A new mobile recycling service is coming to the rural Western Bay of Plenty, and where it goes is up to you.
The mobile recycling trailers are similar to Western Bay of Plenty District Council’s existing community recycling centres, only smaller and on wheels. The mobile units will be available for the rural community, those not receiving Council’s Kerbside Collective service, to drop off recyclable materials such as glass, paper, cardboard, tins, cans and clean plastics numbered 1, 2 and 5.
So we want to make this a tailormade service for our rural community by hearing about which rural locations and times suit you for dropping off your recyclables. Share your preferences at haveyoursay.westernbay.govt.nz/mobilerecycling until 8 August.
The trailers will be visiting four rural locations so the community can check them out, drop in their recycling and share preferences on the rostering. You can check out the mobile recycling trailers for yourself at an event.
- Saturday 16 July, 9 am to 1 pm at BP Pongakawa
- Saturday 23 July, 9am to 1 pm at Te Ranga School
- Saturday 30 July, 9am – 1pm at Omanawa Hall
- Saturday 6 August, 9am – 1pm at Whakamarama Community Centre
Ilze Kruis, Resource Recovery and Waste Team Leader says Council agreed to explore alternative recycling options for our rural communities through the Long Term Plan 2021-31.
“We are committed to helping our rural community with their waste minimisation efforts. People want to do the right thing – and we can help by making it easier for them to recycle – a convenient mobile recycling service will help our rural whānau.
“We’ve seen that these mobile recycling trailers have worked well elsewhere around the motu, and we’re confident we can make them work for our community too.”
The mobile recycling trailers are taken to convenient rural locations for a rostered period of time. The community can then drop by and drop off their recycling when it’s in their neighbourhood. The mobile recycling trailer will be staffed to help people and ensure materials go into the right slot. While the new mobile recycling trailers will primarily serve rural residents who don’t qualify for kerbside collection services, they will also be used at events – one of the Western Bay’s bigger waste creating activities.
Ilze says, “With this new service we’re providing another opportunity for our communities to play their part and recycle valuable resources.
The custom built mobile trailers were funded through the Waste Minimisation Fund with support from the Glass Packaging Forum.
Naming competition
Council is celebrating the launch of the new mobile recycling service by running a competition to name the two mobile units. Competition winners will have their new names for the trailer proudly displayed on the units.
Ilze says, ”The competition is a bit of fun to help celebrate this new service. We’re hoping people come up with some really creative recycling themed names.”
Competition details
Where and when suits you?
We want to hear from the people who’ll use the service on where and when would suit you. There are a number of ways for you to let us know what you prefer:
- Wānanga ipurangi (online) – Go online and answer our survey questions haveyoursay.westernbay.govt.nz/mobilerecycling
- Pepa mārō (hard copy) – feedback forms are available at any of Council’s library and service centres. You can also email your comments to haveyoursay@westernbay.govt.nz
- Kanohi ki te kanohi (face to face) - check out the mobile recycling trailers, submit your name for our naming competition, and kōrero with our team at one of the events listed above.
Rural recycling drop off sites on, or next to a State Highway have been ruled out due to safety concerns.
More information can be found at westernbay.govt.nz/mobilerecycling
