A kerbside recycling service is now likely to be abandoned by the Waitaki District Council, after two years of investigation.
At its meeting on Tuesday, the council's assets committee will consider cancelling the introduction of a one-bin kerbside recycling collection service in urban areas, including Oamaru.
Instead, the provision of any kerbside recycling would be left to "the market" - private businesses or community organisations.
The recycling service has had a controversial history in the Waitaki district, including fears the community-owned Waitaki Resource Recovery Trust and its Chelmer St resource recovery park could be placed in jeopardy.
Initially, the council proposed a three-bin service and sought quotes from three selected contractors to provide that.
Earlier this year it dropped that process and in June decided to introduce a one-bin system, widening the tender process and stipulating the resource recovery trust had to be involved.
Now, the council will probably abandon introducing any sort of kerbside recycling collection.
Solid waste officer Gerry O'Neill, in a report prepared for Tuesday's meeting, said the one-bin system would be expensive and inefficient and would not significantly reduce the amount of waste going to the Oamaru landfill, which had a limited life.
The cost to ratepayers would be between an additional $50 to $100 a year on their rates.
Mr O'Neill said the market for recyclables had collapsed worldwide, reducing returns for most products.
In some cases, there were no markets for some products.
Instead, it was suggested the council change the focus from providing a kerbside recycling collection to a waste-minimisation approach, i.e. reducing the amount of waste produced in the first place.
That could be achieved by: -
• Better education programmes.
• Working with waste contractors to help deliver the services needed.
• Working with remote communities to set up local systems.
• Implementing rules at landfills to prevent bulk materials being dumped when alternative disposal options were available, including recyclables, green waste and clean fill.
With this approach, waste service providers would have more certainty in the marketplace and be able to offer kerbside recycling services.
Ratepayers would be able to choose a service that served their individual needs, Mr O'Neill said.
