[andreamatt]

Hi there

Here's a question for you. We were watching the BBC evening news on Tuesday and an item came up about the UK being just about the worst European country for rubbish (as a nation how useless we are at recycling, how many black bags we put out every week, where they all go). Seems like we have approx. 4000 licensed landfill sites here covering vast tracts of land.

I've followed some of threads here re. recycling (and the tips, which sound like a great day out) but there must be landfill sites in NZ?

Just curious really.

Andrea

[Smiler]

Good question. I only know about the Welly ones, but there are over 100 sites in total in NZ.

Lots more info here http://www.reducerubbish.govt.nz/problem/index.html

[stu70]

Where does all the NZ rubbish go?

It is a sensitive question but if you insist on knowing, they call that place Australia (just couldn't resist) :D

[pieeater]

When we moved to Northland over five years ago there was very little recycling up here.We were quite shocked as we were used to reycling so much of our waste whilst in the U.K.We felt so guilty throwing stuff we were used to recycling into the rubbish skips at the local Transfer Satation which is 10k from our house.There was a landfill in Whangarei Harbour area called 'Pohe Island' that was just about full where everything just used to get buried.We were looking at a crisis with an overburden of waste up here. Recycling was introduced about 3 years ago thank goodness.I can't speak for other people but we are now down to actually only dumping 3 bags per month.This does invole a little effort in sorting out the rubbish but we think it's worth it.The prepay bags or stickers to stick to an ordinary bin liner we buy for a dollar each and this pays for the train fare down to Auckland where we let the Jaffas deal with it. :laugh

[veronica]

think the recycling issue really depends on where you live. In chch there is a kerbside recycling scheme which takes care of some of the hard plastics, glass, card, paper, cans etc. but if you live in a rural area its not cost effective to work it. If you are really keen there is nothing to stop you sorting your own recycling out and taking it to the local tip where there are bound to be containers for each catagory.

[andreamatt]

Hi there

Thanks for your responses. We are fairly keen recyclers but sometimes frustratingly find our efforts are undermined by local council action - and fly-tipping - on Dartmoor - seems to be on the increase. I cannot see how the Uk government's proposal to charge people who put out more than their quota of bin bags is going to work.

Having heard about the live music night at one local tip (Auckland somewhere?) I am intrigued.

Best wishes,

Andrea

[Angie and Mick]

Hi to everyone

I thought NZ where pretty good with the recycling or at least at all the camp sites we visited had a special area for all sorts of re-cycling, paper,glass, cans, plastic containers, they were well used.

I would also say that most of the places we visited were also very clean, not a lot of litter around.

[Smiler]

We are too rural to even have a rubbish collection. The nearest kerbsite collection point if we pay for it, is about 20 km away. The rubbish has to be there before 8 am. I don't want to take it the night before and have pests pull it all out, so we have these choices:

Burn/bury everything.

Buy plain black bags and pay $2 to dispose of each one at the waste disposal site in town nearly 40 KM away.

But a roll of 5 'orange bags' for $6.50 and then take them to the same site and dispose of them free of charge.

Do something similar with the company operating the other waste site at the other end of town.

Take all recycle stuff to the same site or to the recyling bank at the far end of town.

Burying or burning is a big no-no in our book. So we recycle everything we can.

All food waste/teabags/coffee grounds (except cooked stuff) goes on the 3 compost heaps, everything else goes to the recycling site, although I keep back glass jars for jams and pickles I'm making. :D

All paper is used as firestarters if confidential, or recycled.

Everything thats left means I take about 2-3 orange bags a month to the waste site, although in the hot weather :( I'll take them more frequently when I go shopping in town. We've had to buy a lockable lidded dustbin though to keep the pests out of the rubbish.

[*Paul]

At least in Hawkes Bay there is a commercial recycling center for No. 1 and 2 plastics, aluminum, glass, cardboard, and paper.

Materials normally considered hazardous in the rest of the civilized world like electronics and glass/lead CRT tubes (TV's, monitors, etc) are just dumped in landfills, as are small batteries. There is no other option and if you ask anybody about this, you will just get a blank look - nobody seems to have a clue.

Thankfully, there is an annual collection of household paints and solvents.

[Ana&Steve]

We are too rural to even have a rubbish collection. The nearest kerbsite collection point if we pay for it, is about 20 km away. The rubbish has to be there before 8 am. I don't want to take it the night before and have pests pull it all out, so we have these choices:

Burn/bury everything.

Buy plain black bags and pay $2 to dispose of each one at the waste disposal site in town nearly 40 KM away.

But a roll of 5 'orange bags' for $6.50 and then take them to the same site and dispose of them free of charge.

Do something similar with the company operating the other waste site at the other end of town.

Take all recycle stuff to the same site or to the recyling bank at the far end of town.

Burying or burning is a big no-no in our book. So we recycle everything we can.

All food waste/teabags/coffee grounds (except cooked stuff) goes on the 3 compost heaps, everything else goes to the recycling site, although I keep back glass jars for jams and pickles I'm making. :D

All paper is used as firestarters if confidential, or recycled.

Everything thats left means I take about 2-3 orange bags a month to the waste site, although in the hot weather :( I'll take them more frequently when I go shopping in town. We've had to buy a lockable lidded dustbin though to keep the pests out of the rubbish.
My Aunt lives on Whidbey Island in Washington State, and she does the same as you, recycle/reuse, burn, kindling, etc. She also composts and gives a bunch to her chickens and ducks. The little real trash she has left she puts in a used grocery bag and throws it away in the trash can in front of the grocery store when she goes to town, or sometimes in a dumpster at work. Town is about 20 min away, but she works every day so no extra trips. It might sound weird, but I look forward to living this way someday. :D
Ana

[nippa&pippa]

We reduce waste by buy fresh foods from local fruit and veg shop (off the farm etc), and meats from butchers, so there is less waste and cook homemade foods, therefore less plastic waste... Our daughter wear cloth nappies, bambino mio, so very few waste from nappies, easy and cheap to use as already had it from first child :nice1
Recycle most of plastic by reuse them to store foods, bit and bob, and use of them for child's play and to make toy for child like robot :D
Best we did with formula milk tins is we use them for store flour, sugar, milk powder, tea bag etc!!
Rest of them goes in recycling bin and allow 1 normal waste bag per week for four of us..Just move from UK 2 months ago from one big black bin per week (i am so shocked that we managed to produce amount of waste in UK!!) and i am proud to manage to reduce down to just 1 bag a week...that was hard challenge.
For baby stuff, i hope my sister in auckland have baby eventually so i can offload all the baby stuff :D

[Smiler]

My Aunt lives on Whidbey Island in Washington State, and she does the same as you, recycle/reuse, burn, kindling, etc. She also composts and gives a bunch to her chickens and ducks. The little real trash she has left she puts in a used grocery bag and throws it away in the trash can in front of the grocery store when she goes to town, or sometimes in a dumpster at work. Town is about 20 min away, but she works every day so no extra trips. It might sound weird, but I look forward to living this way someday. :D
Ana

That is a brilliant idea!

I'll probably wear a scarf and hat, I don't want anyone recognising me, or thinking I'm taking stuff out. :laugh

[Ana&Steve]

:laugh