Dear Solomon

Thank you for your email dated 30 August 2019 requesting information about recycling.

Our team will manage your request under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 which requires us to respond as soon as possible, but no later than 27 September 2019.

The reference number for your request is IRO-8993.

Please contact us if you have any further questions.

Kind regards

Jessica Hall
Assurance Services Coordinator  | Wellington City Council
P +64 (0)4 801 4178 | M  +64278030345
E [email address] | W Wellington.govt.nz | |

The information contained in this email is privileged and confidential and intended for the addressee only.
If you are not the intended recipient, you are asked to respect that confidentiality and not disclose, copy or make use of its contents.
If received in error you are asked to destroy this email and contact the sender immediately. Your assistance is appreciated.

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Dear Mr Klinger,

Thank you for your email to the Council received on 30 August 2017 in which you requested information relating to the recycling of materials 1-7.

Under section 13 of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 I can advise your request is granted and for no cost.

The Council is currently collating the information requested and I’m advised this information will be available by 4 October 2019. However, I will endeavour to provide the information prior to this date.

Should you have any further questions please feel free to contact me.

Kind regards,
Ian

Ian Hunter
Assurance Advisor | Complaints and Information Assurance | Governance and Assurance Directorate | Wellington City Council
P 04 803 8315 | M 021 227 8315 |
E [email address] | W Wellington.govt.nz | |

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Dear Solomon,

 

Thank you for your email to the Council received on 30 August 2019 in
which you requested information relating to the recycling of materials
3-7.

 

Further to my email dated 27 September 2019 I can now provide you with the
information requested.

 

As you asked a number of questions I will address these in the order of
your request.

 

1. “Is the WCC continuing to collect recyclable materials 3-7 for
recycling?”

 

Yes.

 

2. “Is the WCC continuing to represent to Wellington residents that it is
collecting recyclable materials 3-7 for recycling?”

 

Yes.

 

3. “What are the circumstances that differentiates the WCC’s ability to
continue to collect recyclable materials 3-7 for recycling in light of
published remarks from other Councils who claim that it is no longer
viable and have as such refused to collect these materials?”

 

Wellington City Council contracts directly with the recycling processor
(where most other Councils wrap up collection and processing of
recyclables into one contract). The Council believes this gives us greater
transparency around what markets may still be available, and also greater
decision making power around what we are still able to collect at
kerbside.

 

4. “Is it the WCC’s position that recycling recyclable materials 3-7 is
viable? How do both economic and environmental considerations factor into
this view held by the WCC? I request documentation and any other material
relevant to this view.”

 

The Council’s position is that we understand that there is still a market
mixed plastics. The revenue that is received for this is significantly
reduced from previous years, but this would also be the case for all
recyclables collected. Typically the money earned from sale of recyclables
does not cover the cost of collection and sorting of these materials.

 

The Council does not hold documentation relevant to this view.

 

5. “What steps has the WCC taken within the last year to establish whether
recyclable materials 3-7 sent off-shore for recycling are, in fact, being
recycled?”

 

The Council works closely with our recycling processing contractor, with
open lines of communications, to ensure that there are still off-shore
markets available.

 

6. “When the WCC sent representatives to Malaysia in August 2018, was
there an official report or any record of the findings of this trip? If
so, I request a copy of this and any other relevant material gained from
this trip.”

 

In addition to a number of informal meetings with Councillors and other
internal staff, the attached memo was also produced and a verbal
presentation was given to Councillors’ on 28 August 2018.

 

Under section 7(2)(a) of the Local Government Official Information and
Meetings Act 1987 some information has been redacted in order to protect
the privacy of natural persons.

 

If you disagree with the decision to redact the documents, you can apply
in writing to the Ombudsman to have the decision investigated and reviewed
under section 27 (3) of the Local Government Official Information and
Meetings Act 1987.

 

7. “Has WCC since sent any representatives to any overseas location that
recyclable material is sent to from New Zealand? If so, what were the
findings of this trip?”

 

No.

 

8. “Does the WCC have any knowledge of recyclable material sent overseas
which has been sent back to New Zealand because of its inability to be
recycled? If yes, does this knowledge extend to processes of what happens
now and what has happened previously to this material?”

 

Whilst officers are aware of anecdotal evidence of other
Councils/processors waste being returned, they are not in possession of
any specific detail.

 

9. “Are the new WCC recycling bags being processed or recycled in
Malaysia? If they are not recycled, could you please clarify what is meant
by “processed” as stated on the WCC website? If they are recycled, can you
provide confirmation and evidence that this is occurring and any other
relevant material.”

 

The recycling bags are likely to be recycled in Malaysia, although they
will be sold along with other bales of plastic film, so it will be
dependent on the price or buyers that are determined by our recycling
processor. An additional sorting station at the processing plant is
required to pull out the recycling bags, and this is currently still under
construction. We anticipate that this will be completed in the near
future, and therefore the bags will be included in other plastic film
bales sent offshore for recycling.

 

10. “Did the WCC take steps to consider whether they could produce a
recycling bag that was able to be recycled in New Zealand? Please provide
documentation and any other relevant material.”

 

At the time that we were making the change, there were no options for
this. However, our recycling processor continues to look for on-shore
processing options, for all recyclables, not just plastic, and we
encourage them to do so.

 

11. “Do you have data on the percentage of recyclable materials 3-7 which
are collected? If yes, please provide this data and any other relevant
material.”

 

3-7 plastic makes up 3% of the total recyclable materials collected.

 

Should you have any further questions please feel free to contact me.

 

Kind regards,

 

Ian.

 

 

Ian Hunter
Assurance Advisor | Complaints and Information Assurance | Governance and
Assurance Directorate | Wellington City Council
P 04 803 8315 | M 021 227 8315 |
E [1][email address] | W [2]Wellington.govt.nz | [3]Facebook|
[4]Twitter

 

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