Recycling volumes on the increase at roadside locations

The Far North recycling effort is continuing to expand following the installation of an additional two roadside community recycling locations at Okaihau and Kaeo.

In the first two weeks of operations the new recycling facilities have collected more than 15 cubic metres of recyclable materials. In conjunction with the Puketona Road roadside community recycling facility, close to 40 cubic metres of material a week is now being processed.

Far North District Council senior technical officer for refuse Bruce Hows said today the additional two facilities were located near the local dairy at Okaihau and adjoining the White Swan Tavern at Kaeo. The Puketona Road facility is located on a council reserve about 200 metres north-east of the State Highway 10 junction.

The roadside community recycling facilities, known by the trade name Molok, take domestic unsorted recyclables which have been cleaned and washed. This includes glass jars and bottles, plastic bottles and grades 1 -7 plastic containers, aluminium and tin cans, paper and cardboard.

Polystyrene, window or mirror glass and waxed or plastic-coated cardboard cannot be deposited at the roadside facilities.

"Some concerns have been expressed that because the recycling is co-mingled (not sorted) before being deposited in the bins, that it may not be processed as recyclable material.

"This is definitely not the case. Collections from the roadside community recycling facilities are transported to Waste Works Ltd's state-of-the-art Kaikohe Waste Station where it is sorted and processed," he said.

As part of the new recycling and refuse initiative, the council had also stepped up surveillance at illegal dumping "hotspots." This included targeting rubbish put out before the nominated collection day. Infringement notices were being issued and where sufficient information was available, prosecutions would be considered, he said.

"The only downside so far has been a very small number of people who are concealing ordinary domestic rubbish in with their recyclables. All this achieves is increasing the cost of recycling and making it extremely unpalatable for staff operating the sorting tables at the Kaikohe Waste Station," he said.