To recycle or not to recycle: Council's new plans to make Auckland less trashy

If you see someone going through your recycle bins, don't be alarmed, as it could be one of Auckland Council's new bin inspectors.

New rubbish standards are being introduced for Aucklanders to stop contamination of kerbside recycling bins.

And to combat disruptions caused by the changes, a trial has also started in parts of South Auckland, to make sure the right rubbish is being thrown out.

It costs Auckland Council $3 million a year to sort and dispose of items that shouldn’t be in recycling bins, including clothing, general rubbish and food scraps.

But to educate communities about disposing of the right stuff, four inspectors will be checking 600 bins in Manurewa and Papakura.

Manurewa-Papakura ward councillor Angela Dalton says the most effective method they have had to combat contamination is education and working directly with families, so the inspectors will add to these approaches.

"We have seen an increase in recycling so we are just at the point of using another tool which is our compliance officers," she says.

"It's a huge shift in behaviour and it requires an educational and supportive approach."

Dalton says buy-back schemes could also encourage people to recycle more and would be a sustainable approach.

"It will also hold a future in New Zealand as it was already in the throes of the previous government hoping the current one would make its priority."

Manukau ward councillor Alf Filipaina says people have got back to old ways like dumping clothes and rubbish into the recycling bins.

"It's about the environment and the method of keeping track of recycling bins through inspectors is financially cheaper for us"

Filipaina is emphasising the importance of education, and how the bin inspectors will be committed to doing just that.

Founder of Two Seven Five, Fitz says council upping its education efforts is definitely needed.

"When it comes to recycling, things are working out for other countries, so why not implement the same here?

"All things start from school and the government needs to start embedding recycling from early childhood."

The inspectors will be applying red tags to bins that are contaminated and will provide information to residents about which items should not be put in there.

If households don’t improve, enforcement teams will remove their bins and issue clear bags for monitoring.

Items accepted in your kerbside recycling bin from 1 February 2024:

• Glass bottles and jars

• Paper and cardboard

• Plastic bottles, trays, and containers (grades 1, 2 and 5 only)

• Tin, steel and aluminium cans

New items excluded from 1 February 2024:

• Items less than 50mm (e.g. caps, small cosmetic and spice containers)

• Aerosol cans (steel and aluminium)

• Liquid paperboard (beverage cartons and juice boxes)

• Plastics 3, 4, 6 and 7

• Aluminium foil and trays

• All lids

• Items over 4 litres