PRRA has created the bespoke website “Keeping the lid on the cost of Rubbish & Recycling Pickups”. More detailed information at www.taurangarubbishoptions.com
March 2020
PRRA makes a submission to Tauranga City Council Mayors and Councillors before the vote on whether the council should create a monopolistic kerbside collection of rubbish, recycling and food scraps. Click here to read. See website TaurangaRubbishOptions.com
Tauranga City Council Proposed Recycling v Alternative Recycling Methods.
FEB 2020
The Councillors are to vote in March to start kerbside collections for recycling. See letter below for reasons to defer this decision.
Good morning Councillors,
The Kerbside Recycling Vote is coming up soon and today I was reading the "Talking Trash" part of the TCC website. This is a slick presentation which avoids the real issues of the Recycling Debate which are
1. The cost to each household. How can decisions be made by ratepayers and councillors without knowing this? Estimates are $500 + GST per year. About $15million will be taken out of the local economy per year.
2. Locking the ratepayers into a recycling system for the next 10-15 years or more with no chance of change if a better system turns up. The world is now becoming more aware of recycling and packaging is being redesigned to be easily recycled. True recycling is now starting.
eg The humble meat tray is now a clear plastic tray, fully recyclable, made of plastic type 1. (See Note 1 and video). Now the easiest way to recycle this is to take it back to the supermarket and it can be returned to the supplier directly.
Why go through the process of putting the recycling into the recycling bin, mixing it with the other rubbish, separating it out at the Municipal Recycling Factory (MRF), contaminating it and throwing 20% away before recycling.
Coca Cola has committed to making a large part of its plastic bottles to be fully recycled. Send them back directly to Coca Cola from a supermarket collection point.
This is Loop Recycling. This is already done overseas in Sweden and Germany.
3. There is no mention of the frugal and caring who will now be subsidising the wasteful as there is a proposed flat charge for all households.
4. The cost will be additional to the rates increases.
5. An additional high cost on those with fixed incomes, pensioners, benefits.
I agree that Recycling must be done, it is the way TCC is proposing that is not good -- there is a new way of thinking for recycling coming along rapidly.
My recommendation is that the TCC defers the vote for kerbside collections and MRF for another couple of years to see this new way and plan accordingly.
In the meantime, create recycling pickup centres at supermarkets to capture the plastics and paper. Some glass TCC is already successfully picking up, add tin and aluminium to these trucks.
Last year's best practice is not next decade's best practice.
Yes, I know about the Waste Minimisation legislation and increased levy, but this not a large cost for a household that generates very little waste, much less than the cost of kerbside recycling. Remember less than 20% of waste is domestic ( including glass) , what measures are being taken to recycle and reduce the other 80% of waste?
Kind regards,
Philip Brown
Note 1 See this article broadcast last night … go to 5min 30 sec … shows what can be done with brandowners and manufacturers, re recycling plastic packaging … shows our Alto Albany site … during 2020 we're investing in a new
process which will take recycled PET and repolymerise to US FDA food contact standards, so we can reuse in meat trays … closed loop (funded by Alto/Pact Group and NZ Govt. grant) . To see click on the link below
https://www.threenow.co.nz/shows/the-project/tuesday-11-february-2020/S1173-784/M36114-534
DEC 2019
Tauranga City Council is proposing Kerb side collection of Recyclables.
is this the best way and the best use of your extra rate payment for this?. is a loop recycling system better and cheaper? read below.
The additional charge on your rates will be between $250 - $400 per year for a fully operational recycling and kerbside pickup. Nobody is arguing that we must reduce our waste going to the landfill and we can do this by using less and/or efficient recycling.
However very little of the “recyclable” material is actually reused. For example, a large amount of our collected plastics are bundled and sent overseas for burning.
An alternative/better form of recycling is to take the waste back to the supplier. ie Return the plastics and cans etc to the supermarket. After all, we only use the product and do not want the container. Why dump the disposal of the container on to the ratepayer and make him pay for this.
Suppliers are better placed to influence the type of recyclable containers that can be used and if they are receiving back the waste they will very quickly create the scenario of true container recycling. This is a Loop Recycling System and is no cost to the ratepayer. See below for full description. It is used throughout the world including Australia and is also best practice.
Tauranga City Council is proposing a combined kerbside recycling system which will cost ratepayers. This is not a good solution. TCC is also surveying the public. To read the Tauranga City Council proposal and take part in the TCC SURVEY click on https://www.tauranga.govt.nz/our-future/projects/rates-funded-kerbside-collections-for-2021/talking-trash
To read the TCC Recycling Presentation by Amy Brasch to the 9 Dec PRRA Monthly Meeting click here
Sunlive is also hosting an online poll
Go online at www.sunlive.co.nz and look for the Opinion Poll.
