Mobile Recycling Service to kick off

Mobile recycling trailers are ready to hit rural roads around the rohe from Saturday 1 October.

Western Bay of Plenty District Council’s new mobile recycling service will be visiting BP Pongakawa, Omanawa Hall and Te Ranga School on Saturdays from 9am-1pm on a fortnightly rotation that starts from 1 October.

The new mobile recycling service is part of Council’s commitment to make recycling more accessible for rural residents of the Western Bay who can’t use Council’s kerbside recycling, and who live a long drive away from the nearest recycling centre.

The service was trialled in July – August where the two new recycling trailers visited Pongakawa, Omanawa, Te Ranga and Whakamarama communities.

Residents were encouraged to bring in their recycling and share their whakaaro (thoughts) on how the new service should run.

Feedback showed people preferred a Saturday morning drop off time, on a fortnightly roster, and at the same locations as the trial. The only site that hasn’t been included in the roster is Whakamarama as most of the community have recently been added to the kerbside service.

Council’s Resource Recovery and Waste Team Leader, Ilze Kruis, says she received positive feedback on the new service.

“People said, ‘Please continue the service’, ‘we just love the service’, ‘this service covers everything I need’ and ‘brilliant set up – keep this going’.

“People from each community gave us valuable feedback that helped shape the mobile recycling roster going forward. This service is for them and they’re really keen – it’s great to see.”

Like with any recycling service, contamination can be a problem so Ilze says, “Please rinse your recyclables, flatten your cardboard, and remove lids. And if you’re not sure, you can ask our Council team member who will be with the trailers at all times.”

The trailers are also limited by their capacity, so please only bring in as much recycling as would fit in a kerbside recycling service (240 litre yellow lid wheelie bin and 45 litre glass crate). Large stored up amounts of glass, and large items like fridge boxes will still need to be taken to our recycling centres.

The first month of the service will roll out as below and repeat each fortnight.

• Saturday 1 October, 9am-1pm – Mobile recycling at Omanawa Hall and BP Pongakawa
• Saturday 8 October, 9am-1pm – Mobile recycling at Te Ranga School
• Saturday 15 October, 9am-1pm – Mobile recycling at Omanawa Hall and BP Pongakawa
• Saturday 22 October, 9am-1pm - Mobile recycling at Te Ranga School

The mobile recycling trailers can take clean:

• Glass beverage and food jars - green, clear, brown - lids removed
• Plastics - numbers 1, 2, 5 only - lids removed
• Tins and aluminium drink cans
• Flattened cardboard and paper

The mobile recycling trailers have been named Recyclosaurus Rex and Sustainabox, through a community naming competition.

The custom-built mobile trailers were funded through the Waste Minimisation Fund with support from the Glass Packaging Forum.

For more information and key dates visit Council's mobile recycling page. Or you can download the free Antenno app and get reminder notifications straight to your mobile each fortnight. Antenno can be downloaded for free from Google Play or the App Store.

Printed versions of the roster can also be picked up from any Council Library or Service Centre.