Recycling not worth the extra $80 for Upper Hutt ratepayers
Tuesday, 12 March 2019
Recycling is not a big priority for Upper Hutt residents who seem happy using the council's solitary waste station.
Providing kerbside recycling would increase rates by 3.6 per cent, or about $80 a year for an average ratepayer.
The council's waste station which sometimes overflows and is only open three days a week, is currently being upgraded.
Residents like Lance Butler, however, are not complaining.
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His rates are high enough and he does not want to pay more to leave recyclables on the kerb.
Figures released under the Official Information Act show Upper Hutt residents are dumping 175kg of waste per annum in the Silverstream Landfill and only 20 per kg per person is recycled. In contrast, Lower Hutt recycled 80kg per person.
Comparing how much residents across the country recycle and put in landfills is almost impossible.
Councils have different ways of recording stats around rubbish and recycling but what can be said is the amount recycled in Upper Hutt appears low compared to other councils.
Whanganui residents were recently polled on kerbside recycling with 60 per cent in favour.
The amount recycled per household in Whanganui, which has a similar population to Upper Hutt, is 165kg although the council acknowledges that figure seems high.
Kāpiti waste collection is provided by private contractors with no financial input from council. In 2018 the council estimated the cost of the council providing the service at $5 million.
The most recent figures for Kāpiti show that in 2017 the per capita figure for recycling was 64kg.
Upper Hutt and Kāpiti are the only councils in the region not providing a council-funded kerbside recycling service.
Mayor Wayne Guppy said that when council funded recycling ended in 2013, there was a feeling people were being charged for a service that only 40 per cent of households were using.
Councils that fund kerbside recycling include Waitomo with a population of 8910, Waipa (21,000) and Central Hawke's Bay District (13,850).
A 2016 report prepared for Wellington councils found Upper Hutt was considerably behind other councils when it came to recycling.
Residents were recycling 22kg per household, against a regional average of 53kg. For Aucklanders the figure was 84kg Christchurch 109, Dunedin 77, Hamilton 86 and Palmerston North 87.
Associate Environment Minister Eugenie Sage said reducing and avoiding waste was a Government priority and councils had a 'very important role' to help people recycle.
She was aware of 10 councils not providing kerbside recycling but even some of the smallest councils were happy to collect bottles and plastic.
Green Party spokesperson Chris Norton wanted Upper Hutt to follow other councils and introduce council-funded kerbside recycling.
Although there were problems in recycling types of soft plastics, recycling remained a 'vital tool' for reducing the amount of waste residents produce, he said.
'It is very sad that Upper Hutt Council is failing to tackle the city's waste problem, while other communities and councils up and down the country are making great strides in tackling the waste crisis.'
When Stuff visited the Upper Hutt's waste station on a busy Tuesday, most locals said they were happy with the current system.
Director of asset management and infrastructure Geoff Swainson said the popularity of the council's waste station showed there was a demand for recycling.
If residents supported council funded kerbside recycling, they should voice their support during the annual plan process.
Waste facts
* The number of Upper Hutt households who recycle has risen by 61 households since 2016-2017.
* In 2010 Upper Hutt had the lowest level of recycling in the Wellington region at 44 kg per capita. However, between 2010 and 2015 the level of recycling in Upper Hutt dropped by half to 22kg.
* The private kerbside recycling service is outperforming the council's recycling station. Whilst private kerbside recycling collected 884 tonnes. The station collected 361 tonnes.