Auckland City Council
Media release

20 March 2008

Auckland City Council rolls out new recycling bins

Auckland City Council will start the rollout of 150,000 new 240L blue-lidded recycling wheelie bins to all eligible households across Auckland city on 31 March.

The new recycling wheelie bins will be delivered to footpaths and kerbsides of all eligible properties from now until the end of June when the council introduces its new recycling collection service.

The bin deliveries will happen in three stages:

• stage one includes the eastern part of the city – east of Manukau Road, with bins delivered during April
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• stage two includes the western side of the city – west of Manukau Road, with deliveries in May
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• stage three focuses on the city’s central areas, with deliveries completed in June.
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A bin information pack will be attached to the top of the bin lid containing a brochure with details about the new service and a fridge magnet recycling collection calendar. Underneath the bin lid is a sticker listing items that can and cannot be recycled.

City Development Committee chairperson, Councillor Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga, said the new wheelie bin and recycling collections service are a significant step forward for recycling in Auckland city.

“We want every resident to have the best facilities available to them so they can recycle as much as possible. The new bins and recycling service is expected to lift recycling rates by between 15 and 25 per cent, which will make a major contribution to our goal of reducing waste to landfill,” says Mr Lotu-Iiga.

Residents are urged not to use the new recycling wheelie bins until 30 June or after depending on their collection day.

“It is important that residents continue to use the blue recycling crates until the new recycling collections start as we cannot empty the blue-lidded recycling wheelie bins until this time.

“When residents receive their bin, they should check the street number on the side of the bin to ensure it is the right bin before taking it onto their property,” says Mr Lotu-Iiga, “they should also read the attached information to familiarise themselves with the new changes.”

The three-month rollout is a busy time for the bin delivery contractors and patience is requested. After the bins have been delivered, if residents have any questions, they should contact the council on the dedicated recycling number 379 2028.

Regular press and radio advertisements will keep residents informed of the progress throughout the rollout period.

Recycling wheelie bins that are full and placed out before 30 June will not be emptied.

For more information on bin deliveries and the new recycling service, visit www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/recycling or call 379 2028.

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Key facts

• All-in-one recycling wheelie bins make it easier for residents to recycle and lessens confusion about what can be recycled.
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• Fortnightly collections (instead of weekly) will result in a lower amount of vehicle emissions.
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• The closed bin lids will avoid major problems of wind-blown litter by containing paper and plastic.
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• Health and safety problems will be reduced because the collection won’t involve collectors on the street, travelling on vehicles and lifting heavy crates.
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• The new recycling wheelie bins will take up roughly the same footpath space as the current crates, although they will be taller.
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• The wheelie bins should be easier and safer to move around than the current crates because the bin is wheeled rather than carried.
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• Recyclable materials collected through the kerbside recycling collections will be taken to the Visy materials recovery facility in Onehunga. This facility will be the most technologically advanced recycling facility in the southern hemisphere. It uses various screening techniques and optical sorting of glass into colours and plastic into grades, leading to improved processing rates and reductions in product contamination.
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• If residents have not received their bins (but neighbours have), contact the council one week later. This will allow the council to administer the enquiry. If bins have not been delivered to the street, residents should wait until deliveries have occurred.
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• If residents do not receive an information pack with their bin, call 379 2028.
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