City Scene - April 2003: Reduce your rubbish

April 2003

Lead Stories

Have Your Say on 03/04 Plan

New gallery: almost there

Community, economy, environment

The new bottom lines for Christchurch

Back to the April Index

Reduce your rubbish

This can begins as iron ore, coal and limestone. These elements are moulded in a
1700°C furnace, turning them into steel. The steel is covered with rust-proof industrial tin and then fused together to make it perfectly
water and air tight. Then we toss it in the ground and expect worms to eat through
it. Rubbish is built to last. Recycle.

Later this month the Ministry for the Environment is launching a nationwide campaign to encourage people to reduce their waste. Most of the Ministry's messages, like the one featured above, tie in well with City Council programmes for waste minimisation.

The national TV and print ad campaign aims to show some simple things householders can do to cut the country's growing mountain of refuse - things like encouraging people to recycle, compost and buy products with less packaging.

There will also be a website and 0800 number with more advice, including a simple 8-point plan.The campaign follows last year's launch of the New Zealand Waste Strategy.

Practical local information about reducing waste is available on the City Council website, at www.ccc.govt.nz/waste/