A new mobile recycling service is coming to the rural Western Bay of Plenty.

The mobile recycling trailers are similar to Western Bay of Plenty District Council's existing community recycling centres, only smaller and on wheels.

The mobile units will be available for the rural community, those not receiving Council's Kerbside Collective service, to drop off recyclable materials such as glass, paper, cardboard, tins, cans and clean plastics numbered 1, 2 and 5.

Council wants to make this a tailormade service for the rural community by hearing about which rural locations and times suit people for dropping off their recyclables.

Share your preferences at haveyoursay.westernbay.govt.nz/mobilerecycling until August 8.

The trailers will be visiting four rural locations so the community can check them out, drop in their recycling and share preferences on the rostering.

See below to see when and where they will be appearing:

Saturday, July 16, 9 am to 1 pm at BP Pongakawa

Saturday, July 23, 9am to 1 pm at Te Ranga School

Saturday, July 30, 9am – 1pm at Omanawa Hall

Saturday, August 6, 9am – 1pm at Whakamarama Community Centre

Resource recovery and waste team leader Ilze Kruis says council agreed to explore alternative recycling options for rural communities through the Long Term Plan 2021-31.

'We are committed to helping our rural community with their waste minimisation efforts. People want to do the right thing – and we can help by making it easier for them to recycle – a convenient mobile recycling service will help our rural whānau.

'We've seen that these mobile recycling trailers have worked well elsewhere around the motu, and we're confident we can make them work for our community too.”

The mobile recycling trailers are taken to convenient rural locations for a rostered period of time. The community can then drop by and drop off their recycling when it's in their neighbourhood.

The mobile recycling trailer will be staffed to help people and ensure materials go into the right slot.

While the new mobile recycling trailers will primarily serve rural residents who don't qualify for kerbside collection services, they will also be used at events – one of the Western Bay's bigger waste creating activities.

'With this new service we're providing another opportunity for our communities to play their part and recycle valuable resources.”

The custom built mobile trailers were funded through the Waste Minimisation Fund with support from the Glass Packaging Forum.

Naming competition

Council is celebrating the launch of the new mobile recycling service by running a competition to name the two mobile units.

Competition winners will have their new names for the trailer proudly displayed on the units.

”The competition is a bit of fun to help celebrate this new service. We're hoping people come up with some really creative recycling themed names.”

Competition details

• Submit your entry via Council's Facebook facebook.com/westernbaycouncil or via haveyoursay.westernbay.govt.nz/mobilerecycling
• Names should be loosely recycling related
• A short list will be selected by Council, and winners will be chosen by vote on Facebook
• Competition is open until 8 August.

Where and when suits you?

Council wants to hear from the people who'll use the service on where and when would suit them.

There are a number of ways for you to let us know what you prefer:

Wānanga ipurangi (online) – Go online and answer our survey questions haveyoursay.westernbay.govt.nz/mobilerecycling

Pepa mārō (hard copy) – feedback forms are available at any of Council's library and service centres. You can also email your comments to [email protected]

Kanohi ki te kanohi (face to face) - check out the mobile recycling trailers, submit your name for our naming competition, and kōrero with our team at one of the events listed above.

Rural recycling drop off sites on, or next to a State Highway have been rules out due to safety concerns.

More information can be found at westernbay.govt.nz/mobilerecycling