Media Release
31 March 2009

Results proof of recycling success

Almost 100 per cent of the material that Manukau residents put in their recycling bins will be recycled, Manukau City Council says.

Recent media reports that gave the impression Visy, the company that processes Auckland and Manukau’s recycling, has a stockpile of material that won’t be recycled are wrong.

Manukau City Council Waste Manager Patricia Facenfield says in reality 97 per cent of material put in recycling bins will be recycled.

“The three per cent that won’t is mostly material that residents shouldn't be putting in their recycling bin, for example rubbish plastic bags and grass clippings. The best way of reducing this is for people to check what can and can’t go in their recycling bin.

“Although Visy currently has a stockpile of glass it should all be recycled within the next few months. Only 0.04 per cent is likely to end up in a landfill,” she says.

The reason why there is a stockpile waiting to be recycling is because an equipment change is needed to process the glass properly. It is common for any new materials recovery facility processing recycling to need some changes to equipment in the initial period after opening.

Ms Facenfield says Manukau City Council is completely satisfied with Visy’s performance, including how it is recycling glass.

“It’s disappointing that some media have decided to ignore the fact that the new recycling service has been an incredible success. Recycling volumes increased by 32 per cent in the first six months of the new service, that’s an extra 3600 tonnes not going to landfill.

“We encourage residents to keep recycling as much as possible,” she says.

ENDS

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