The Government is standardising the recycling and organic materials that can be collected from households to make sorting them easier across the country.
From next Thursday, the only items able to be recycled will be plastic bottles, clear meat trays, containers numbered 1, 2 and 5, food and drink tins and cans, paper and cardboard, and glass bottles and jars.
Christchurch residents will be able to put empty pizza boxes into their yellow recycling bins.
Tea bags, shredded paper, serviettes, paper towels and aerosol cans will need to go into the red rubbish bin. All lids, soft plastics and drink cartons will continue to go in the red bin.
City council manager resource recovery, Dr Alec McNeil, said this should make it easier for people to put the correct items in the right bins, no matter where they are in New Zealand.
Residents can still drop off their recycling and hazardous waste items for free at the EcoDrop recycling centres, as well as dispose of large quantities of green waste or refuse at the transfer stations.
“As usual, it’s important to prepare your items for kerbside collection,” said McNeil.
“This means taking the lids off any bottles or containers and rinsing all items before placing them in your recycling bin, without bagging or squashing them.
“Christchurch residents are good at recycling, so it’s important to keep it this way and continue to put the right items in the right bins."
- More information on the changes can be found here.
