Council partners with national recycling scheme

A recycling scheme tackling issues caused by soft plastics has presented a second use for Hurunui District Council’s recycling bags.

Earlier this year, Council partnered with Agrecovery to recycle its low-density polyethylene (LDPE) recycling bags.

Agrecovery recycles New Zealand’s farm plastics including containers, drums, intermediate bulk containers and small seed, feed, and fertiliser bags.

Both Council’s recycling bags and the bags recycled by Agrecovery are made from LDPE plastic, so Council’s Waste Minimisation Team Leader Sally Cracknell saw an opportunity to collaborate.

“We offered to use Amberley Transfer Station to store the public’s used fertiliser bags, and in return Agrecovery collect our recycling bags along with the fertiliser bags.” said Cracknell.

The bags are sent away to be recycled into plastic pellets which can be used to make items such as cables, vehicle parts and compost bins.

Agrecovery National Stream Manager Felicity Mitchell is thrilled to be partnering with Council to provide a convenient location for farmers and growers to drop-off their LDPE plastic.

“This collaborative thinking provides further sustainable options for Agrecovery and allows us to collect even more farm plastics to achieve better environmental outcomes for rural communities.”

Another recycling avenue is with the polyethylene (HDPE) plastic agrichemical containers. The Cheviot, Culverden and Waiau transfer stations are drop off points for these, the containers being recycled in New Zealand and used for underground electrical cable cover.

“Council is always looking for opportunities to divert waste from landfill. It is great to be able to get on board with these sorts of initiatives,” said Cracknell.