Media release

1 December 2008

New inorganic rubbish collection service for Waitakere

Waitakere City is now operating a new user pays inorganic rubbish collection service.

Under the new system, the service is booked and paid for in advance and the inorganic rubbish collected from inside residential property boundaries. Previously rubbish was put out on the street.

The new user pays service will cost $11.25 and must be booked online at www.inorganiccollection.co.nz or in person at the council’s customer services counter at 6 Henderson Valley Road, Henderson.

Collections start in 2009, running from February through to June each year.

Different suburbs are covered by the collection in each of those months and each street is allocated a collection date. Residents must make their booking two clear weeks ahead of their collection week, so are advised to check what month their suburb is collected from (this is available online or at the council) and to go online well in advance to find their booking cut-off date.

On their collection day, residents need to pile their inorganic waste inside their property, on or near the driveway. The maximum amount collected will be one cubic metre (about two car boots full). Placing inorganic rubbish outside a residential property is now illegal and can result in a fine of up to $400.

As always, the inorganic rubbish collection is provided for the disposal of household furniture, toys and appliances, domestic gardening and outdoor leisure equipment and metal items from household renovations. Residents can also dispose of larger quantities of metal (and appliances made of metal) and re-usable furniture, free, at the Refuse Transfer Station, at 50 The Concourse, Henderson.

Councillor Vanessa Neeson, chair of the council’s Planning and Regulatory Committee says the inorganic collection has primarily been changed because the law requires councils to encourage waste reduction and because the old system was inefficient, unsightly and dangerous and made commercial scavenging possible at ratepayers’ expense.

“This change is long overdue and will be welcomed by many residents and ratepayers who have been pleading for something better than what we have had,” she says.

“Collecting inorganic rubbish from inside properties will eliminate all the unsightly and dangerous piles on the kerb and discourage illegal commercial scavenging. It will also reduce the amount of people from outside the city illegally dumping waste in Waitakere at the expense of local ratepayers. We know that in the past 60% or more of inorganic refuse was coming from businesses and people outside of Waitakere.”

Cr Neeson says the new system follows the intent of the Waste Minimisation Act to encourage people to become more responsible for the costs of wasteful behaviour.

“Under our old system there was no incentive for this because people paid the same whether they used the service or not. A user pays service, however, provides the incentive,” she says.

“The new system is also another step in the on-going, world-wide battle to reduce wasteful manufacturing and packaging. The Act encourages purchasers, manufacturers and retailers to enter into ‘product stewardship’ schemes, whereby manufacturers and retailers take back products when consumers are finished with them. This in turn encourages manufacturers and retailers to make and sell products that are recyclable or reusable.”

Cr Neeson urges people to check the www.inorganiccollection.co.nz website now to be sure they have booked their collection in good time:

“You can book as far ahead as you like but if you don’t get in within two clear weeks of when your street is being collected, you will have to wait until the following year,” she says.

For full details on the new inorganic rubbish collection system, visit www.inorganiccollection.co.nz or call the council on 839 0419 (24 hours).

ENDS

© Scoop Media