Nearly 10,000 tonnes of rubbish Manukau households throw out each year will become someone else’s ‘treasure’ when household recycling starts on April 2 2001.

The recycling scheme is expected to reduce the amount of rubbish going to landfill by 16 per cent.

Instead of being tipped, the recycled waste will go back to industry to be used again to manufacture products as diverse as cardboard boxes and playground equipment.

Every Manukau home will receive a recycling collection every Council rubbish day from Monday, 2 April 2001. Recycling bins will be delivered in March next year, along with information about what and how to recycle.

Chairman of the Council's Environmental Management Committee, Councillor Noel Burnside, says the recycling bins will be made from recycled plastic and the information will be printed on paper that has been recycled.

“We’re starting the way we mean to go on – as recyclers!”

Cr Burnside says markets are established for the materials that Manukau households put out for recycling.

Paper will go straight to Carter Holt Harvey’s mill in Penrose, where it will be made into corrugated medium board for making cardboard boxes. Approximately half the corrugated board will be exported.

Glass will be used to manufacture more glass. Cr Burnside says that under new Government legislation, glass manufacturers are required to include a percentage of recycled glass in all their products.

Tins go to BHP's Glenbrook steel mill, to be turned into fencing wire and similar products.

Aluminium cans are made into more cans, either here or in Australia.

Some plastics go back to the soft drink industry, to be made into more plastic bottles. Others are made into products such as plastic pipes, playground equipment, pots for plants, buckets and drainage materials.

“New uses and new markets are being found for recyclables all the time. It is a growth industry and it will be great to know that Manukau is contributing.”

Ends
For more information contact

Patricia Facenfield
Environmental Management Group
Ph 262 8900 ext 8686

Media Contact
Gabrielle Hinton
Media Liaison Support Officer
Phone: 2628900 x 8650
Fax: 2625759
Email: ghinton@manukau.govt.nz

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