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.
What's your favourite recipe for courgettes?
Kia ora neighbours. If you've got a family recipe for courgettes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our January 2025 issue.
It’s Riddle Time! Beat the Neighbourhood with Your Smarts!
Which of the following words don't belong in the group and why?
CORSET, COSTER, SECTOR, ESCORT, COURTS
Do you think you know the answer to our daily riddle? Don't spoil it for your neighbours! Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm.
Want to stop seeing riddles in your newsfeed?
Head here and hover on the Following button on the top right of the page (and it will show Unfollow) and then click it. If it is giving you the option to Follow, then you've successfully unfollowed the Riddles page.
Live Q&A: Garden maintenance with Crewcut
This Wednesday, we are having another Neighbourly Q&A session. This time with John Bracewell from Crewcut.
John Bracewell, former Black Caps coach turned Franchisee Development Manager and currently the face of Crewcut’s #Movember campaign, knows a thing or two about keeping the grass looking sharp—whether it’s on a cricket pitch or in your backyard!
As a seasoned Crewcut franchisee, John is excited to answer your lawn and gardening questions. After years of perfecting the greens on the field, he's ready to share tips on how to knock your garden out of the park. Let's just say he’s as passionate about lush lawns as he is about a good game of cricket!
John is happy to answer questions about lawn mowing, tree/hedge trimming, tidying your garden, ride on mowing, you name it! He'll be online on Wednesday, 27th of November to answer them all.
Share your question below now ⬇️
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