Council recycling.....

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xpd

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#156069 18-Nov-2014 11:26

In Whangaparaoa, we have two recycle runs, one for paper and one for plastic/glass.

Paper - any paper/cardboard - must be put into a plastic "Foodtown" bag or wont be taken. So even if I stack the paper altogether nicely and tie it up with string or some other environmentally friendly material, or even have it all in a small cardboard box, they refuse to take it.

Plastic/glass - must be put into the blue bins and be "clean" (can kind of understand that). Some weekends we have friends around and the bins get full, so we put the excess into bags. They wont take the bags.

It seems completely stupid to me, putting paper recycling into a plastic bag, and refusing to take plastic with other plastic......

Anyone know why this is ?

XPD / Gavin

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#1177858 18-Nov-2014 11:35

Nope, don't know why that is. In Whakatane you just dump all recyclables into the same bin and they manage to figure it out!

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#1177868 18-Nov-2014 11:56

We did the procurement process for recycling in local government in the UK. It basically boils down to how much the people doing the recycling are willing to put in the effort to sort it out. What company is dealing with it, etc.

It all needs to be sorted. Bags will be easy to deal with in their process for paper (they dont split in the truck and cause a mess, can be torn open when it's time to put them into the process and disposed of).

The plastic bags you put the metal and plastic into isn't recyclable, so having unrecyclable plastic bags in with metal and plastic that often just gets dumped onto a conveyor (and then depending on the end process, either hand sorted or an automated separation process) costs time and money. Some plants actually have a machine that can automatically separate different types of plastic, so if they're in bags that doesn't work. There is usually a hand sorting process at some point, but again, it slows everything down.

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#1177889 18-Nov-2014 11:58

West Auckland : we always put the paper/Cardboard out in one bigger cardboard box and they take it perfectly fine... We don't even tie it up, just make sure the box is closed so the paper wont blow away...

Plus we have a big wheelie bin for glass / plastic etc... we just throw everything in there and they take it fine also...

OT: Sometimes I wonder why we bother at all thou. Recycling costs a LOT of money and there are also HUGE piles of stuff that are collected but cant be recycled properly just sitting there waiting...

Doing your best is much more important than being the best.

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#1177896 18-Nov-2014 12:12

xpd: In Whangaparaoa, we have two recycle runs, one for paper and one for plastic/glass.

Paper - any paper/cardboard - must be put into a plastic "Foodtown" bag or wont be taken. So even if I stack the paper altogether nicely and tie it up with string or some other environmentally friendly material, or even have it all in a small cardboard box, they refuse to take it.

Plastic/glass - must be put into the blue bins and be "clean" (can kind of understand that). Some weekends we have friends around and the bins get full, so we put the excess into bags. They wont take the bags.

It seems completely stupid to me, putting paper recycling into a plastic bag, and refusing to take plastic with other plastic......

Anyone know why this is ?

Yep, it's the handling. Sorters have to sort it out and the risk of cuts and infection goes up if broken or cracked glass is obscured by plastic bags. I wouldn't be surprised if OSH forbids it.

In Palmerston North, only glass goes out in the glass bin. Plastics, tins, and papers are put into a separate bin. No plastic bags of any kind allowed. There is no market for recycled plastic bags and the additional work of sorting them plus costs of stockpiling because nobody is buying resulted in the ban last year.
With cardboard, if it won't fit in the bin then residents must take it to a recycling centre themselves. Bin collection is automated with one person on the truck - the driver - so picking things up from the kerb is not possible. They seem to manage if cardboard is piled up and sticking out the sides of the bin, as long as it lifts with the bin when robo arm grabs it.

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#1177905 18-Nov-2014 12:36

I'm surprised, considering Whangaparaoa is now part of the Auckland super city...

Why is the recycling process not standardised across all Auckland regions. In Botany Downs, East Auckland, we have a large 240 ltr recycling bin, throw all glass, paper, cardboard, recyclable plastics etc, all into the same bin, and collected from the kerb each fortnight.

I was of the understanding that Auckland council had invested in a recycling plant, and they make income from reselling the glass and recyclables to overseas manufacturers who require these products.

The trucks which collect our bins, simply pickup and pour the entire bin in, then its delivered to the recycling plant for sorting.

Surely its not that difficult to have a larger number of trucks in other Auckland regions and collect the same way, then deliver to the same recycling facility?

I thought the entire point of creating a super city was to standard processes to save money!

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#1177910 18-Nov-2014 12:52

Elpie: No plastic bags of any kind allowed.

It really does seem to vary from place to place! Per WDC:

You can also recycle plastic shopping bags and plastic pallet cling wrap.

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xpd

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#1177911 18-Nov-2014 12:56

"Coasties" are being punished because they didnt want to be part of Auckland ;)

We don't even get an inorganic collection.

Every area around Auckland still has their own standards for rubbish/recycling..... if it aint broke dont fix it. But just seems crazy to me that my rubbish wont be taken because its not in a plastic bag, from me trying to save the environment.... yet they'd rather take the bag and throw it out... how does that help..

(sigh)

XPD / Gavin

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#1177931 18-Nov-2014 13:26

Elpie:
xpd: In Whangaparaoa, we have two recycle runs, one for paper and one for plastic/glass.

Paper - any paper/cardboard - must be put into a plastic "Foodtown" bag or wont be taken. So even if I stack the paper altogether nicely and tie it up with string or some other environmentally friendly material, or even have it all in a small cardboard box, they refuse to take it.

Plastic/glass - must be put into the blue bins and be "clean" (can kind of understand that). Some weekends we have friends around and the bins get full, so we put the excess into bags. They wont take the bags.

It seems completely stupid to me, putting paper recycling into a plastic bag, and refusing to take plastic with other plastic......

Anyone know why this is ?

Yep, it's the handling. Sorters have to sort it out and the risk of cuts and infection goes up if broken or cracked glass is obscured by plastic bags. I wouldn't be surprised if OSH forbids it.

In Palmerston North, only glass goes out in the glass bin. Plastics, tins, and papers are put into a separate bin. No plastic bags of any kind allowed. There is no market for recycled plastic bags and the additional work of sorting them plus costs of stockpiling because nobody is buying resulted in the ban last year.
With cardboard, if it won't fit in the bin then residents must take it to a recycling centre themselves. Bin collection is automated with one person on the truck - the driver - so picking things up from the kerb is not possible. They seem to manage if cardboard is piled up and sticking out the sides of the bin, as long as it lifts with the bin when robo arm grabs it.

Yep, no plastic bags or and kind of plastic film. What annoys me is we got a sticker put on our bin "friendly reminder: no plastic bags" and we were both sure that we hadn't transgressed. They shoulda left the offending proof behind in the bin.

Whatifthespacekeyhadneverbeeninvented?

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#1177953 18-Nov-2014 14:04

xpd: Anyone know why this is ?

I suspect I do...

Whangaparaoa recycling is likely still served under the Rodney District Council contract/tender for recycling and is yet to be superseded by a 'Super city common process' (so to speak). As far as I recall there are also certain recyclable codes that the current contractor does not like (the high numbers). Good thing is, if you need a second bin, I seem to recall that the RDC used to let you have one if you rang up nicely and asked.

To put the craziness of the RDC contractor in perspective here is one example that bugged us for ages.... They refused to take bags of newspaper etc if they saw there was shiny (printed) cardboard in the bundle, i.e. breakfast cereal boxes, empty cartons etc. Even though the RDC documentation said all collapsed cardboard. Solution was simple, just invert the boxes so they couldn't see the shiny side.

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#1177954 18-Nov-2014 14:05

DarthKermit: What annoys me is we got a sticker put on our bin "friendly reminder: no plastic bags" and we were both sure that we hadn't transgressed. They shoulda left the offending proof behind in the bin.

I got the same and am certain I hadn't put any in. What I can't know is if some passing person threw a wrapper or something in. PNCC has now instituted a three strikes system so people that get those notices really need to protest to council. It's not uncommon for people on the street to throw things into bins but getting to a third strike due to other people's actions willl get the service cut off.

xpd

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#1177962 18-Nov-2014 14:21

nigelj:
xpd: Anyone know why this is ?

I suspect I do...

Whangaparaoa recycling is likely still served under the Rodney District Council contract/tender for recycling and is yet to be superseded by a 'Super city common process' (so to speak). As far as I recall there are also certain recyclable codes that the current contractor does not like (the high numbers). Good thing is, if you need a second bin, I seem to recall that the RDC used to let you have one if you rang up nicely and asked.

To put the craziness of the RDC contractor in perspective here is one example that bugged us for ages.... They refused to take bags of newspaper etc if they saw there was shiny (printed) cardboard in the bundle, i.e. breakfast cereal boxes, empty cartons etc. Even though the RDC documentation said all collapsed cardboard. Solution was simple, just invert the boxes so they couldn't see the shiny side.

Yeah they did give us two bins when we moved into the area (and asked us not so nicely where the previous owners ones were..... like we'd know) but occasionally we do fill them both over a "busy" weekend :)

Ive had them leave labels on some items saying they cant take it yet theyve taken it for months before hand.... put it back out the next week without the label and they take it. Even had a couple of times where they didnt take any of our recycling yet I stood there watching them take the neighbors.

I just dont understand the mentality of it all to be honest.......

XPD / Gavin

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#1178023 18-Nov-2014 16:17

Elpie:
DarthKermit: What annoys me is we got a sticker put on our bin "friendly reminder: no plastic bags" and we were both sure that we hadn't transgressed. They shoulda left the offending proof behind in the bin.

I got the same and am certain I hadn't put any in. What I can't know is if some passing person threw a wrapper or something in. PNCC has now instituted a three strikes system so people that get those notices really need to protest to council. It's not uncommon for people on the street to throw things into bins but getting to a third strike due to other people's actions willl get the service cut off.

Tell you what, if we get another such sticker, I'll be phoning the council and asking them to show me the proof that a plastic bag was in the wheelie bin. If as you say someone used it as a rubbish bin, they should still be able to provide proof. No different than getting a speeding ticket from a fixed speed camera, I would have thought.

Whatifthespacekeyhadneverbeeninvented?

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#1178044 18-Nov-2014 16:51

DarthKermit:
Elpie:
DarthKermit: What annoys me is we got a sticker put on our bin "friendly reminder: no plastic bags" and we were both sure that we hadn't transgressed. They shoulda left the offending proof behind in the bin.

I got the same and am certain I hadn't put any in. What I can't know is if some passing person threw a wrapper or something in. PNCC has now instituted a three strikes system so people that get those notices really need to protest to council. It's not uncommon for people on the street to throw things into bins but getting to a third strike due to other people's actions willl get the service cut off.

Tell you what, if we get another such sticker, I'll be phoning the council and asking them to show me the proof that a plastic bag was in the wheelie bin. If as you say someone used it as a rubbish bin, they should still be able to provide proof. No different than getting a speeding ticket from a fixed speed camera, I would have thought.

I think it was put on all bins to remind people that plastic bags were being banned from the bins, rather than as a "warning" notice. I can see how it was confusing/misleading - I wondered the same, until I saw it on every bin in the street when out walking one day.

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#1178045 18-Nov-2014 16:58

I wouldn't complain, otherwise the council will stop doing it. Our local council no longer does any form of recycyling. If we want recycling doing, we have to pay a separate contractor, and it is several hundy a year. It was far more cost effective for the council to run it, as there was a bigger quantity of people recycyling. Now only a handful people people do it, as they have to pay.
Thus all of our rubbish now goes into the general rubbish bin, luckily we don't have too much rubbish, and do composting anyway.

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#1178050 18-Nov-2014 17:25

nigelj:
xpd: Anyone know why this is ?

I suspect I do...
Whangaparaoa recycling is likely still served under the Rodney District Council contract/tender for recycling and is yet to be superseded by a 'Super city common process' (so to speak). As far as I recall there are also certain recyclable codes that the current contractor does not like (the high numbers). Good thing is, if you need a second bin, I seem to recall that the RDC used to let you have one if you rang up nicely and asked.

To put the craziness of the RDC contractor in perspective here is one example that bugged us for ages.... They refused to take bags of newspaper etc if they saw there was shiny (printed) cardboard in the bundle, i.e. breakfast cereal boxes, empty cartons etc. Even though the RDC documentation said all collapsed cardboard. Solution was simple, just invert the boxes so they couldn't see the shiny side.

Was it printed cardboard or the plastic coated stuff used for drink cartons etc?

Paper in a plastic bag would stay together and dry. There probably isn't much market for soggy paper.

Wgtn take all plastic apart from cling or polystyrene.

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