During Recycling Week 2024, nearly 27,000kg of e-waste was diverted from landfills nationwide.

As the campaign returns for its 13th year, Reclaim - the recycling processor behind the initiative- says it is on a mission to “help inspire Kiwis to reduce waste and recycle more effectively”.

From October 20 to 26, organisations across New Zealand will participate in self-directed activities to promote awareness about recycling.

EnviroHub Bay of Plenty is also involved, encouraging people to come down and see it for Recycling Week. It offers a Specialist Recycling service, allowing people to drop off items that can’t be recycled through kerbside bins.

These include plastic lids, Colgate products, batteries, printer cartridges, mobile phones, vape devices, and more.

Cathy Donnelly from EnviroHub Bay of Plenty said plastic takes an average 250 years to biodegrade. Photo / Brydie Thompson

Sixty organisations in the Bay of Plenty have registered for Recycling Week, including schools, councils, businesses, charities, and more, said Reclaim’s sustainability manager, Inge Van Der Merwe.

The number has grown “exponentially” since launching Recycling Week in 2013, she said.

“Initially, there was no formal registration process, so it’s hard to tell exactly how many organisations took part in Recycling Week. But from our records, we estimate that the campaign reached 70 organisations in 2017, compared to the 400+ we are reaching this year.”

Last year, statistics from participating organisations revealed nearly 27,000kg of e-waste and 5000kg of textiles were diverted from landfills during Recycling Week.

255cu m and 1000kg of “hard-to-recycle streams”, like polystyrene and plant pots, were also diverted.

Van Der Merwe said other organisations focused on educational activities targeting the general public. Some ran repair cafes and others held clothes mending events.

“Recycling Week is self-directed, so we have minimal oversight over [organisations] exact activities beyond what is communicated back to us, but most circulate the Recycling Week quizzes to their staff, print out the educational posters, and run activities within their businesses.”

Reclaim established Recycling Week to “help bridge the public’s knowledge gap about waste and recycling”.

“Despite the name, Recycling Week is about more than just recycling - it’s about the entire waste minimisation hierarchy: avoiding, reducing, reusing/repairing, and recycling.”

Van Der Merwe advised everyday New Zealanders to first “look at what you personally throw away and if there are things that can easily be purchased differently or used differently to reduce this amount of waste”.

She suggested asking yourself:

Do I really need this, or do I just want it?

Is the item built to last a long time or a short time?

Can I buy it second-hand, or borrow it from someone?

Can it be reused? Is it repairable? Can it be recycled when you’re finished with it?

Bijou Johnson is a multimedia journalist based in the Bay of Plenty. A passionate writer and reader, she grew up in Tauranga and developed a love for journalism while exploring various disciplines at university. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Classical Studies from Massey University.