‘High Fives’ for Number 5s

Published: 16 June 2022

Last Updated: 23 June 2022

There’s a hundred uses for old yoghurt pottles from washing paint brushes to potting up seedlings. The last place they should go is the landfill. Now, Napierites can put Type 5 Plastics – including most yoghurt pots and ice cream containers - out with the regular kerbside recycling collection thanks to a change introduced today by Napier City Council.

Council today confirmed it will add plastic number 5 (polypropylene) to its kerbside recycling collections. Number 5 is the second-most widely produced plastic and is mainly used for food packaging like margarine containers, some yoghurt containers, take away containers, ice cream containers and dips. 

Debra Stewart, Executive Director Infrastructure Services at Napier City Council, says the change has been made possible by national markets for type 5 plastics being improved and kerbside contractors being able to accept the material.

“Managing waste takes a full circle approach to finding solutions: we need to consider where the waste will go, who will get it there, how it will be handled,” says Debra. “Our community wants to do its bit for the planet and we want to find as many ways as possible to help that happen.”

“We are really pleased to be able to add in type 5 to our regular collection. Kerbside solid waste, recycling and transfer station operations are services that the people of Napier are vocally passionate about,” explains Debra. “With everyone doing their bit to make improvements to the way we handle waste, we can collectively make big changes.”

Napier City Council introduced a new kerbside recycling collection solution in 2019. Each home was provided with three 45L recycling crates meaning they could sort recycling ahead of collection. Participation in kerbside recycling increased through the scheme. At that stage only plastics 1 and 2 were able to be collected. Type 5 plastics must be washed before going into the recycling crate and will be collected from 1 July 2022.

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