Marlborough’s recycling is being processed locally again after a devastating fire at the Marlborough Recycling Centre in November last year.

In the weeks and months after the fire, co-mingled recycling was sent to EcoCentral in Christchurch, preventing recycling going to landfill.

Solid Waste Manager Mark Lucas said the temporary Blenheim site had been up and running, at slower output rates, for a month.

He thanked EcoCentral for their support in the wake of the fire.

“By accepting our recycling, approximately 400 tonnes of recyclable material were diverted from landfill,” he said. “It was challenging for them to absorb alongside their own processing requirements – we are grateful for their flexibility and cooperation.”

He also noted how well waste contractor WMNZ performed during a challenging period.

“They rapidly adapted to the issues encountered both in transporting material to Christchurch and in establishing the temporary facility,” he said.

By working collaboratively, sort line staff at the Resource Recovery Centre were reassigned to alternative roles, ensuring continued employment throughout this time.

“The staff on the ground have done and continue to do an outstanding job,” he said. “The temporary facility poses new difficulties due to size constraints but they have worked as a team, shown great flexibility and maintained a strong commitment to performance and safety despite these challenges.”

Plans for a rebuild are still being finalised with the tender going out in the coming weeks. There is no change for the public - drop points are still located outside the fire-damaged building on Wither Road.

Council has business continuity insurance which has covered the shipment and processing costs at both the Christchurch and Blenheim facilities.

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