I squealed in absolute delight when my flatmate pointed out an informative news article, headlined “No Bottles Dick”.
Why could I have not thought of that brilliant, comedic and hard hitting response first? I’ve been feeling this vibe for months, so I‘d thought I nick that title anyway.
Ever since the new recycling system started in May this year, I have elected myself its chief authority, mainly because no other dick seems to get it. As I leave my flat on Abel Smith Street each Tuesday morning, I am met by rubbish of every description, in almost anything you could cram it into, abandoned at the curbside. Why? Because it seems many of you Wellingtonians, even after all these months, remain ignorant and ill-informed when it comes to recycling in this here city of ours. So, this is me informing all you dicks out there.
Recycling is free! Everything you can sort into your green bag or bin is something that you are not going to have to pay for in order to have it taken off your hands! So as the council puts it on their informative and easy to understand website, recycling “helps you save money and protect the environment. It gives valuable resources another life while reducing the waste that goes into landfills.” Preach it.
Recycling in Wellington is easy! Despite what the littered streets post-pickup may suggest. One week it’s glass, next week it is all other recyclables. The council have even provided you with a different vessel for each week, making it that little bit easier, as plainly put by WCC “wheelie bins or green plastic bags are used for metals, plastic and paper, and 45-litre green recycling crates are used for glass”…well I’ll be! If you live in a Wellington suburb, pop either your bag/bin or crate out with your normal household rubbish (in the regulation yellow bags) and that’s it. The green bags are delivered annually, 26 at a time and your next bunch will be on your doorstep in November. You can purchase a further 26 for only $6 if you run out, check the WCC website for details.
It seems the most difficulty people have, aside from people just kind of hurling all the rubbish they have into a heap on the street—Like one particular residence across the street from me, is remembering whether it’s glass week or metal/plastic/paper week. This I can understand, weeks all blend into one and sometimes it is just impossible to recall whether it was the bin or the bag you dragged to the letterbox last week. But, never fear! Chances are someone on your street has remembered, stand on the footpath, turn your head right then left and see what the trend on your street is, simple.
Wellington City Council has said that the new system of recycling is going well and most are starting to get the idea. By separating your glass recyclables from everything else, almost all glass is now of use, while previously about half of glass collected was not because it was contaminated by other products. The council make about $100,000 a month from the sale of recyclables, well covering the $50,000 per month cost of the initiative.
So please, stop leaving your household waste strewn across the suburbs of Wellington and take a moment to read up and wrap your head around the system. It’s user friendly and saves you money. And remember this week, (at least on my street) it’s bottles dicks.