Official Information Request - 12 November 2019

Sent: Monday, 18 November 2019 2:38 pm

Subject: LGOIMA request - recycling

I refer to your email of 12 November 2019 regarding recycling, and respond below as per your email:

1. What is the diversion rate for your district?RLC does not have data on the diversion rate for the whole district. We can only provide data on municipal waste. Last year (FY18/19), RLC diverted approximately 5,300 tonnes of municipal waste from landfills.
2. What is your volume of waste per capita to landfill?Based on total waste collected at the Atiamuri transfer station (including municipal and some commercial), the waste per capita to landfill is approximately 800g/person/day.
3. What is your recycling rate per capita?The recycling rate is approximately 210g/person/day.
4. Where is your closest landfill?Council's Atiamuri landfill is the closest landfill, however this has been capped and is now being operated as a transfer station only. RLC waste goes to the Tirohia landfill.
5. Where is plastic, glass, metal and paper sent once collected?These are sent to a Materials Recovery Facility in Kopu. Glass and paper are recycled. Metals are tendered every quarter for recycling. Plastics are recycled locally at Flight plastic and Future post and some are also exported.
6. Do you offer a kerbside service for both rubbish and recycling (urban/rural)?Yes, RLC offers kerbside collection for both in the urban area as well as most of the rural area.
7. Do you accept drinking glasses or pyrex in recycling?No
8. Do you accept plastic plant pots?No
9. Do you accept soft plastics? (If yes, what happens to them?)No
10. Do you accept Tetra Pak cartons?No
11. Do you accept plastic milk bottle lids? (If yes, what happens to them?)Yes. These are sent along with all the recyclables to a Materials Recovery Facility in Kopu. However, lids are very small and often fall through the sorting lines and eventually end up in a landfill. Some lids are gathered and supplied to schools for craft/art work.
12. Do you have a food scraps and/or garden waste collection? (If yes, what happens to it?)No

You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this decision. Information about how to make a complaint is available at http://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/make-a-complaint/complaining-about-access-to-official-information-551307291224432 or freephone 0800 802 602.

Regards