Christchurch
people embraced the introduction of
kerbside recycling over three years ago and have consistently led the
country in terms of participation. However the recent addition of new items*
which can be put out for recycling has raised some questions. The following
hopes to answer some of these:
Why do I need to put my recycling crate, bags of paper, cardboard
and refuse/rubbish bags out by 7.30am and... Why are the collectors leaving
the plastic bags of paper and box board behind?
Due to increased quantities of material being put out for collection there
are now separate trucks collecting the paper, box board and corrugated
cardboard. These trucks often follow a different route to those taken
by the trucks which collect the other recyclables in the green crates
so won’t necessarily go past your house at the same time.
This is why it is important that all your refuse/rubbish bags and recycling
materials are out at the kerbside by 7.30am.
Some trucks are not marked Onyx but are in the Onyx colours of white,
red and black.
Why do I need to put paper and box board into the plastic supermarket
bags?
Paper and box board can only be recycled if they are clean and dry. If
they become dirty or wet they are referred to as being "contaminated"
and cannot be recycled.
Don’t forget, you can put newspaper, glossy magazines, other paper and
box board (so long as it is all clean and has had no direct contact with
food) into the same plastic bags. Just don’t over fill the bags, as the
handles need to be tied securely so as to protect the contents against
the weather. This also helps to reduce the risk of paper and card flying
around your neighbourhood on windy days.
Does anything need to be sorted?
Kerbside recycling is easy — no real sorting required, only the separation
of paper products and box board into plastic bags (see above). The other
recyclable items can go into the crate loosely with the plastic bags of
paper product on top (this helps to reduce potential litter problems).
The exception to this is corrugated cardboard which needs to be tied into
bundles of a size no bigger than a black refuse/rubbish bag (larger sheets
of corrugated cardboard should be cut to size). This assists handling
and again reduces the risk of cardboard flying around you neighbourhood.
Why do items need to be clean?
You don’t need to sort your recyclables but someone on the collection
truck does! It is a very labour-intensive job made more difficult and
unpleasant if items are dirty, contain any food or if they still contain
the residue of cleaning substances which can splash on to sorters. Also
the sorting area isn’t big and can get very hot.
Sometimes recyclable items are stockpiled until there is sufficient quantity
for transporting to manufacturers. If items are dirty they can become
smelly and a health hazard — attracting rodents.
What is box board?
It is a lighter grade of card which is not corrugated cardboard. Examples
are cereal, tea and soap boxes. These must be empty (including any protective
inner bag or lining) and clean. The side or bottom flaps must be undone
and the box flattened and placed in a plastic bag.
Box board is not the same as tetrapaks.
Can tetrapaks/tetrabrics (eg milk and juice cartons) be recycled?
These are cartons with either a wax, plastic or foil lining. They can
be recycled and are a separate category to paper and boxboard. They are
often used for milk, fruit juices, custard and yoghurts. They must be
rinsed clean and placed loose in your crate — no need to flatten.
Do labels need to be removed?
No need to remove labels from plastic or glass items. The proportion of
label to recyclable item is small enough not to cause a contamination
problem.
Do lids need to be removed?
Yes — lids are often made from a different grade or type of plastic to
their containers. If different grades of plastics are mixed in the recycling
process that batch can be ruined and will need to be dumped. Lids are
also small and fiddly to sort so please discard.
What is Real Recycling?
All the items collected at the kerbside have a market which is why only
the items on the information
poster (a copy of which was included with last month’s City Scene
- see Further Information below) are collected, and why non-recyclable
items are left behind in crates — that’s why it’s being called “real recycling”.
Christchurch residents can have confidence that what is collected at the
kerbside is being recycled and won’t end up at the landfill.
Does that mean that everything that is taken from the kerbside
is recycled?
Yes, so long as it isn’t contaminated. Contaminated items are those which
cannot be used because they have the potential to ruin an entire run of
a particular item.
* Further Information If you have any other questions
contact us at: waste@ccc.govt.nz
or phone 941 8830, or visit the website:www.ccc.govt.nz/Waste.
If you would like a copy of the information poster (called Real Recycling
made easy) which includes the new items for recycling, you can collect
one from the Council Service Centres; Civic Offices, Tuam Street; or phone
941 8830 and one will be sent to you.