Manukau City Council has begun gearing up for the 2 April 2001 launch of household recycling.

On the “to do” list for the Council and its recycling contractors are the manufacture of 90,000 recycling bins, production of information packs, purchase and preparation of vehicles, and employment of staff.

Every Manukau home will receive a recycling collection on their normal Council rubbish day from Monday, 2 April 2001.

Residents will be able to sort the paper, cardboard, glass, aluminium cans and some plastics out from their normal rubbish and put it out for collection in specially supplied green plastic bins alongside their rubbish bags.

Recycling bins will be distributed in March, along with information packs telling people what they can recycle, how and when.

Nearly a quarter of the rubbish Manukau now sends to landfill could be recycled.

Chairman of the Council's Environmental Management Committee, Councillor Noel Burnside, says the recycling scheme will be good news for the Manukau job market.

“Our recycling contractor, Streetsmart, will employ approximately 30 additional staff on their collection trucks and plans to set up a new base in Manukau.

“In addition many of the 300 staff and contractors at Carter Holt Harvey’s Penrose paper mill, where our recycled paper goes, come from Manukau.”

Residents are already able to put paper and cardboard out for recycling on rubbish day, for collection by Paperchase. This service will continue through an arrangement with Manukau City Council.

Cr Burnside says the amount of paper put out is well below what it could be. “We know that approximately 7,000 tonnes of Manukau’s paper is going to landfill each year, when it could be going for recycling and creating more jobs.

“If people want to get recycling now, we suggest they make a start by sorting their paper out from their rubbish and putting it out on rubbish day, tied in a bundle or in a plastic bag or cardboard box.”

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Media Contact:
Gabrielle Hinton
Media Liaison Support Officer
Ph: 09 2637100 x 8650
Fax: 09 2625759
Email: ghinton@manukau.govt.nz

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