Public recycling bins a failed experiment, withdrawn

Misuse of public recycling bins which sees “high levels of contamination” dumped in them in the South’s three main towns means these council bins are being withdrawn and “repurposed.”

South Wairarapa District Council is the latest local body to remove the recycling option and repurpose the bins for general landfill collection because users refuse to follow simple recycling rules. 

Instead, general rubbish is dumped into the recycling bins _ even when a general rubbish bin is close by.

“We have had a large response from the community about the misuse of recycling bins in the three main towns,” officials said in a statement. “The bins are emptied three times a week but one bin (the recycling one) has to be repurposed, due to high levels of contamination” with general rubbish.

Already, Wellington, Queenstown and Nelson have removed recycling bins or repurposed them for general rubbish _ while Auckland confirms 80 percent of material placed in its so-called recycling bin is general rubbish _ and goes direct to landfill. 

In other words, there has been a series of failed public recycling experiments across the country.

Wellington waste manager Emily Taylor-Hall said the recycling bins had made “no significant contribution” to minimising the city’s waste. We now know that recycling alone won’t help us meet our goal of Wellington becoming a Zero Carbon Capital.”

Cost was a factor, with recycling from public recycling bins there some ten times higher per tonne than the per tonne cost of collecting kerbside recycling. 

Elsewhere, Nelson removed its recycling bins and replaced them with landfill/general rubbish bins; Queenstown Lakes repurposed its recycling option into dedicated bottle bins;

Auckland noted recycling bins have 80 percent general rubbish contamination _ which means all their contents go straight to landfill.

SWDC’s glass public recyling bins remain. 

But, warns the council: “if contamination persists, removal of these bins may be considered.”
“Public bins are intended for litter and recycling … to maintain clean and litter-free community spaces. Misuse of these bins leads to increased costs for additional servicing,” it added.
“We encourage people to take home items that can be recycled, rinse them and dispose of them in their recycling bins. Recycling materials can also be taken free of charge to the local transfer stations.”