Rubbish bag coupons are on the way

Ratepayers will star t receiving coupons for their yearly allocation of Council rubbish bags by mail from early May — one pack of 26 bags per household.

These coupons can be used at most supermarkets until 13 June, 2004, and at any Council service centre or the Civic Offices until 30 April, 2005.

People renting properties should get their annual allocation of bags from their landlord or property manager.

Ratepayers will be charged in their rates for 26 rubbish bags, but will be able to buy more Council rubbish bags if needed. The reduction of the annual allocation from 52 is part of the Council’s effort to reduce waste going to landfill as well as shift attitudes on waste treatment.

The Council aims to encourage home composting, recycling, and reusing of resources because research shows that over half the contents of an average household rubbish bag could be composted or recycled.

Each year in Christchurch people throw out a staggering 228,000 tonnes of resources. That is 650kg of waste for every person in Christchurch and equates to about 40 city buses full of waste being sent to landfill each day.

• For helpful information on how to reduce rubbish, visit www.ccc.govt.nz/waste or call the waste line on 941 8830 or email waste@ccc.govt.nz