Costs Force Rubbish Bag Price Increase

Increasing costs have driven up the price of rubbish bags in Papakura.

From 1 August, official Papakura District Council red rubbish bags will cost $1.50 each.

The rise is to cover increased costs of bag manufacture, collection and disposal, and includes a new regional waste levy of $10 per tonne. The price remains more than 50 cents lower than pre-paid bags or stickers used in other Auckland cities and districts.

The price rise was the subject of consultation as part of Progress Papakura, the 2009-2019 Long Term Council Community Plan.

Council waste minimisation staff say residents can reduce their household rubbish costs by making sure they continue to recycle plastic, metal and paper and compost waste. The Council runs regular workshops that help people start composting.

In the three years since “user pays” rubbish collection started in Papakura the average household’s rubbish volume has dropped from 11.4 to 9.8 kilograms per “set-out”/week.

The District’s overall annual rubbish tonnage was 7,800 tonnes before user pays. Three years later, the figure is 5,900 tonnes even though the population has grown considerably. During the same period recycling in the District has increased from 3,500 tonnes before user pays to 4,400 tonnes per annum in the last year.

ENDS

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