Second survey on the way as recycling habits of residents inconclusive

Thursday, 10 May 2018

A survey of kerbside recycling in Marlborough has found more than a third of households do not put their crates out each week.

Maroon bins overflowing on kerbsides might be a common sight but a survey suggests Marlburians are simply not recycling enough to warrant an additional truck to empty the crates each week.

The Marlborough District Council surveyed households in Blenheim and Picton earlier this year to see who was putting recycling crates out for collection, and how full they were.

It found more than a third of households did not put their recycling bin out each week.

Over two weeks, 13,405 houses across Blenheim and Picton were surveyed. In Blenheim, 66 per cent of households put out their recycling bins, compared with 52 per cent in Picton. On average, the bins that were put out were 98 per cent full.

* Council survey shows majority support for wheelie bins

* Wheelie bins could be rolled out for parts of Marlborough**

Council solid waste manager Alec McNeil said in a report to the assets and services committee the results of the survey in February and March did not support getting another recycling truck.

A report to the committee last year showed the additional annual cost of an extra truck to service Blenheim and Picton was $237,880, which would result in a rates increase.

McNeil said the survey results did not confirm if an additional full-size truck and crew were the most effective option, or whether it needed to operate fulltime or for a reduced number of days on a modified route.

McNeil recommended council undertake the same survey again later in the year to provide more detail about how many households put out their bins and how full they were.

While council knew how much recycling was processed each week, McNeil said they did not know how exactly how many crates were placed on the kerbside on each collection day.

He said it was likely there were peaks and troughs in how much people recycled throughout the year, and another survey coming into summer would provide more information.

'That is the bit of the jigsaw that is missing so this [survey] will help to inform that.'

He said future demand on recycling also needed to be considered.

'The contract still has about five years to run so at some point, if we see an ever-increasing amount of houses within the collection area then at some point we might need that additional vehicle but at the moment we don't seem to be anywhere near that tipping point.'

The recommendation for another survey, to be carried out in September and October at a cost of $10,000, will go to full council on May 17.