Let’s clear this up
There’s good news and bad news when it comes to recycling in Porirua. The good news is we’ve seen an increase in our recycling collections which means more people are recycling, we can re-use more items and less items should be going to landfill. This is great for the environment.
The bad news is that we’re also seeing more of the wrong things in our recycling collections that can’t be recycled. This is called recycling contamination and it can have an impact on the health and safety of hard-working recycling staff, who sort items by hand before it goes through the machines.
Staff safety is our top priority so, unfortunately, if there is too much contamination in a recycling load, we have no other choice but to send the whole truck load to landfill – which is disappointing for everyone involved.
Currently, the top five bad items/ contaminants in our recycling collections are:
• Used nappies and sanitary items
• Food and drink, including raw meat
• Metal items (including saucepans, coat hangers and electrical appliances)
• Hard plastics (not 1 and 2) such as takeaway containers, polystyrene and yoghurt pottles
• Soft plastics like chip packets, and other food wrappings.
Remember that our recycled waste has real value, it’s not rubbish. Our recycling gets sorted in Wellington and is mainly processed in New Zealand and re-used by businesses here, so it has a positive environmental and economic impact. We do need everyone’s help to do better.
Stick to the following basic rules and recycling is easy. The only things that should go in your mixed recycling bin are:
• Plastics with 1 or 2 on it (please don’t squash items)
• Aluminium or tin cans (tuck away sharp lids)
• Paper • Clean and dry cardboard. For glass recycling:
• Rinsed glass bottles and glass jars (but no lids).
Check our online recycling calendar to find out when to put your bins out and print a copy of your zone calendar at poriruacity.govt.nz/ recycling.
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Some Choice News!
Many New Zealand gardens aren’t seeing as many monarch butterflies fluttering around their swan plants and flower beds these days — the hungry Asian paper wasp has been taking its toll.
Thanks to people like Alan Baldick, who’s made it his mission to protect the monarch, his neighbours still get to enjoy these beautiful butterflies in their own backyards.
Thinking about planting something to invite more butterflies, bees, and birds into your garden?
Thanks for your mahi, Alan! We hope this brings a smile!
Be prepared for upcoming roadworks
SH1 Transmission Gully works until mid-February, weather permitting.
There’s no roadworks for the holiday break from Friday 19 December, and all lanes will be fully open. Contractors are back to work on Monday 5 January, at night. Plan ahead for lane closures, night-time road closures and speed restrictions until mid-February. When the highway is closed, detours are via State Highway 59 and State Highway 58.
Chip-seal works begin in early January, so drivers must do 30km/h to prevent flying chip that can damage vehicles.
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