The NZ government has changed how our recycling is collected across the country. This means that our recycling labels have changed too, bringing them into line with the way we now recycle.
WHY MAKE CHANGES
Until recently, recycling was collected differently across New Zealand’s major cities, leading to confusion and contamination in our recycling. For example, what was collected in Auckland was different to what was collected in Wellington.
New waste collection directives have been put in place to reduce confusion and contamination, and to simplify recycling across NZ.
THE CHANGES
All districts and city councils now accept only the following materials in their recycling collections:
· - Glass bottles and jars
· - Paper and cardboard (including pizza boxes)
· - Plastic bottles and containers marked with recycling symbols 1, 2, and 5
· - Aluminium and steel tins and cans
By 2030, all district and city councils are to provide food scraps (or food and garden waste) collections to households in urban areas of 1000 people or more.
OUR NEW RECYCLING LABELS
To bring our labels into line with these changes, we have now added more information to our recycling labels on what is accepted. Our Mixed Recycling labels, for example now include the waste streams 1, 2 and 5 for plastics as well as the phrase ‘no lids’. It is important to remove the lids, as they contaminate the recycling, as the lids are often made from a different plastic or metal from the main item being recycled.
We also offer two different types of Mixed Recycling labels – either with or without paper. You will need to check with your waste collection company to see which of the two they collect.
HOW THESE CHANGES WILL HELP
The aim of the recycling changes is to help bring NZ into line with a circular economy and reduce contamination in recycling.
Please get in touch if you need any advice or would like some guidance with your recycling.
You can purchase our updated recycling labels here.
