Slight improvement, but bins still dirty

Buller District Council’s recycling bin audit programme has shown a reduction in contamination across the district but needs further improvement, staff say. 

The audit programme carried out in partnership with Smart Environmental Ltd started on 23 February and has been extended to 18 June.  

Transfer station data collected recently showed overall recycling contamination including glass recycling reduced from 40.4 percent in February to 27.2 percent by the end of April.  

Group Manager Infrastructure Services Anthony Blom acknowledged the progress but emphasised there was still a long way to go. 

“While it’s encouraging to see some improvement, contamination levels are still well above the national average of 16–20 percent,” he says.  “Too many incorrect or contaminated items are still being placed in recycling bins, sometimes affecting the ability of loads to be processed. 

“Kerbside audits help by giving residents direct, practical feedback, and we are seeing some positive behaviour change. However, we need to continue improving if we want our recycling system to work effectively.” 

The audit programme follows a similar format to previous years. More than 700 recycling bins and glass crates have been checked and tagged based on compliance: 

• Green tag: Bin contains only acceptable items. 
• Yellow tag: A few non-recyclable items; bin will still be collected. 
• Red tag: Bin contains a large number of non-recyclable items; bin will not be collected. 

The audit results show most households are recycling correctly: 

• 88.1% of recycling bins received a “green” rating, meaning the bin was sorted correctly. 
• 9.5 % received a “yellow” rating, indicating minor issues that can be easily fixed. 
• 2.4 % received a “red” rating, meaning the bin contained significant contamination and could not be recycled. 

Glass recycling performance was also positive: 

• 96.9% were rated green, meaning glass was sorted correctly 
• 2.3% were rated yellow and 
• 0.8% were rated red 

Where recycling issues were identified, common problems included incorrect plastics, unclean containers, and non‑recyclable waste placed in recycling bins. 

With a three-week extension to the audit, residents have additional time to make improvements and help reduce contamination levels across the district. 

Council encourages residents to continue checking recycling guidelines, rinsing containers, and keeping non‑recyclable items out of yellow bins to help sustain the improvement. 

More information about recycling in the Buller District is available on the Council’s website. 

-ENDS- 

For further information please contact:  

Community Engagement Team   
Buller District Council  

Media.Enquiries@bdc.govt.nz   

Disclaimer 

The information in this media release was correct at time of publication. Changes in circumstances after the time of publication may impact on the accuracy of the information.