Rest, Relax, but remember to Recycle this Summer

Rest, Relax, but remember to Recycle this Summer

Over summer many New Zealanders are at the beach, playing or watching sports, enjoying festivals or just relaxing with families and friends. It’s a time for rest and relaxation Christmas shopping (which saw New Zealanders spend a record $6 billion in December 2015) along with end of year parties means we generate around 30% more waste nationally during the festive season. In seaside and tourist areas there is a massive 400% increase in waste and most of it can be recycled if people put it into the recycling bin rather than the rubbish bin.

Drinks sales increase to three times above normal levels and whilst recycling may double over this period, there are a lot of glass, cans and plastic bottles not being recycled particularly away from home. The New Zealand recycling rate for drinks containers is over 69% but it would increase significantly if every bar, restaurant and entertainment venue recycled every bottle and can during this busy period.

If you are enjoying a take away pizza most councils will recycle these boxes too if you put them in your kerbside collections.

And over 55% of New Zealanders now have access to drop off recycling bins at Countdown, New World, PAK’nSAVE, The Warehouse and other participating stores for soft plastic bags – that includes confectionery and biscuit wrap; bread bags, fresh and frozen food, pasta and rice bags; toilet paper packaging and the plastic courier packs around parcels this Christmas.

When you are out and about, look for one of over 2200 Love NZ recycling bins to recycle your cans, bottles and paper. If it can’t be recycled “Be a Tidy Kiwi” and put it in the rubbish bin for a litter free New Zealand. Have a Greener Christmas with our recycling tips...

The 12 days of Christmas Recycling

Day 1
Check your Collection Times – they may be different

Day 2

Don’t forget to recycle your bottles
We consume 3 times more bottles and cans over the holidays and in seaside areas it’s an additional 400%.

Day 3
Love Food Hate Waste
Eat your food don’t waste it.

Day 4

Recycle your glass. There are now glass bottle banks at camp sites, shopping malls and public places so put your brown, green and clear glass bottles in the right hole so it can easily be made into new glass bottles.

Day 5

Look for the Love NZ recycling bins in your area
There are now over 2200 Love NZ recycling bins. They are on high streets, shopping malls, airports and ferry terminals, BP’s Wild Bean Cafés, Rainbow’s End and the Skyline Luges.

Day 6
Reuse or recycle your Christmas cards. Around 60 million Christmas cards are sent. Choose charity cards, cards with recycled content or e-cards this year. Your paper collector will recycle your old Christmas cards.

Day 7

Reuse. Use a reusable shopping bag when you go out shopping and use a Keep Cup. Every year New Zealanders consume 295 million coffee cups.

Day 8

Do the Plastic Scrunch Test! People in Auckland, Waikato, Canterbury and Wellington can drop off their plastic bags at their local supermarket. Over 25 million bags have been recycled this year so Collect….Drop…Recycle

Day 9

Empty? Now I’m ready to be recycled …Remember you can recycle your pizza boxes in most parts of the country as long as you empty them first. 26 million boxes a year are needlessly landfilled.

Day 10

Be a recycling champion at events Many sports stadia and concert venues now have Love NZ recycling bins. Don’t drop your cans, bottles and boxes on the ground, pick them up and use the bins.

Day 11

Use the right bin– 60% of litter is packaging and most of it can be recycled and if it can’t put it in the waste bin.

Day 12

Recycle more packaging more often. New Zealanders consume over 700,000 tonnes of packaging every year but we recycle just over half of it.

© Scoop Media