Whakatāne District Council is introducing a three strikes system to help reduce contamination in kerbside recycling and greenwaste bins.
If a bin is found to be contaminated, the household will receive a warning sticker on their bin, along with an educational flyer on how to sort their waste correctly. There will be two warnings, giving residents a fair chance to improve. On the third occasion, a letter will be issued and the bin may be temporarily removed for three months.
“Our priority is to educate and support our community to recycle and dispose of greenwaste properly. Taking someone’s bin is a last resort and will only happen when people repeatedly abuse the service despite the help and warnings we provide,” says Solid Waste Manager Nigel Clarke.
On the third strike, only the offending bin, whether recycling or greenwaste, will be taken away. Households will still retain their general waste bins. There will also be no deduction in rates due to the bin being removed.
Recently, Council had to send 745 tonnes of greenwaste to landfill because it was highly contaminated with rubbish and could not be made into sellable compost. This cost ratepayers approximately $143,000 in disposal fees.
Most households in the Whakatāne District are doing the right thing when it comes to sorting their waste, but it is a minority that is causing significant problems for the entire system. It only takes a few contaminated bins to undermine the greenwaste and recycling efforts of the whole community.
The three strikes bin rules will begin at the end of June across the Whakatāne District.
For more information on how to sort your bins correctly, visit the Rubbish and Recycling page on our website.