Source: Auckland Council
Wondering what to do with the kettle that doesn’t boil, the wonky chair no one will sit on or the laptop that freezes?
From this Saturday, Aucklanders close to Western Springs have a new convenient location where they can take their unwanted items to save them from landfill.
The Waiōrea Community Recycling Centre in Western Springs has its official opening ceremony this Friday 11 August, with members of the public then invited to tour the centre from 2.30pm to 5pm.
It brings the number of Auckland Council Community Recycling Centres (CRCs) open in Auckland to 11, which Chair of the Planning, Environment and Parks Committee Richard Hills says is a significant milestone.
“Our goal was 12 community recycling centres operational by 2024. We’re on track to reach that goal one year early due in part to $10 million from the Government’s Covid Recovery Fund which helped to fast track the development and supported council funding approved in the 2021 ten-year budget.”
“I know the community will celebrate the opening of the Waiōrea Community Recycling Centre and the Resource Recovery Network, they have worked tirelessly over many years with council’s waste team and supported by local board members with vision and passion for zero waste.”
Auckland Council’s goal is to expand to 21 CRCs and two large resource recovery parks by 2030, ensuring most urban Aucklanders live within a 20-minute drive of a convenient place to bring or buy items.
CRCs serve as a one-stop shop where Aucklanders can take items for recycling, reusing or repairing, or where they can buy pre-loved items. The aim of the centres is to keep waste out of landfill and support a circular economy. They also serve as educational hubs to encourage people to move from a take-make-dispose mindset to a reduce-reuse-recycle one.
In the past year, existing community recycling centres have diverted 77 per cent of the materials they have received from ending up in landfill. They have also created more paid jobs and volunteer opportunities as the number and diversity of materials brought in has increased.
Waiōrea Community Recycling Centre itself was developed with sustainable principles in mind. As well as repurposing an existing heritage building, the refurbishment incorporated recycled materials and a reusable covering instead of single-use plastic shrink-wrap as temporary protection during remedial work on the roof.
The development of the centre has involved contributions from a wide range of local community groups, including mana whenua Ngati Whātua, Albert-Eden, Waitematā and Puketāpapa local boards, and local kura / schools, such as Western Springs College. The MPHS Community Trust is responsible for operating the centre.
Community Recycling Centres are often run by social enterprises on Auckland Council land working in partnership with local communities.
Where:
Te Taupuni Hangarua ā-Hapori o Waiōrea / Waiōrea Community Recycling Centre
990 Great North Rd, Western Springs, Auckland
When:
Friday 11 August, official opening invitation-only
From 2.30pm until 5pm, open to the public.
Opening hours from Saturday 12 August are:
Thursday to Sunday, 9am to 4pm
