Kaipara flyer to highlight recycling

 

Due to China’s recent decision to scrap reprocessing of foreign plastics, councils throughout New Zealand now have to tackle the mounting problem of what to do with recycling waste.

Kaipara District Council (KDC) have collaborated with waste minimisation education and promotion organisation Love Kaipara for this year’s annual recycling flyer and have taken an innovative and proactive approach by asking residents to consider packaging as consumers. “Avoiding goods packaged in plastic is one strategy to reduce waste and it is a choice that consumers have,” Love Kaipara project manager Victoria del la Varis-Woodcock says.

“The Waste Minimisation Hierarchy starts with waste reduction; followed by reusing, recycling, and the recovery of whatever resources a product holds. The last resort is disposal to landfill – whatever ends up there is simply a ‘waste’ of resources.” Kaipara mayor Jason Smith says that to encourage consumers to change their behaviour regarding waste requires a cooperative approach, which is the key element of the latest flyer.

“Waste reduction is the best first step each of us can take every day,” Smith says. “The 2018 flyer that Love Kaipara has produced makes it easier for me and my family to focus on the changing story around recycling in Kaipara District… every bit helps.” The colourful flyer, designed by Love Kaipara’s project co-ordinator Emma McLean, clearly illustrates not only what can and cannot be recycled in the yellow recycling bags – which also gets recycled – but also gives ideas and contacts about how to recycle miscellaneous items such as oral care, batteries and farm plastic.

The flyers are now available from the Opportunity Factory, both of Mangawhai’s Four Squares as well as the KDC office. Although aware of the big task ahead for Kaipara to become zerowaste, Victoria, who is the brainchild and initiator of the region’s pilot waste minimisation education and promotion project, says ‘all we need is a vision’. “Working for a better future is my philosophy… there is no magic bullet for the plastic crisis.”