Waitaki Resource

Waste across South Island

I have just finished a week- long travelling trip with my family, around parts of the South Island - from the west coast to Aoraki/Mt Cook.

 

The visitors were from various places in Australia, two had never been to New Zealand before.

 

So I took them on a tour to experience various locations, history and natural scenery that the spectacular South Island has on offer.
 
This stunning country sure put on the best show!

 

We had warm and clear weather on the West Coast, great for walking and mountain biking, plus snow fall in Milford and good weather at Aoraki/Mt Cook.

 

We also spent a considerable time here in Oamaru, generating revenue for the local business owners, as well as taking lots of photos and touring around the natural sights and classic buildings we are surrounded with in our beautiful region.  

 

We even got to experience our very first Earthquake!
 
I can never leave my work at home, so while on holidays, I developed a greater awareness of the many different waste and recycling systems that are on offer around the South Island, taking notice how each town deals with waste.

 

Some places have no bins; some had very-well-signed recycle and waste bins and in other towns it all goes straight into one bin, that goes to landfill.
 
Most places we stayed at had recycling.

 

One motel, we stayed at near Hagley Park in Christchurch, said that it only took them a small amount of time to separate out the recycling.

 

 They provided one bin (all waste went into, excluding bathroom waste) and a food scraps bins, in each of the 18 units.

 

They then physically separated the recycling from each waste bin.

 

This saved them around $1000 a year in waste bills and only takes them a few minutes per unit.

 

As a further reduction of waste to landfill, they also had a small 1metre by 1m-worm farm, which all the food waste goes into.  
 
When we thought about it, there were so many different cultures, councils and people, from all over the world that visit and they would all recycle differently, but the basic concept is the same.
 
General recyclable materials in most towns in the South Island and Australia; are steel cans, aluminium cans, glass, paper and cardboard.

The main thing that changed from town to town and in Australia are the plastics - some took numbered and others all hard plastics and the food waste, as some compost this and sell it and others just send this resource to the landfill.
 
HANDY HINT: Throughout Otago we have an initiative called On The Road Recycling, where you can fill your pre bought bag with clean recycling; cardboard, paper – newspaper, magazines, brochures, glass  – unbroken bottles and jars, plastics - #1 and #2 and tins and cans.

 

You can then drop it off at any of Otago’s recycling centres located in Wanaka, Queenstown, Alexandra, Middlemarch, Dunedin/Green Island, Waikouaiti, Palmerston, Hampden and Oamaru.

 

For more information just ask at the local i-SITE or visitor centre.
 
Recycling is worth the effort, even when on holiday!

 

It’s a great way for your stuff to go around one more time and helps keep New Zealand beautiful. This is what our visitors from all over the world pay good money to come and experience. So lets do the right thing and keep it that way!

Maxine Woodhouse, Waitaki Resource Exchange Coordinator contact 0210  223 1115 or email m This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it