Recycling trial to collect large plastic items launched in Auckland
A new recycling trial to collect large Polypropylene (#5 PP) plastic items that don't fit in kerbside recycling eg laundry baskets, buckets and storage bins has been launched in Auckland with local manufacturer IP Plastics NZ, recycling them into new durable products.
Any clean, large (No. 5) Polypropylene plastic items such as old laundry baskets, buckets, furniture, and solid paddling pools, that need either a new life through reuse or recycling into new plastic products, can be dropped off at the following three Community Recycling Centres in Auckland.
The Centres involved in the trial are:
- Devonport Community Recycling Centre
- Helensville Community Recycling Centre.
- Waiuku Zero Waste
These items will be collected and sent to IP Plastics, which will then process them into new containers or scallop-shaped swimming pools. The Auckland Council aim to extend the trial to accept a wider range of number five polypropylene plastics in the future, as well as to include collection at other CRC's around Auckland as part of their target of Zero Waste by 2040.
Smaller number 5 plastics such as yoghurt pots, honey containers, medicine bottles, ice-cream containers etc should continue to be put into kerbside wheelie bins for collection. Plant pots cannot be accepted in this trial either as they are contaminated with soil (These can be recycled through places like Mitre10 or some garden centres).
Huge thanks to IP Plastics for taking responsibility as a producer to close the loop with their own and other companies' PP products, instead of going to landfill. The aim is to reduce the reliance on manufacturing with virgin PP and make products with more recycled content going forward.
This project would not have been possible without the combined efforts of the following organisations: Plastics New Zealand for funding through their Circular Connect programme, Square One (SQ1), Auckland Council, Zero Waste Network Aotearoa, Localised, the Community Recycling Centres, and others who have been instrumental in co-designing this voluntary product stewardship initiative.
View the media stories: Our Auckland RNZ Story
