibility vest and have scooters with flashing lights so they can be easily spotted. They will only be checking roadside wheelie bins for contaminated material, such as dirty or incorrectly recycled items.

Any wheelie bins found to not have the correct materials in them will have a sticker placed on the bin. The sticker identifies what incorrect item was in the bin that prevented it from being collected.  

“It is a new recycling service so will take some time to get used to. Some mistakes are probably unintentional like putting milk cartons into mixed recycling bins. While cartons may look like cardboard, they have a thin layer of plastic inside making the two materials impossible to separate and therefore unrecyclable,” Braithwaite said. 

“A great way to learn about what can and can’t go in your wheelie bin is with Council’s recycling game. There are a few tricky questions in there which may surprise you.” 

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Page reviewed: 09 Aug 2019 3:25pm