Why plastic recycling in New Zealand matters
Plastic recycling matters because it keeps valuable resources out of landfill and gives them a second life. In New Zealand, only about a quarter of plastic avoids landfill and gets recycled (45,000 tonnes of plastic is collected). Every bit you recycle helps reduce waste and saves natural resources.
Where does your plastic recycling go in New Zealand?
In New Zealand, your plastic recycling is sorted at local recycling centres and then sent on for processing. Here’s where it goes:
- Some plastics are sent to New Zealand manufacturers to be made into new products.
- Most plastics are baled and shipped overseas, mainly to countries like China, for recycling. New Zealand exports about 18% of PCR (post-consumer recycled) polypropylene each year.
At Pink Bins, we bring most rubbish back to our Manukau plant, sort it by hand, and send recyclables to the right place.
What happens to plastic at recycling plants in New Zealand?
At recycling plants in New Zealand, plastics are sorted by type and prepared for recycling. At our Manukau plant, we sort everything by hand, bale up the plastics, and send them off to be made into new products.
What plastics you can and cannot recycle from your home or job site
Not all plastics can go in your recycling bin. Here’s a quick guide:
- Recycle: Hard plastics like drink bottles and food containers (numbers 1, 2, and 5).
- Don’t recycle: Soft plastics like bags and wrappers.
For more details, check the Auckland City Council’s website. If you’re ever in doubt, please contact us for guidance.
How contamination can send recycling to landfill
Contamination happens when non-recyclable items get mixed in with recycling. This can send the whole load to landfill, with an estimated 17% of polypropylene plastics in New Zealand being landfilled due to contamination. To avoid this, keep your recycling clean and only include:
- Empty, rinsed containers
- No food scraps or soft plastics
Two sources of recycled plastic
Plastic gets recycled from two main sources:
- Pre-consumer waste: Manufacturing scrap that never reaches the customer. Over 90% of this is recycled in New Zealand, contributing to an overall recycling rate of 38 per cent for household and similar waste.
- Post-consumer waste: Used plastics like empty food containers and drink bottles.
How Pink Bins keeps more plastic out of Auckland landfills
We’re serious about recycling. That’s why we run our own recycling plant in Manukau. When you hire a Pink Bin, your waste comes back to our yard for sorting.
We recover as much recyclable material as possible, including timber, gib, scrap metal, and plastic, helping to address the 40 percent of waste sent to class 1 landfills in New Zealand that is divertible. It’s all part of our mission to reduce what ends up in Auckland’s landfills.
Think twice before you throw that plastic container away
With a little effort, your recycled plastic can become something new instead of sitting in a landfill, where it can take 20 to 30 years to break down. This action has a significant positive impact on the environment.
To ensure your waste is sorted correctly, book a Pink Bin for your next clean-up or project.
Frequently asked questions about where your recycling goes
Where does your recycling really end up in New Zealand?
Your recycling is sorted at a facility and separated by material. Some is processed in New Zealand, while the rest is sent overseas for recycling.
Does plastic recycling from skip bins actually get recycled?
Yes, we sort all skip bin waste at our Manukau plant and recover as much recyclable material as possible. Even mixed loads get a second chance at being recycled.
What percentage of plastic recycling actually gets recycled in New Zealand?
About a quarter of plastic is recycled in New Zealand, but the number is improving. We work to increase this by sorting waste properly at our plant.
What happens if my recycling is contaminated?
If your recycling is contaminated, it may be sent to landfill instead of being processed. Keeping your recycling clean helps ensure it gets recycled.
What can I do to make sure more of my plastic is recycled instead of landfilled?
The best things you can do are to rinse your containers, check local council rules to see which plastics are accepted, and keep soft plastics out of your kerbside bin. When using a skip bin for a large project, we manage the sorting process on your behalf.