Waste Collection And Disposal Contracts:
¡§The Cornerstone Of Auckland City Council¡¦s New Waste Management Plans¡¨

Combined contracts worth $104.2million have been approved by Auckland City Council for the provision of isthmus waste management services for seven years, starting this July.

The contracts are in line with the Council¡¦s adopted waste management plan for refuse and recycling collection and disposal. They incorporate additional services to help achieve the plan¡¦s target of halving the amount of business and household waste for disposal in Auckland City within five years.

Extra services directly aligned to further meeting the objectives of the waste management plan include
„h provision of official council refuse bags and an improved waste collection service within the inner CBD area
„h recycling services to businesses within the isthmus
„h additional recycling bins based on need ¡V up to three bins in total per household
„h recycling of additional materials such as ice cream containers
„h upgrading recycling and refuse collection services to multi-tenancies
„h a requirement that damaged mobile garbage and recycling bins be repaired or replaced within three working days (down from six working days).

City Works Committee Chair Cr Doug Astley says the combined contracts are the cornerstone of the council¡¦s waste management plan and they will enable an improved and more comprehensive service to ratepayers.

¡§This is an excellent result,¡¨ he said. ¡§The combined contracts come within current budget, amounting to a favourable variance during the seven year period. These savings will enable us to fund CBD recycling, waste collection truck compaction systems designed to reduce noise and specially designed arms to lift larger bins from multi dwellings.¡¨

The successful contractors are Auckland Waste (Isthmus MGB Collection and Refuse Disposal ¡V East); Metropolitan Waste Ltd (Isthmus MGB Collection and Refuse Disposal ¡V West); Metropolitan Waste Ltd (Central Area Collection and Refuse Disposal); Streetsmart Ltd (Isthmus and Central Area Recycling).

The new system will require all isthmus households to use a 120-litre green wheelie bin with a red lid for household waste from July, existing green wheelie bins for green waste and a separate recycling bin or bins.

It is proposed to introduce a coupon system which will allow householders to buy garden waste collection services or some other products. Details have yet to be finalised.

The new 120-litre bins are currently being manufactured for the council and they will be delivered to all householders before the start-up date of 1 July 2000.

Trials of the new system in 320 households throughout the city have brought encouraging results, achieving a 45 percent reduction in the amount of household waste put out for collection.

¡§This is right on target with Auckland City Council¡¦s overall goal of achieving a 50 percent reduction in waste within five years,¡¨ Mr Astley says. ¡§In all cases, residual material left after recycling and separation of green waste fitted into a 120 litre bin.

¡§The indications are that the new system offers Aucklanders a real chance to reduce the city¡¦s waste stream in a way that will dramatically reduce the need for landfill space and preserve green areas for future generations to enjoy.¡¨

ENDS

For further information
Please Contact Cr Doug Astley
Telephone 620 4923 or 025 2970 494.

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