Bay of Islands

PLASTIC RECYCLING CHANGES: SHIFT TO GRADES 1 & 2 ONLY.

Waste Management will only be collecting Plastic grades 1 & 2. Plastic grades 3 – 7 are to be placed in your General Waste. Please see below guide on what can go into recycling.

Why is this happening?

In 2018 China confirmed that it would no longer import a range of recyclable materials and that quality standards for accepted materials would increase dramatically. This included many types of plastic materials.

These changes have meant that western countries, from New Zealand and Australia to the USA and European nations, can no longer send these materials to China. Other countries have since followed China’s lead in banning or putting tight quality restrictions on what they will accept.

What does it mean?

Some materials which used to be accepted for recycling are unable to be accepted any more, as they either:

• have been banned for export or are unable to be exported; or
• have no manufacturer able to recycle them in New Zealand; or
• do not meet the new quality standards.

Mixed plastic grades 3-7 are now in this category.

Waste Management can therefore no longer accept these materials for processing.

What do you need to do?

1. Continue to recycle plastic clear grades 1 & 2 – and all other recyclables such as glass, tin, aluminium, paper and cardboard.
2. Continue to recycle mixed coloured plastic grades 1-7. 
3. Always check the number on the bottom of the plastic item.
4. Rinse all containers as only clean material can be recycled.
5. Think carefully about the products they buy and whether the packaging is reusable or recyclable.

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Who will collect my recycling and refuse?

• Collections are user pays. The collection and disposal fee is included in the price of the BLUE pre-paid rubbish bag, tags or yearly fee for the recycling bins.
• What bags do I buy?  You can buy these BLUE Pre-Paid Rubbish Bags from your local supermarket, petrol station or dairy.
• Where do I get my blue recycling crate from? In 2009  - 5000 green recycle crates where distributed to the public in the Bay of Islands area. The crate colour has now changed to blue. These are available from the Waste Management office at 3 Waipapa Loop Road. A bond of $15 is payable.

• How is my recycling paid for? A yearly subscription service is available via ordering from the WM website or phoning 0800101010 which enables your crate to be collected weekly by the recycle trucks. If you do not wish to have a weekly service you will be required to place a blue tag (available to purchase  from your local retailer - please see list below) on your crate each time it is placed out to have your recycling removed.
• When is my collection? There are weekly, kerbside collections of prepaid rubbish bags and recycling bins in towns and main centres. Contact Waste Management to find out which is your collection day. Check the map (general waste here, recycling here) to find out your collection days. Not all areas have their refuse and recycling collected on the same day.
• What time should I put my rubbish out? Rubbish should go out before 7.30am on your collection day (and not before 12 noon the day prior to your collection day). Pre-paid rubbish bags can only be left outside your own property or at an approved collection point. Missed collections need to be taken to your nearest transfer station that is run by Waste Management.
•  Pre-paid collections Refuse: Some residents need to leave pre-paid bags at approved collection points because Waste Management doesn’t collect from their road. The maximum weight of pre-paid bags is 13kg.
• Pre-paid collections Recycling: Recycling bins and bags need to be placed out before 7.30am on collection day. Cardboard and newspaper may be placed beside your recycling. The collection is for household amounts only – if you have large amounts such as packing boxes these need to be taken to the nearest transfer station as the trucks cannot accept them. Broken glass cannot be placed in your recycling. Check the webpage for the list of what is and isn’t accepted for recycling in your area.

Merchandise can be purchased from the stores below: