Photo: Scott Hammond / Stuff
Overseas recruits have been called in to help fill gaps in a labour shortage which has led to recycling and rubbish being chucked into the same rubbish truck and taken to landfill.
Marlborough District Council has its kerbside recycling and rubbish collected through a waste contractor, who, at times, has struggled to get enough staff to do the collections.
Envirohub Marlborough has expressed its "concern and disappointment" with the situation, and the "potential knock-on effect this may have on public trust and compliance with the recycling system".
Marlborough District Council solid waste manager Dr Alec McNeil estimated about 10 percent of Marlborough's kerbside recycling had been sent to landfill since November, or about 120 to 150 tonnes.
McNeil said it was not a "quick fix".
"We're not happy with the situation either, but we're trying to work our way through it and remedy it, the contractor continues to try and solve these employment challenges," he said.
"There are step-in rights, there are contract remedies ... and they can be put into action at a time if you feel that's appropriate, but there's then a practical reality of who would be that replacement contractor who can do the work."
McNeil said the type of collection fleet needed was not available from any other contractor locally.
"That type of collection fleet is not as prevalent as it was 10 to 15 years ago. Most people have shifted across to wheelie bins.
"You can't readily find a service provider. You could find someone to get up and running for the next service plan, but that's not the issue."
The council had plans to roll out wheelie bins from July 2024. The current contractor was not successful in getting that contract.
Under the new wheelie bin service, rubbish and recycling would be collected on different weeks.
To deliver the full service across Marlborough, the contractor needed 12 staff for four trucks, two for recycling, and two for waste.
The contractor also had the contract for Blenheim's resource centre, so staff could sometimes be pulled from there to help with collection.
"If that doesn't work, and we're still short, then the next priority is to ensure they still clear the streets so that we won't end up with stuff not collected," McNeil said.
In April, the council put out a press release which warned of the issue.
"In terms of frequency, it happens on an ongoing basis, but it doesn't happen every single day. It might be a certain area of the route, or a small section," McNeil said.
"It just depends how severe the labour shortage is."
McNeil said the entire sector struggled with recruitment.
"In the interim, the contractors and the waste industry are looking for recruits from overseas, that's drivers and other semi-skilled labour, and that's not a quick fix. It can be done and some of the rules have changed to allow that to happen."
He understood the contractor was in the process of getting at least three workers from overseas.
He thought it was fair to say it was the type of work that did not appeal to most people.
Waikawa resident Mike Underwood thought the amount of recycling going to landfill was more than 10 percent.
"I mean, if they're admitting 10 percent, that's something," Underwood said.
He said in the last seven weeks, his rubbish and recycling had been put into the same bin five times.
"We're paying to have the recycling done through the rates, and then there's a new system coming in very shortly with bins that we can't opt out of, are they going to be doing the same with that? They need to be improving their service."
He said the wider issue was it was not good for the planet.
"We spend a little bit of time sorting the rubbish, making sure it's in the right bins, making sure all the jars and tins are clean and stuff like that, only to have it chucked in the rubbish.
"You multiply that by 10,000 people, that's a lot of blooming effort for nothing."
Envirohub Marlborough general manager Ailie Suzuki said as an organisation that worked within the "waste minimisation and zero-waste field", they worked "tirelessly" towards reducing or eliminating waste in the community from going to landfill.
"To see our communities' recycling efforts wasted is extremely disappointing... This lack of communication takes away the opportunity for residents to make an informed choice on how to dispose of their recyclables.
"Many would choose to take their recycling directly to the recycling facilities or withhold their recycling temporarily, if they were properly informed."
Local Democracy Reporting is Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air
