RECYCLING SUCCESS IN ŌTOROHANGA DISTRICT

A great result was achieved in Ōtorohanga District Council's chemical and electrical drop-off events this year. Nearly four tonnes of hazardous and electronic waste were collected.

The council runs these annual events in Ōtorohanga and Kāwhia to help people clear out unwanted hazardous and electronic waste products.

“A goal is to ensure they’re disposed of in a safe and sustainable way," says Waste Minimisation Coordinator Jane Shaw.

"We collected over 1.5 tonnes of electronic waste, over 1 tonne of paint, and 507 kg of oils and automotive waste. Another 780 kg of other household waste were collected. This included chemicals, pesticides, batteries, solvents and aerosols."

The electronic waste headed to Echo Tech in Auckland where it was dismantled and processed for recycling. The oils were filtered and cleaned to enable reuse, and paints were solidified for safe disposal. Most of the chemicals were neutralised for safe treatment and disposal.  

No ratepayer funds are used in these drop-off events as they are funded by the Government Waste Levy.