Media Release
30 July 2007

Manukau Schools and Homes to Get Recycling Wheelie Bins

Every school in Manukau will have the opportunity to get new recycling wheelie bins and a free collection as part of Manukau City Council’s new recycling service being introduced after July 2008.

The new service will see households and schools provided with a 240 litre mobile bin for the fortnightly kerbside recycling collection. It will allow residents and school pupils to put a wider range of recycling into one bin – including paper, plastics numbered 1 to 7, glass, tins and cans.

Due to begin after July 2008, the new recycling service is a joint venture with Auckland City Council aimed at taking advantage of the economies of scale. The recycling will be sorted at a new state of the art facility in Onehunga, which will be the most technologically advanced in the southern hemisphere and capable of sorting up to 120,000 tonnes a year.

Manukau City Council’s recycling collection will be carried out by EnviroWay, who are based in Manukau and have wide experience in waste management services.

EnviroWay are planning to use a “green fleet” of trucks to collect Manukau’s recycling. The trucks will use 20 per cent bio-diesel and meet the latest Euro 4 emissions standard.

Manukau City Council Waste Senior Policy Analyst Patricia Facenfield says the new service is expected to increase the volume of recycling by between 15 and 25 per cent.

“Making it easy is one of the most important factors in getting people to recycle more. This new service will do that because people can put all their paper, plastics, glass and tins into one big bin.

“Having recycling in a bin with a closed lid will also avoid the current problem we have with paper and plastics blowing around streets.

“Although schools don’t pay a targeted refuse rate we’re making sure that every primary, intermediate and secondary in Manukau can use the new recycling service. It is an excellent way to educate children about recycling, so they go home and encourage their family to recycle more.

“Education is a key part of the recycling service. As well as providing a collection to schools the new sorting facility will have an education centre that will be ideal for class trips.”

Key facts

- Residents will begin using the new bins after July 2008. The actual start date is dependent on when consent is received for building the materials recovery facility in Onehunga

- The facility will be the most technologically advanced in the southern hemisphere. It will use various screening techniques and optical sorting of glass into colours and plastic into grades, leading to much improved processing rates and reductions in product contamination.

- The new mobile bins will allow more recycling with their increased capacity , 240 litres compared to the current 55 litre green bins, and be collected fortnightly instead of weekly

- All-in-one mobile bins makes it easier for residents to recycle, less confusion about what can be recycled or how to sort

- The closed lids will avoid the major problems with mess in the streets from paper and plastic blowing out of the existing open bins

- Health and safety problems will be reduced because the collection won’t involve runners on the street, travelling on vehicles and lifting heavy crates

- The new mobile recycling bins will take up roughly the same space as the current crates, although they will be taller

- They should be easier and safer to move around than the current crates because the weight is carried by the axle of the wheels.

- A public information campaign will be run before the new bins are introduced to make sure people are aware of the change and to encourage them to recycle and reduce their waste.

ENDS

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