PHOTO: Recycling bins. LDR
Ashburton’s recycling habits are improving, but one household has been labelled the “extreme worst end of the scale” for consistently breaking the rules.
The household was accused of putting out multiple yellow and red bins to dispose of 480 kilograms of rubbish and acting “extremely abusive” when approached about the incident, councillors were informed during a recent meeting.
Recycling audits have been conducted since 2020.
In this case, the property had used its yellow recycling bin as a rubbish bin for two consecutive weeks. The property also presented three red bins in addition to the yellow bin for kerbside collection, resulting in an estimated 480kg of waste on collection day.
When approached, the resident was “extremely abusive to the audit team and collection contractor,” councillors were told during an update on audit results.
Neil McCann, Council Infrastructure and Open Spaces Group Manager, stated that the usual educational approach for incorrect recycling practices was deemed unachievable in this case. Consequently, any bins presented by the property are now treated as waste by the contractor. The property’s yellow bin was confiscated, but they acquired another one along with two additional red bins, which were also confiscated.
The incident was described as being at the “extreme worst end of the scale.”
However, McCann noted that ongoing kerbside auditing has improved results in Ashburton, saving ratepayers $1,000 for each contaminated recycling load that would otherwise be diverted to landfill.
“The observations of our audit team on the ground indicate that people are generally recycling well, though there are occasional cases of larger non-compliance,” McCann said. “The biggest issue is finding rubbish in recycling bins, most commonly soft plastics, food, clothing, and soiled nappies.”
Since the audits began in 2021, Ashburton has had only four contaminated loads. By comparison, Christchurch City Council reported in May that 2 percent (11 loads) of its recycling loads were diverted to landfill, at a total cost of $11,000, marking its best month of the year to date.
Regarding general waste, the latest figures showed that 1,169 tonnes of waste were sent to the Kate Valley landfill in April, bringing the total for the 2023/24 year to 12,595 tonnes, with about 14,800 tonnes sent the previous year.
The council plans to hold a workshop to decide on green waste bin size options ahead of the kerbside rollout in September 2026. This will be included in the next waste management contract, which is due to go out for tender in September.
SOURCE: RNZ