Waitaki Resource

Recycle, don't just dump 

It’s coming up to one of the most beautiful times of the year - spring! It’s usually a time of year that people start to clean out those closets and get stuck into the joy of `spring cleaning’ homes and workplaces.

 There are a few tips that we would like to share with you that may help this season.

It’s a big subject, so let’s start with the major clean first.

Let’s think of reducing that waste to landfill.

Don’t buy as much stuff you don’t need and then you don’t have to get rid of the items. That bit was easy.

So what are our other options?

   Æ Put the item on a trade me sight. If you don’t know how to list the items or how to use a computer you can contact the Aoraki polytechnic about their computer course or use senior net, which teaches computer skills to people over the age of 50.

   Æ Get everyone in the house involved and have a garage sale. This is a great way to get rid of items you no longer need, but which someone else would be keen to take home to use.

After the garage sale don’t just get a skip for the leftovers that takes the items to landfill. Reduce that waste even further and take the items that can still be sold to either: the Salvation Army store, the second hand dealers, other op shops or the Resource Recovery Park.

 These places have markets of their own (weekly purchases) and should be able to keep your items out of the landfill for longer.

    Æ It could be recycled if it is plastic and has a recycle number on the item from 1 – 6, if it is food and beverage glass, paper, magazines, books, cardboard, plastic bags and metals.

   Æ What about those items that are harder to get rid such as oil, particle board, garden waste, solvents, electrical items, light bulbs, window glass, ceramics?

 There are a few different solutions for these: Garden waste could be home composted or taken to the Resource Recovery Park in Chelmer St or taken to the landfill on a Saturday afternoon.

 If you have flax and cabbage leaves (unable to go into green waste) these can be bundled and once dry used in your fire or are great as a ground cover.

 The following items can be taken to the Waitaki Resource Recovery Park: engine oil  (up to 20 litres only and you must leave your container), cooking oil, electrical items, light bulbs – your long life or fluorescent tubes can be recycled and the normal incandescent bulbs go to landfill.

 The following goes to landfill: Particleboard, window glass and ceramics if damaged & expanded polystyrene.

 Solvents – there is a firm who you can send these to in Christchurch called Solvent Rescue. 

We always welcome extra tips to share with our readers, so if you have any tips, tricks or questions, please write to the Herald or Maxine at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and let us know.