Rubbish creates eyesore at bins
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
RUBBISH dumped illegally in and around the city’s recyling stations has become a “smelly eyesore” for the public and for the recycling contractor.
The bins, located at six stations around the city, are intended for plastics, bottles and paper that can be recycled. However, many visitors to the recycling bins are dumping other, less savoury, materials.
Their illegal dumping is creating not only smells and unsightly piles of rubbish, but also a health and safety hazard for other users and the council’s recycling contractor, Transpacific AllBrite Ltd.
Items often found at the stations include used nappies, syringes and fly-infested food - pictured right.
Hutt City Council’s Environmental Sustainability Officer, Symond Ross, says the Litter Bylaw prohibits anyone dumping rubbish or littering in public places, which includes the recycling stations.
“The fines can be up to $400,” Symond says. “We encourage anyone who sees any rubbish dumping to report it to us at the council by phoning 570-6666.
“And if you have rubbish, that can’t be recycled, put it out in the official rubbish bags for collection, or take it to the landfill.”
Among the more common materials that Transpacific AllBrite Ltd has to deal with but can not recycle are food, polystyrene packaging, furniture such as old sofas and beds, refrigerators and small appliances, and general household rubbish.
The company is responsible for collecting from the bins and recycling materials at its facility in Seaview. However, the growing amount of rubbish at the bins is frustrating the contractor.
“Almost every day we have trucks going to the landfill with material that just can’t be re-used,” says Logistics Manager Doug Williams. “It creates all sorts of problems for us that could easily be avoided.”
The problems include cost, and health and safety for the contractor’s staff, who have to collect and sort through the material by hand.
- For information about recycling, landfill opening hours and fees, and rubbish collection, please visit www.huttcity.govt.nz and click on “Rubbish & Recycling”
Pictured is Transpacific AllBrite Ltd Logistics Manager Doug Williams at one of the city’s recycling stations, where rubbish such as the chilly bin and bags with general household trash are becoming an increasing problem