Source: Hutt City Council
Recycling in Te Awa Kairangi ki Tai Lower Hutt just got way more fun with the new Too Good To Waste board game. Designed exclusively by Hutt City Council for the people of Lower Hutt, this kēmu (game) helps players of all ages to both do their bit in creating a cleaner, more beautiful and more sustainable city, and understand more about their recycling’s journey. What’s more, the game is available to pick up at your local hub or library, and will be included in an upcoming edition of Hutt News.
Inspired by 8-year-old Emily Scherzer, the Too Good To Waste board game was created by council to help cut down on recycling contamination throughout Lower Hutt, and to help everyone understand more about the journey their recycling goes on once it leaves the kerb. For example, did you know that recycled glass from our city is sent to Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland to be turned into new bottles and jars?
Fun facts and info throughout the game look at where your recycling goes, what you should pop into each bin, and more.
“Recycling contamination is still an avoidable problem here in Te Awa Kairangi ki Tai Lower Hutt,” says Alison Geddes, Interim Director of Environment and Sustainability at Hutt City Council. “While most people are great at ensuring that the right objects go into their recycling bin, contamination levels have varied between 16% and 20%, with penalty fees exceeding $30,000 per month. This costs the ratepayer, as we need to pay those extra processing fees, and undermines the effectiveness of the kerbside recycling service.
“However, we realise that there are plenty of myths, misconceptions and plain ‘I-don’t-knows’ around recycling out there, and so we’re taking an education-driven approach to the issue. The board game is part of this mission, and we can’t wait to see families across the city having fun while learning about how they can be better at recycling.”
So, how do you play? Well, grab a dice and pick a player-piece (such as a bottle cap) for each participant, and then follow the instructions at the top of the game.
With enthusiasm like this, Te Awa Kairangi ki Tai Lower Hutt could become the best recycling city in all of Aotearoa.
The game will be available in Hutt News on Thursday 6 April in time for the school holidays. Printed copies can be picked up to keep, while stocks last, for free at:
Eastbourne Neighbourhood Hub & Library – 38 Rimu Street, Eastbourne
Koraunui Stokes Valley Community Hub & Library – 186 Stokes Valley Road, Stokes Valley
Moerā Neighbourhood Hub & Library – 107 Randwick Crescent, Moerā
Naenae Neighbourhood Hub & Library – Hillary Court, Naenae
Petone Neighbourhood Library & Heritage Centre – 7 Britannia Street, Petone
Walter Nash Centre – 22/26 Taine Street, Taitā
Wainuiomata Community Hub – 1A Queen Street, Wainuiomata
War Memorial Library & Hub – 2 Queens Drive, Hutt Central
Hutt City Council’s mission to reduce waste and recycling contamination throughout Lower Hutt has intensified in the past year. Since Council implemented the city’s new bin system in 2021, a higher amount of recycling collected from the kerbside, from 413 tonnes per month prior to the new service being introduced, to an average 494 tonnes per month today.
The Too Good To Waste website was created to keep residents informed of when their bins need to go out and what items go into each one, and educational resources such as the board game will be added to the site throughout 2023. Other key actions include educational signage places around Lower Hutt, and a new stickering system letting people know that their bins contain too much contamination.
