Non Recyclable Plastics - their number's up!

Now Nelson City Council recycling is back to normal, it’s time to look again at upcoming changes to plastic recycling.

From 1 July, our kerbside recycling collection service will only accept plastic types 1, 2 and 5. To make sure you have recyclable plastic remember to look out for a triangle with a number in it on the bottom of plastic packaging.

Plastics 3, 4, 6 and 7 are not recyclable in New Zealand. While there are still some limited overseas markets for these plastics, shipping has an associated carbon footprint and we are concerned they could in fact end up in the world’s oceans and rivers.

As a responsible Council, we have decided that we cannot in good conscience send these plastics overseas to potentially end up as someone else’s rubbish.

Plastic types 1, 2 and 5 make up 85% of the plastic that New Zealanders buy, so the vast majority of plastic waste in Nelson is still being collected and sent for recycling.

Nelson City Council has already written to supermarkets and local retailers, asking them to phase out plastics that can’t be recycled in New Zealand. 

As a community, we can also play our part by taking a moment to rethink the products we buy. Are they in sustainable packaging? Reducing the amount of plastic we buy can be challenging, but every little effort helps.