Tuesday, October 31, 2017
WASTE, rubbish, recycling and what we do with them are hot topics everywhere at the moment. Top of mind for many people is the recent decision of a number of national supermarket chains to go single-use plastic bag free by 2018.
The work Opotiki District Council currently has under way ties into this national discussion as council seeks local views on a review of its Solid Waste Strategy.
Deputy mayor Lyn Riesterer said that there were strong views out in the community and it was a good time to get those thoughts down on paper.
“I think it is fair to say that almost everyone in the district generates waste and needs to deal with it in some way.
“For example, many people currently use supermarket bags to organise their recycling and are wondering what it might mean when that is no longer such an easy option.
“There are also bigger discussions locally and nationally about how we reduce, reuse and recycle more efficiently. Opotiki has always been at the front of those discussions such as going ‘zero waste’ back in the 1990s and our Refuse Recovery Centres and waste minimisation strategies,” Ms Riesterer said.
The council’s waste strategy is due for an update and in these early stages it is asking people to provide feedback on Facebook, the website, by letter or email.
The strategy will go through a formal consultation process alongside the long-term plan next year and the current information will help feed into the first drafts.
Ms Riesterer explained that this early stage of public consultation is a “blank slate” as council seeks initial thoughts on anything the community feels is important.
“However, as always, it is important to remember that further down the road, we’ll need to consider cost and other limiting factors in this discussion.
“There is a huge difference in cost between what we currently have (one small bag and recycling bin) and the wheelie bin system that they have over in Whakatane.
“So while we are currently looking for blue sky ideas from the community and new and fresh thinking, councillors and the community will need to talk nuts and bolts in the future when we have options on the table so people understand the implications for their rates bills,” Ms Riesterer said.
Feedback can be provided informally through the council’s Facebook page, on the website www.odc.govt.nz and through letters and emails.
Surveyed Kiwis want fewer plastic bottles
Sven Carlsson
A SURVEY reveals that New Zealanders are not only sick of the plastic bags in the supermarkets, but they also want to see fewer plastic bottles.
According to an independent nationwide survey, which was conducted on behalf of the Sodastream company, almost three-quarters of New Zealanders wanted the prevalence of single-use plastic bottles reduced.
Sodastream spokeswoman Alisa Keall-Grant said 72 percent of Kiwis wanted regulations or laws for single-use plastic bottles in order to reduce plastic pollution.
“This included higher costs, taxes or making them less accessible,” she said.
After speaking to 500 people across New Zealand, of whom 31 were from the Bay of Plenty, the survey determined that 64 percent of respondents felt guilty about the single-use plastic bottles and the effect these bottles were having on the environment.
“More than a third of New Zealanders drink bottled water and one in five buy bottled water at least weekly and yet surprisingly, 87 percent would be willing to give up buying plastic bottles altogether to protect our oceans,” Ms Keall-Grant said.
SodaStream brand manager Mark Stephenson said if 20 percent of Kiwis aged 15 and over bought bottled water at least weekly, this resulted in 39 million plastic bottles being bought each year, just for drinking water.
“Imagine how many it would be if you included soda and juice bottles,” he said.
The survey showed that if bottled water became less socially acceptable, like what was happening with smoking, it would deter around three in four people from buying it.
While many New Zealanders were still choosing to buy single-use plastic bottles, there was a willingness to change in order to serve the environment.
“There’s a perception that recycling is a good choice and while it’s better than nothing, it’s much more powerful to avoid buying single use plastic in the first place,” Mr Stephenson said.