Media Release - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Council has received a lot of feedback following our recent Facebook post from Solid waste staff about overflowing rubbish bins and how we manage them. All four West Coast Councils are committed to reducing the amount of waste sent to landfill under the West Coast Regional Waste Minimisation and Management Plan (Waste Minimisation Plan. To assist Westland residents we offer free recycling facilities at our transfer station, including e-waste recycling and glass recycling at Hokitika Transfer Station.
Operations Manager Erle Bencich says. “Refuse collection is a user pays rated service, users of this service vary from single person households, families of 10 or more to commercial businesses and even non-profit.
Properties that produce more waste than the fortnightly collection of one 120L bin, do have the option to purchase an additional council bin (limit of 2 per household) or utilize commercial service providers. If we were to swap the rubbish and recycling bins around then we would not be able to meet our aims to reduce waste under the Waste Minimisation Plan.
The cost of kerbside waste collection services is currently $744.75 excluding GST - per / tonne. This cost includes Carbon Credits, Ministry for the Environment Waste Levy, Butlers Landfill Management, processing and Transportation from the Transfer Stations.
As the Central Government look for ways to reduce Waste to Landfill on a national scale, the fees/levies per tonne are increasing by $10.00 per year until 2024 and possibly beyond. In addition to this Carbon credits have doubled in price over the last 12 months. Council is are required to trade these credits for every tonne of waste.
The best way to help minimize these costs to our ratepayers is to reduce the waste to landfill.
Westland District Council is committed to reducing waste to landfill and encourage recycling to divert waste where possible. If you find your products packaging are not recyclable, consider alternative options that provide recyclable packaging - in turn reducing your waste stream. Other alternatives include utilising recycling schemes offered by businesses such as Mitre-10 for waste that can’t be accepted at landfill.
Contaminated recycling is continually being discarded to waste. The community’s attention to proper recycling is very important. Along with Grey and Buller Councils we are working towards a combined plan for a consistent glass recycling service across all the districts on the Coast.
Council are continually exploring areas to increase our level of service in regard to recycling and this needs to be balanced by securing alternative central government funding streams to reduce the cost increases to our ratepayers. Council can only accept items that our recycling partners accept.
Council would like to thank the public for the feedback received
ENDS
Media enquiries to:
Emma Rae, Strategy and Communications Advisor
Emma.rae@westlanddc.govt.nz