Wheelie bin stocktake to start next month

Christchurch City Council will carry out a stocktake of kerbside wheelie bins throughout the city starting next month. The stocktake is designed to reduce the cost of the bin collection service by removing lost, damaged and stolen bins from circulation.

The wheelie bin stocktake is expected to save ratepayers $9.3 million net over the course of the Council’s contract with Waste Management which runs until 2029. It will reduce the cost of collecting bins by $13.8 million over the contract while the stocktake itself will cost the Council $4.5 million.

Christchurch City Council Solid Waste Manager Ross Trotter says, “After the earthquakes many bins have been lost, damaged or stolen. Waste disposal is covered by a property’s rates bill, so if some residents are receiving additional services above their entitlement the ratepayer is ultimately picking up that bill.”

As part of the wheelie bin stocktake process, bins will be fitted with a radio frequency tag to ensure bins that are damaged, stolen or found on other properties can be easily identified. They can then be checked and matched to the database, returned to their original property or reallocated for future distribution. Waste Management will carry out the stocktake.

“The radio frequency chips can’t track the location of the bins,” says Mr Trotter. “They communicate with the collection truck as it goes past to ensure that the bin is located near the correct property. It is a short range signal.

“The stocktake team will be in touch with residents via flyer drops prior to the stocktake affecting them. We encourage residents to ring the customer service line on the flyers if they are unclear about the process as customer feedback is key to ensuring the process runs as smoothly as possible.”

The wheelie bin stocktake will take approximately three years to complete. More information on the wheelie bin stocktake is available at www.ccc.govt.nz/services/rubbish-and-recycling/bins/wheelie-bin-stocktake.

ENDS

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