You're probably recycling wrong - here's how to get it right
When I saw a Waste and Recycling Industry Forum report this week that said nearly a fifth of New Zealand's recycling winds up in landfill due to contamination, I thought, "How hard is it to recycle, you idiots?"
And then someone at work casually mentioned that they had been very good and removed all the lids from their recycling that morning.
Reader, I have not been removing the lids from my recycling.
It's me, hi, I'm the idiot, it's me.
What else might I and my fellow New Zealanders be getting wrong when bin day rolls around?
A recycling education
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When I confessed my recycling sins to Parul Sood, general manager of waste solutions at Auckland Council, she was very kind to me, saying that up until a few months ago, I was doing the right thing keeping the lids on my bottles.
But New Zealand's recycling systems moved to a national standard in February, which is when removing lids became a nationwide requirement.
There are a few problems with lids on recyclables, Sood said.
"When you put the lid on the bottle pack, sometimes people leave liquid in it, so it's not completely rinsed out," she said.
"Then in some facilities the lids can fall through the [sorting] machines, too, and they can't be recycled."
Other recycling crimes
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Leaving lids on recyclables and failing to properly clean containers out are common recycling issues, but Sood said the bigger issue is people still contaminating their recycling bins with rubbish that should be going to landfill or recycled elsewhere.
She said that just because some items, like batteries or metal, can be recycled in other ways, they have no business being in a curbside recycling bin.
"People need to be really aware that your recycling bin is for packaging that comes out of your kitchen, laundry and your bathroom ... no other material," she said.
"People are even putting electronics [in their recycling bin]. We had a truck come into the facility recently which had caught fire because it had electronics in it."
Bags of soft plastics and clothing are also common culprits, which Sood said can pose extra problems at recycling facilities because they get tangled in machinery.
While there are people manually sifting through items on the conveyor belts at recycling facilities, they are mostly there to remove any offending large pieces.
If too many contaminated items make it through the sorting process, the recyclables can be rejected by the markets that are going to repurpose the materials. And that could ultimately mean large quantities of recycling must be sent to landfill instead.
When it comes to putting items in your recycling bin, Sood said: "If in doubt, leave it out."
"If you're not sure if [something] goes in the recycling bin or not, just put it in the rubbish; that's probably better," she said.
"I think taking a minute to just do the right thing with that packaging is worth it."
Becoming a recycling superstar
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What should you be putting in your recycling bin then?
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Glass bottles and jars
Tin, steel, and aluminium cans
Plastic containers (that are grades 1, 2 and 5) from your kitchen, bathroom or laundry. These containers should not be larger than 4 litres.
Newspapers and magazines
Paper and cardboard, including window envelopes, egg cartons and (empty) pizza boxes. Bubble wrap, polystyrene, and plastic packaging should be removed from the cardboard boxes — any tape or labels can stay on.
Items that cannot go in your recycling bin include:
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Soft plastics (these can instead be dropped off at supermarkets or other retailers that are part of the soft plastics recycling scheme)
Food
Liquid paperboard (such as milk or juice Tetra Pak cartons)
Aerosol cans
Garden or building waste
Nappies or sanitary products
Window or mirror glass
Light bulbs
Electronics or batteries
Before you throw your recyclables in your bin, there are a couple of other things to do.
You need to ensure any items you're recycling are bigger than 50mm x 50mm.
You should also make sure the items are loose in the bin — recyclable items shouldn't be lumped together in a bag.
Finally, don't forget to empty and rinse out your bottles and containers and, of course, make sure you remove those offending lids.
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www.1news.co.nz...
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Wayne Brown backed by billionaires and developers in $611k campaign haul
Celebrities, billionaire Graeme Hart and a who’s who of property developers each gave up to $50,000 to fund Wayne Brown’s mayoral re-election campaign.
Electoral returns made public today show Brown was flush with about $606,000 in campaign funds, while his only serious competitor, Whau councillor Kerrin Leoni, received just $16,076 in four donations over the $1500 declaration limit.
She relied heavily on donations of less than $1500 to raise $83,111.83 to run her campaign, while Brown spent $323,872, with nearly $280,00 left over from his wealthy donors.
Leoni, a low-profile first-term councillor, stood little chance against the high-profile Brown, who romped home for a second term by a margin of 100,000 votes.
Among the donors who gave $5000 to Brown were former All Black and Waiheke resident Marc Ellis, and Black Knights Football, which refers to Auckland FC, of which former All Black Ali Williams and his wife Anna Mowbray are minority co-owners.
Williams attended Brown’s election-night party at the West End Tennis Club at Coxs Bay, a short walk from the $24 million coastal home he shares with Mowbray.
Through his Rank Group company, Hart, who is worth an estimated $12.1 billion, gave $50,000 to Brown’s campaign. Property investment firm Tramco Group, whose directors own big landholdings on the Auckland waterfront, also chipped in with $50,000.
Other donors included Precinct Properties ($10,000), engineering firm BECA ($5000), Park Hyatt Hotel ($18,400), Hancocks Wine ($8000), Golf Warehouse ($20,000), Bayleys Real Estate ($10,000) and Hopper Developments ($5000).
Leoni, who was the Labour councillor for Whau but stood as an independent in the mayoral race, received donations from former Auckland Mayor and Labour leader Phil Goff ($1500), former Labour minister Judith Tizard ($5000) and longtime Labour operative Greg Presland ($7576).
She said Brown had the advantage of building relationships during his first term to raise donations, but she was proud of obtaining 20% of the vote by raising and spending $83,000.
The greater handicap during the election campaign was the lack of mainstream media coverage, with live television debates largely watched by older people, who formed the largest group of voters, she said.
The election resulted in the lowest super city turnout of under 30%.
Leoni, a mother of twins who has degrees in politics and economics, Māori development and social services, said she was having a break from the council to refocus and would decide on what to do next in the New Year.
Brown, who has said he will not seek a third term, declined to say what would happen to the nearly $280,000 left over from his campaign, saying he does not comment on other people’s donations, except to say they were a sign of the level of support for what candidates stood for.
Auckland Council electoral officer Dale Ofsoske said there were no rules governing how candidates used leftover campaign funds, though many choose to keep them for future campaigns.
Candidates could do what they liked with the money, he said.
Three years ago, Brown raised $310,000 in donations and had to dig into his own pocket to top up the $470,00 cost of his campaign.
Donations of $10,000 or more to Wayne Brown
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Tramco Group - $50,000
Rank Group - $50,000
CP Group - Aphi Funds manager - $25,000
Peninsula Capital $25,000
Knight Investments Ltd - D Nakhle - $20,000
Hugh Green Ltd - $20,000
Stonewood Group - $20,000
Golf Warehouse - $20,000
Aedifice Development - $20,000
AHL Park Hyatt Hotel - $18,400
Clifftop Services - PC Cooper - $15,000
Mr MJ Todd - $15,000
Gilligan Rowe & Associates - $11,000
Liu Vincent - $10,000
Southside Group - Chris Jones - $10,000
Van Den Brink - $10,000
Williams Corporation - M. Horncastle - $10,000
Precinct Properties - $10,000
Oyster Capital - $10,000
Bayleys Real Estate - $10,000
N McKenna - $10,000
Donations of $1500 or more to Kerrin Leoni
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Greg Presland - $7576
Judith Tizard - $5000
Te Ata Thompson - $2000
Phil Goff - $1500
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Poll: Are our Kiwi summer holidays helping us recharge, or holding the economy back? ☀️🥝
There’s growing debate about whether New Zealand’s extended Christmas break (and the slowdown that comes with it) affects productivity.
Tracy Watkins has weighed in ... now it’s your turn. What’s your take? 🤔
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72.3% We work hard, we deserve a break!
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16.1% Hmm, maybe?
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11.6% Yes!
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!
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