The challenges of the past 18 months have resulted in a reported 13 percent drop in Ashburton's curbside recycling performance, council says.
Recycling bins (file image). Photo: RNZ / Anusha Bradley
More than 1000 properties throughout the Ashburton district are being monitored for recycling contamination as of the end of July with Ashburton District Council waste managers suggesting residents have had difficulty "changing back their habits" following a loosening of recycling criteria during Covid-19.
Hundreds of properties were also on their second warning.
Council waste recovery manager Craig Goodwin said changes last year to the Christchurch's sorting facility's acceptance guidelines had also been a factor.
"We were faced with the challenge of not only changing back the behaviour of the yellow bin but also changing back the behaviour of what was acceptable recycling."
All recycling throughout the district was sent directly to the landfill for a six month period between April to the end of September 2020.
"That's impacted our customer satisfaction rating.
"It's simply been the challenges of the past 18 months."
Goodwin said council staff had been working on educating the community about what was acceptable for the recycling bins.
Local Democracy Reporting is a public interest news service supported by RNZ, the News Publishers' Association and NZ On Air.
