(PR.co.nz) Palmerston North mayor Jono Naylor hit the streets this morning to help deliver new recycling wheelie bins to city residents as the first step towards the new kerbside recycling collection service beginning on 5 July.
The Higgison family of Mulgrave St in Ashhurst were the first to receive their recycling wheelie bin direct from Mr Naylor, and the roll-out will cover the rest of the city over the next five weeks. The delivery of the recycling wheelie bins will be followed by the delivery of 45-litre recycling crates for the collection of glass. Both the recycling wheelie bins and recycling glass crates will be delivered to the letter box of each residential property across the city.
Mr Naylor challenged Palmerston North residents to get behind the new service and to make the effort to learn to use the recycling wheelie bins and crates properly and set the standard for the whole country on reducing waste to landfill.
“If we as a community can do a good job of this we will make our city more efficient, more sustainable and make some significant financial savings into the bargain by reducing the amount of waste sent to landfill.”
The recycling wheelie bins come in two sizes; the majority of homes will receive a 240-litre wheelie bin while smaller residences and properties with storage restrictions will receive an 80-litre wheelie bin. Recycling wheelie bins are to be used for collecting mixed recyclables including paper, cardboard, plastics, tins and cans, while the recycling crates, which are 45 litres, are for collecting glass only.
Glass is being collected separately in the crates because by keeping it separate from other recyclables it improves the value of both the glass and the other materials when they are sorted and sold to users to be made into new products.
The aim of the initiative is to improve the efficiency of the city’s existing recycling programme by increasing the volume and range of materials that can be recycled and decreasing the amount of waste going to landfill. It is hoped the new service will double the amount of recyclable material collected.
My Naylor says “a nice touch is that the bins are made from 30% recycled plastic and the crates are 100% recycled plastic, a significant proportion of which has been provided by the Palmerston North City Council.”
Under the new kerbside collection service starting on Monday 5 July, the recycling wheelie bins and crates will be collected on alternate weeks by distinctive orange recycling trucks on the same day as people’s normal rubbish collection. Recycling and rubbish has to be put out for collection by 7.00am on the normal collection day.
For households already receiving the current recycling service there is no extra charge as the cost of the new service is covered by the existing rates charge.
Mr Naylor says “central to the success of the new kerbside recycling collection service is people taking time to familiarise themselves with how to use the recycling wheelie bins and crates, and what material goes into each”.
“We are planning an extensive education and publicity campaign to make sure people know exactly what is happening and how to recycle correctly. Each recycling bin will carry a sticker explaining what kinds of material can and cannot go in.”
Training for the drivers on how to collect the new recycling wheelie bins and crates will get under way in Ashhurst, which will be the first area to receive the new service before the start date for the rest of the city on 5 July.
For more information on the new recycling system there is a “Recycling Hotline” 06 351 6399 – or go click here.
Media Release 28 April 2010 from Palmerston North City Council.