Waiheke Islanders are being encouraged to support an upgrade of rubbish and recycling services, by sorting more of their
material to be recycled.
An improved and extended recycling facility at the Ostend transfer station, plus a modified collection truck, offer a
greater opportunity to recycle the island’s rubbish, instead of the more financially and environmentally expensive
option of barging it to the mainland.
Rubbish is barged to one of four commercially operated landfills in the Auckland region, as there is currently no
licensed solid rubbish landfill site on the island.
Waiheke Islanders produce 5000 tonnes of rubbish a year – or around 750kg per person. More than a quarter of this (27
per cent) is paper while organic rubbish accounts for another quarter (28 per cent). If this was all recycled, the
amount of rubbish which has to be disposed of in landfills would be dramatically reduced.
Auckland City is committed to the reduction of rubbish and recognises if the current levels of rubbish collected remain
the same, and with the forecasted population increases, it won’t be long before the tonnage will exceed the landfills’
capacity.
As required by the Government, a Waste Management Plan has been developed by the Waiheke community and has targeted a
40% reduction in total rubbish by 2004. Parts of this plan are now being implemented on the Island.
The current contractor for rubbish collection on the Island has recently introduced a modified collection truck with
separate sections for recyclable and non-recyclable rubbish, which will ensure that each is treated in the most
appropriate manner. Paper, cardboard and glass will continue to be collected for recycling, as will tins, aluminium
cans, and certain grades of plastic.
Items for recycling should be placed in plastic bags and put out for collection by 7.30am on collection morning.
Recyclable material and organic rubbish may also be taken to the Ostend transfer station at no charge.
A hazardous rubbish facility at the transfer station is currently being developed and details about this will be
available soon.
The two-yearly inorganic rubbish collection will be held on the Island in October 2000.
As outlined in the Waiheke sub-section of the Waste Management Plan, from July next year, each ratepayer will be
provided with 52 official council rubbish bags a year (more will be available to purchase if necessary). Until then,
residents can continue to use their own plastic bags.
Auckland City is keen to better manage rubbish so that future generations will not have to clean up the mess we are
currently making. Communities city-wide are being encouraged to work in partnership with Auckland City to solve the
rubbish problem.
ENDS
For further information contact:
Lisa Eve, Acting Manager Resource Recovery, Auckland City, tel 353 9541
Ref: LJ
Recycling – It’s As Easy As 1,2,3
1. A simple guide to what is recyclable, and what is not
Glass
YES – all bottles and jars
NO – ceramics, cups, drinking glasses, kitchenware, light bulbs, mirrors, ornamental glass, window glass, reinforced
glass, pyrex or arcoroc tableware, broken glass.
All bottles and jars should be washed, and have their lids, which are not recyclable, removed. Broken glass may not be
left out for recycling.
Aluminium/tin cans
YES – aluminium cans, food tins, aerosol cans
NO – aluminium foil, plates, and trays; paint cans, fridge parts.
All containers should have their lids pushed safely inside.
Plastic
YES - Plastic containers grades 1 and 2 – eg milk bottles and soft drink bottles, some household cleaner bottles and ice
cream containers.
There are seven grades of plastic, but we only take grades 1 and 2 for recycling. Check the bottom of side of the
container for the recycling symbol with a number inside it – if they have a or they can be put out for recycling. If
they don’t have a number – they can’t be put out for recycling.
NO – other grades of plastic, margarine/butter tubs, youghurt containers, meat/food trays, tetrapak cartons, disposable
nappies, cling film or Gladwrap, polystyrene cups, fuel oil containers, plastic bags.
All containers should be washed, squashed and have their lids removed.
Paper/cardboard
Yes – Cardboard, newspapers, brochures, junk mail, flyers, magazines, phone books, glossy directories or catalogues,
stationery, envelopes (Including window envelopes), cards.
NO – beer boxes and six pack containers, tetrapak, coated cardboard or paper (anything waterproof or impossible to
tear), frozen food boxes.
Collection
Sort recyclable material into glass, plastic/tins or paper/cardboard and place in separate clear or white plastic bags.
Leave on the kerbside on your collection day. Place recycling bags slightly apart from rubbish bags.
Rubbish should be placed by the kerb by 7.30am each collection day.
Recyclable material and organic rubbish can also be dropped off for no charge at the Ostend Transfer Station, Ostend Rd.
2. Inorganic Rubbish
An inorganic rubbish collection is carried out every two years on Waiheke. The next one takes place in October 2000. See
the Gulf News for details.
3. Organic Rubbish
Material from your kitchen and garden can be recycled, but do not form part of Auckland City’s collection process. A
worm bin works well for kitchen rubbish, while a compost bin will take care of your garden and kitchen rubbish.
Alternatively, garden rubbish may be taken to the transfer station for composting.
Managing Your Rubbish
Did you know.....
Composting kitchen and garden rubbish can reduce your household rubbish by 30%!
Recycling paper/cardboard, metal, plastic, and glass can remove 20-40% from your household rubbish bags rubbish.
Paper/Cardboard
Place a separate box in your garage, especially for paper and cardboard to be recycled. Attach a ball of string and
scissors so they are always on hand when you are ready to bundle your papers for recycling. Or put in a plastic bag…
Don’t throw away paper after using only one side. Use the other side for notes, shopping lists or printing drafts.
Bind small bits of paper within newspapers to stop them blowing away or dropping out of the bundle.
Paper and cardboard can be used in the garden for composting.
Extend the life of milk cartons by:
- Turning them into planters, which you can decorate.
- Turning them into a bird feeder by cutting out two windows and filling the bottom with bird seed.
- Turning them into boats for kids play with. Attach a string to make sure they don’t journey too far.
However, the best option is to purchase milk in recyclable plastic bottles.
Books and Magazines
Instead of buying, borrow books from libraries and friends.
Share a magazine subscription with a friend.
Donate used books and magazines to hospitals, senior citizens’ centres, community organisations and so forth.
Cover reference books and text books with old maps, posters or paper bags. This will protect their covers and make
them unique.
If you must buy a book, think about checking out the local thrift shops, markets and second-hand book stores.
Old Greeting Cards
Use last year's Christmas cards to make gift tags and paper chains to decorate your home.
Make a bookmark.
Make gift boxes.
Give cards you can’t use to community organisations or schools to use in craft projects.
Send funny cards back and forth between friends.
Businesses
Instead of throwing away once-used photocopier, laser printer and inkjet printer cartridges, send them to companies
that will refill them.
Double side all photocopies.
In a bin, save discarded drafts, reports and letters that are printed on one side. These papers can be used for future
draft copies.
Send messages or office memoranda by e-mail rather than paper. If you don’t have e-mail, circulate one copy to all
staff with a place to sign after each person has read it.
Reuse envelopes, especially the letter-sized. Labels can easily cover previous addresses.
Reuse packaging materials.
When purchasing paper and paper products for the office think RECYCLED!
Here are few things to keep in mind:
- Give preference to products with as high a portion of recycled content as possible.
- Choose products that are more easily recycled. For example, choose cardboard over plastic.
- Choose products that contain little or no toxic substances.
- Look for recycling symbols when purchasing products.
Do away with one-use disposable foam, plastic or paper cups, and plastic stir sticks. Ceramic cups are easily rinsed
and used again, as is cutlery. Use wooden ice block sticks as stirrers.
Invest in a worm bin and a paper recycle bin.
Gardening
Recycle your food and garden scraps into a rich, earth-like soil conditioner. Composting cuts the amount of rubbish
you produce and improves the soil.
Manage your garden so it creates less rubbish
- Grass-cycle: Leave grass clippings on the lawn.
- Xeriscape: Plant slow-growing shrubs and trees that require less water and less trimming.
- Mulch: Spread clippings and leaves around planted areas to keep down weeds and keep in moisture.
- Compost: Convert kitchen peelings and yard trimmings into high quality soil conditioner.
Use an old piece of garden hose to cover the blade of an axe.
Add more holes to a leaky hose, then use to water vegetables.
Use old mop/rake/broom handles or old pipe as garden stakes.
Store flower bulbs over the winter in old pantyhose or plastic mesh bags.
Use plant containers to hold gifts of seeds, garden tools, or cuttings from your favourite plant.
Find out if your local garden centre can reuse your flower trays, pots, and containers.
Use styrofoam packing chips to add drainage to your potted plants. The chips don't absorb water and don't compact in
the pots. As well, they are much lighter than more traditional forms of drainage.
Make your own green-house out of drycleaning bags. Drape a clear drycleaning bag over plants that need some extra
heat. Place a stake near the plant to hold the bag away from the plant.
Use old pantihose to tie back plants. They are soft and won't harm the plants and are often thrown away once they get
a run in them.
Citrus Killer for Aphids
Use left-over citrus peel to make an organic insect spray.
Ingredients:
- 1 litre of water
- rind from 1 lemon, orange or grapefruit (grated)
Boil the water and add the citrus rind. Remove from heat and steep the mixture overnight. Strain through a cheesecloth
and store in a spray bottle. Spray leaves that are being attacked by aphids or other soft bodied insects.
General
Preparing glass for recycling:
Rinse bottles before placing them outside for recycling.
Tie a plastic grocery bag to your belt or belt loop. For one day place all of your rubbish, with a couple of
exceptions, into your bag. At the end of the day or the next morning, weigh the rubbish to see how much was produced. To
see how much you could have saved, sort out the recyclables and weigh them. You may want to identify alternatives to
help reduce your rubbish. This is a great activity for home or school.
Think twice before throwing in the bin - .
- Can the item be reused for another purpose?
- Reuse bags, containers, boxes, envelopes etc.
- Donate items you no longer use to charitable organisations or hold a garage sale.
- Rent, borrow or share things you use infrequently.
- Repair and maintain your possessions.
Return out-dated and unused prescription and non-prescription medications to your local pharmacy. Do not flush old
medications down the toilet!
Hundreds of Hangers
If you have an over-abundance of metal coat hangers:
- Return them to the dry cleaners or donate them to the local thrift shop.
- Make a book hook: Simply squeeze the two arms of the hanger together so they are approximately 5 inches apart.
- Kids can use them for blowing enormous bubbles.
Breathe Easy!
Air fresheners are like throat lozenges – they mask the problem rather than curing it. Many contain toxins. Here are a
few natural alternatives:
- Try fresh air for starters – open a window.
- When cooking strong-smelling foods place a bowl of warm vinegar on the stove to absorb odours.
- Wrap a stick of cinnamon, orange peel, and cloves in cheesecloth and simmer gently in water.
- Potpourri in a dish or basket looks attractive and smells great.
Stockings
Stockings can be used for so many things:
- Stuff a sponge inside an old stocking and use it for washing windows, dishes, the car – just about anything.
- Save all of your old stockings to stuff home-made pillows, quilts and toys.
- Make a mop. Simply tie a bunch of stockings together and attach to a handle and mop away.
- Stockings are soft but tough. They make great ties for holding up plants.
When buying pantihose, always buy two identical pairs. When you get a run in one leg, you can cut it off; when both
pairs have only one leg left, they can be worn together, one on top of the other. Additional benefit: the two layers
will help make your tummy look trim.
Old Clothes
Keep them for costume parties.
Hand them down to younger children or friends.
Donate them to charities.
Clothes that aren’t in very good condition can be cut up and used as rags for cleaning.
Pant legs make great draft stoppers for door-ways. Sew one end closed and fill with batten and sew the other end
closed.
Make a braided rug from your old clothes. Simply cut clothing into strips and braid together. Sew the braid in a
circle that gets bigger and bigger. This makes a beautiful rug that will last a long time.
Have an Earth Friendly Easter
Have children create their own Easter baskets from old plastic containers such as margarine tubs, the base from milk
jugs or from plastic berry containers.
Save your decorations to use year after year.
Make your own decorations out of items that would otherwise be thrown away.
Close the Loop
Buy Recycled! Try to buy products which contain recycled material – paper, plastics, etc. Buying recycled products
supports the recyclables collection program.
Buy Second-hand, Rent or Share
- Watch your local paper for good buys.
- Shopping at second-hand stores and garage sales are great “green” activities.
- Consider sharing the cost of expensive items such as lawnmowers, garden appliances, etc. with family or neighbours.
- Rent seldom-used items rather than buying.
Let Someone Else Use It
Donate your old clothes, furniture and appliances to local charities and second-hand shops. They can spruce them up
and make them available to people, rather than sending them to the landfill.
Save the little things
Ribbon, wrapping paper, string, rubber bands, paper clips, shopping bags, etceteras. All of these items can be used
over and over and over again.
Just use your imagination!
Drying Rack
Cover the ribs of an old umbrella with tape. This will prevent things from catching on them. Hang the umbrella upside
down and use as a rack for drying clothes or flowers, etc. When everything is dry, you can fold up your rack and store
it for the next time.
Scrub-a-Dub
Mesh onion bags make tough scrubbers for pots, pans, and the barbeque grill. Cut the bag into 15 cm squares and lay
one on top of another. Weave a string through the centre holes in all the squares and pull tightly so the squares gather
up at the centre. Wrap the string around the centre several times and tie securely. If you are in a hurry you can just
wad up the bag and scrub away.
Clean styrofoam egg cartons can easily double as ice cube trays.
Rather than throwing it away FIX IT and donate it to a charitable organisation or keep using it yourself!
REJECT!
Think Before You Buy
Ask Yourself:
- Do I really need it?
- Can I make do with what I have?
- Is this item recyclable?
- Is it reusable?
- Is the packaging recyclable?
- How durable is this product?
- Is there an environmentally-sound alternative?
Write to manufacturers and suggest they:
- Redesign products and packaging to eliminate excess.
- Make products that are repairable, more durable and longer lasting.
- Use recycled materials wherever possible.
Use a heat gun or sandpaper rather than commercial furniture strippers.
Using rechargable batteries will save you money and landfill space.
Avoid over-purchasing paint. Buy only what you need and use up leftovers. This way you can avoid worrying about proper
storage and disposal of extras and possibly prevent spills.
The information for these tips came from a variety of sources including several internet sites.