Recycling bins trial for central Auckland

A lack of recycling bins in central Auckland is soon to be resolved with the city council set to trial a recycling programme next month.

Rennae Corner, Auckland City’s manager of environment infrastructure, says the three-month trial will involve installing 20 Love NZ recycling bins in “high traffic areas” around the city.

“We are focusing on high density and transportation hubs as the best places to run the trial,” says Ms Corner.

The bins are being installed at the Viaduct, the Ferry Terminal, Britomart, Elliot Street and Fryberg Place.

Although Queen St is the busiest street in the city, it is not included in the trial because of accessibility and servicing problems.

However, Corner says the installation of the bins on Auckland’s main street is definitely part of the plan.

“Once we can gauge the success of the trial, Queen St will be the first place to get the bins.”

The trial is currently funded by the Government, as part of its Recycling in Public Places Initiative.

The Ministry for the Environment, however, recently announced the last round of funding would finish in June 2010, following the decision to “scale back” the project.

“Despite reports in the media, the project hasn’t been cut, it has been scaled back,” says Polleke Peters, the Ministry for the Environment’s communications advisor.

“We are still giving money to all the councils who came on board in 2008/2009 so they can buy and maintain the bins, but we’re not offering a third funding round.”

After June 2010, Auckland City Council and the other 23 councils involved will be responsible for finding other ways to fund the public recycling programme.

Simon Beattie, a spokesman for Environment Minister Nick Smith, says the waste levy from the Green Party’s 2008 Waste Minimisation Act is an option.

“The Government is committed to recycling, but we are now looking at funding through the waste levy – it makes sense to fund through an Act about waste.”

Under the Waste Minimisation Act, landfill operators have to pay a tax for each tonne of rubbish that is dumped at their facility.

“The previous Government left a $26 million hole in the budget which we have to work with,” says Beattie.

“We need to look at the real priorities, which we see as climate change, fresh water management, waste management and air quality.”