November 17, 2025 • 10 mins
Ever wondered what really happens when your bins get inspected? Craig Sinclair from GDC and Ali Green from WasteNet join us to explain why inspections matter, what they’re finding, and how we can all do better. Plus, an important update on safely disposing of recalled kinetic sand due to asbestos concerns.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Time for counsel chit chat with Kitty.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
Yes, it absolutely is.
Speaker 3 (00:05):
And if you've ever wondered what really happens when your
bins get inspected, well it's all part of keeping our
communities clean and reducing waste. So joining us this morning
are Craig Saint Clair from the Go District Council and
Alie Green from Well she wears many hats, but today
it's a waste net one to talk about why bin
inspections matter, what they're finding and how we can all
(00:27):
do better. Hello again, ladies.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
And gent it good morning everyone.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Any quick feedback on the riddle?
Speaker 4 (00:36):
Yeah, I did get some feedback from my daughter and
she thought she knew the answer.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
But Google's a great thing, isn't it.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
Sorry, Rene had to be done. Are you gonna fire
shots into the studio? They've come pretty quickly back out
of her right Leed's talk recycling and been inspections. How's
it been going, Craig for the past a couple of
weeks of the reintroduction across the Gor district.
Speaker 4 (00:57):
Yeah, it's been great. Everybody's got on board. We've had
a few wrong bins out, but that's only to be expected,
you know. We've changed the whole system. Days have changed,
recycling's changed, so it's been really good. The public agre
have been really good and what they're seeing down at
Recycle South has been pretty good, apart from the fact
that we've got a lot of glass in it and
(01:18):
that's only to be expected as well as people get
rid of the glass out of their bins.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
Why do we even need or have bin inspections in
the first place. Is it not just good enough that
we are now recycling alan.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
Well, I would like to say so. I'd like everyone
to be primo recyclers, but it's just educating people on
the actual correct accepted recycling. So lots of products are
recyclable in the world, as we know. There's plastics one
to seven, but the ones that are actually recyclable at
Recycle South is why we're doing the bin inspections because
we need that specific.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
What are the most common mistakes I guess then that
people are making when it comes to recycling or rubbish disposal.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
So I actually went to Recycle South last week and
had a really good chat with them just to see
what the overarching views were. Soft plastics, they get a
lot of soft plasticks, in there. And they also get
a lot of lids on bottles and things, so the
lids can't go in the yellow bins, they have to
go in the red.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
So all lids off, all bottles, all.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
Lids please, Yes, all in the red bin until we
have a recycling scale of cats and lids, which I'm
working on. And yeah, I guess things like food waste,
garden waste, medical waste, lots and lots of things, but
the specifics are probably just those soft plastics and the
caps and lids at this point.
Speaker 3 (02:38):
Just to keep it simple, okay, and Craig, you might
better fill us in all this. What do these mistakes mean,
you know, sort of in the bigger picture for landfill
use and things like that.
Speaker 4 (02:50):
Yeah. Sure, So if they end up down at Recycle
South and they're not recyclable, they then have to go
to landfill and that costs US as a district to
cart that from Recycle South to the landfill Brown, so
it's a double handling. Really, it's still right, you know,
standardized curbside recycling is standardized across the country, so it
doesn't matter whether your hair one a fung anui Auckland
(03:13):
christ Church.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
It's the same everywhere, so you know, let's get it right.
Speaker 3 (03:17):
Yeah, uniform across the board are the bit inspections at
this stage of the game allly more about educating people
or enforcing these rules.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
Definitely education. The bin inspector is it there to support
the Motoda towns in the next couple of months. It's
a new journey, it's a new process, and so they're
literally there to educate. You'll get little tags and on
the tags if there's anything wrong then that will be
specified on those tags for you to learn and then yeah,
(03:49):
I mean enforcement will come later, but we definitely want
people not to have to even get to that point.
We all want green tags.
Speaker 3 (03:55):
Yes, education and the aim of the game at this stage. Right,
we'll take a quick break and then we'll be back
with Craig and Ali for some more chat around and
been inspections and recycling and what they're finding and what
they shouldn't be finding in albans across Southland. Let's talk
about what the strangest all most surprising things have been
(04:17):
found during inspections.
Speaker 4 (04:19):
Craig well recycles, so I see a number of different
things down there. They haven't seen any of these from
Gord district yet, and let's hope they don't. But soft plastics,
people talk about soft plastics. What are soft plastics? Bread bags,
you know, wrapping plastic and things like that. Don't put
that in building waste. Clothing, you know, clothing can be recycled,
but it's got to go to the right place. Take
(04:41):
it to your second hand shop, with your charity shop
and they can take that green waste. You get green
free greenwayte dumping at gored. Don't put it in your
yellow bin places lawn clubbings and lawn clippings and branches
and bits and pieces, food oil, batteries and medical waste.
You know, that stuff shouldn't go on either of your bins.
(05:02):
Is a better way to deal with that, that's to
take it across to the transfer station and the staff
over there. We'll show you what you can do with
it there. Metals and appliance. As your toaster blows up,
it's not recyclable. It's you know, don't put it in
your yellow bind.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
And even if it hasn't blown up, still won't be recyclable.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
No exactly.
Speaker 4 (05:22):
Dead animals they see a bit of that down there,
and that's never good for them to find down there,
and please don't squash your plastic bottles, aluminium cans or
steal cans because the recycling machinery down there can't recognize
it once it's squashed.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
Ah.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
So like you take your non alcoholic beer lid off,
it's got three stars on it, but don't fold it
in half and then flick it your mate and then
put it in the recycling.
Speaker 4 (05:47):
No, no, please don't do that, So kick them as
whole as you can, and don't put multiple things in
a bag and then put it in your recycling because
then it is really hard to deal with on the
processing nine.
Speaker 1 (05:59):
That's pretty much it.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
So common sense probably prevails a wee bit in there.
But if people want to see a list, you know,
have a step by step or get more info, where
did they go to get some of that?
Speaker 2 (06:11):
So they can go to the waistep website. We can
also provide stickers for your bins which is literally black
and white of what can go in and obviously if
in the Gordes Street Council website too has got a
lot of guidance. The ultimate guide to recycling.
Speaker 4 (06:25):
Yeah, but sure waist net is wastnet dot org dot nz.
You'll find lots there awesome before I let you go.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
Actually, Craig, you're going to stick around a little bit longer, Elie,
you might too, because we two for one deal and
we're going to talk about kinetic sand after eight thirty
and once been heading the headlines recently. But in the meantime,
if you could change one thing about how we manage waste, short, simple,
what would it be here?
Speaker 1 (06:54):
Get first, just ensuring we get our recycling right for
a start.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
Yeah, I think YEA for me is probably just reducing
the amount of waste in the beginning. But yeah, definitely
washing it out and detop it, don't squash it.
Speaker 3 (07:08):
Doing what we'll do, but do it properly. Yes, speaking
of throwing things out and the right way to do it,
Rainbow saying, Craig, give us the details on this.
Speaker 4 (07:17):
Yeah, there's been quite a bit of angst about some
of this rainbow scene and colored scene that have come
from retailers. It's also called kinetic sand, and I you know,
my grandchildren have had some kinetic sand and it's great
stuff on them to play with. But there has been
some batches that have come into the country that have
(07:38):
asbestos and them found to have asbestos, so it's about
dealing with that stuff now that it's in the country.
We would have seen that there's a number of early
childhood education facilities and christ Rich and the need and
that have closed just so they can have a clean
up and make sure that they've got everything out of
the system. So if you happen to have any of
this stuff at home and you want more information, the
(08:00):
waste net website has the information on it, so you
go to waste net dot org dot nz And some
of the key points about this is if you've got
it in your home and you're not sure, stop using it.
Immediately place it in a seal container. If you'll go
to the waste net website, check that it's the right
batch numbers and then seal it in a double thick
(08:21):
plastic bag and then label it as a bestous label
contaminated material. Do not put it in your red rubbish bin.
It is a hazardous waste. We have facilities at the
four transfer stations in Southland that you can take it to,
so if you're on a VOCO we take them Vocable
Transfer Station Winton, Tiano and of course Gore let them
(08:42):
know you've got this stuff and they'll show you weekends
dispose of it. They have specialized containers. They will be
there for the next month and you'll be able to
dispose of this stuff safely.
Speaker 3 (08:52):
So key messages on picking up there. If in doubt,
throw it out, but don't throw it in any of
your bins. Make sure it's disposed at one of these places,
the transfer stations, and you can find out all of
those details and more via the wast Waist Nest Waste
Nest website.
Speaker 1 (09:12):
Thanks guys, let's.
Speaker 3 (09:15):
Calma Ray Galma just Calving got me and Garma will
get you if you don't dispose of it properly.
Speaker 4 (09:20):
So one of the things that they talk about is
if you've spilled it on the carpet, don't use your
vacuum cleaner. The reason you don't use your vacuum cleaner
is because it will get into it and it can
spread the dust out through your house.
Speaker 1 (09:30):
Wipe it up with a.
Speaker 4 (09:31):
Damp cloth, put the damp cloth in the plastic bag
with the container of stuff, and then dispose of it
at your transfer station.
Speaker 3 (09:39):
Here's a clever cooky in there. Clever Yeah, all right,
Craig and Alie, thank you so much for coming and
talking bin inspections and also making sure we are across
all of that information with what to do when it
comes to disposing of that record. Rainbow or otherwise known
as Kinetic sand Go, Well team and No Dowt all
catch up again before Christmas.
Speaker 1 (09:58):
PLA. Thanks Cheeddy,
Time for counsel chit chat with Kitty.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
Yes, it absolutely is.
Speaker 3 (00:05):
And if you've ever wondered what really happens when your
bins get inspected, well it's all part of keeping our
communities clean and reducing waste. So joining us this morning
are Craig Saint Clair from the Go District Council and
Alie Green from Well she wears many hats, but today
it's a waste net one to talk about why bin
inspections matter, what they're finding and how we can all
(00:27):
do better. Hello again, ladies.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
And gent it good morning everyone.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Any quick feedback on the riddle?
Speaker 4 (00:36):
Yeah, I did get some feedback from my daughter and
she thought she knew the answer.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
But Google's a great thing, isn't it.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
Sorry, Rene had to be done. Are you gonna fire
shots into the studio? They've come pretty quickly back out
of her right Leed's talk recycling and been inspections. How's
it been going, Craig for the past a couple of
weeks of the reintroduction across the Gor district.
Speaker 4 (00:57):
Yeah, it's been great. Everybody's got on board. We've had
a few wrong bins out, but that's only to be expected,
you know. We've changed the whole system. Days have changed,
recycling's changed, so it's been really good. The public agre
have been really good and what they're seeing down at
Recycle South has been pretty good, apart from the fact
that we've got a lot of glass in it and
(01:18):
that's only to be expected as well as people get
rid of the glass out of their bins.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
Why do we even need or have bin inspections in
the first place. Is it not just good enough that
we are now recycling alan.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
Well, I would like to say so. I'd like everyone
to be primo recyclers, but it's just educating people on
the actual correct accepted recycling. So lots of products are
recyclable in the world, as we know. There's plastics one
to seven, but the ones that are actually recyclable at
Recycle South is why we're doing the bin inspections because
we need that specific.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
What are the most common mistakes I guess then that
people are making when it comes to recycling or rubbish disposal.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
So I actually went to Recycle South last week and
had a really good chat with them just to see
what the overarching views were. Soft plastics, they get a
lot of soft plasticks, in there. And they also get
a lot of lids on bottles and things, so the
lids can't go in the yellow bins, they have to
go in the red.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
So all lids off, all bottles, all.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
Lids please, Yes, all in the red bin until we
have a recycling scale of cats and lids, which I'm
working on. And yeah, I guess things like food waste,
garden waste, medical waste, lots and lots of things, but
the specifics are probably just those soft plastics and the
caps and lids at this point.
Speaker 3 (02:38):
Just to keep it simple, okay, and Craig, you might
better fill us in all this. What do these mistakes mean,
you know, sort of in the bigger picture for landfill
use and things like that.
Speaker 4 (02:50):
Yeah. Sure, So if they end up down at Recycle
South and they're not recyclable, they then have to go
to landfill and that costs US as a district to
cart that from Recycle South to the landfill Brown, so
it's a double handling. Really, it's still right, you know,
standardized curbside recycling is standardized across the country, so it
doesn't matter whether your hair one a fung anui Auckland
(03:13):
christ Church.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
It's the same everywhere, so you know, let's get it right.
Speaker 3 (03:17):
Yeah, uniform across the board are the bit inspections at
this stage of the game allly more about educating people
or enforcing these rules.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
Definitely education. The bin inspector is it there to support
the Motoda towns in the next couple of months. It's
a new journey, it's a new process, and so they're
literally there to educate. You'll get little tags and on
the tags if there's anything wrong then that will be
specified on those tags for you to learn and then yeah,
(03:49):
I mean enforcement will come later, but we definitely want
people not to have to even get to that point.
We all want green tags.
Speaker 3 (03:55):
Yes, education and the aim of the game at this stage. Right,
we'll take a quick break and then we'll be back
with Craig and Ali for some more chat around and
been inspections and recycling and what they're finding and what
they shouldn't be finding in albans across Southland. Let's talk
about what the strangest all most surprising things have been
(04:17):
found during inspections.
Speaker 4 (04:19):
Craig well recycles, so I see a number of different
things down there. They haven't seen any of these from
Gord district yet, and let's hope they don't. But soft plastics,
people talk about soft plastics. What are soft plastics? Bread bags,
you know, wrapping plastic and things like that. Don't put
that in building waste. Clothing, you know, clothing can be recycled,
but it's got to go to the right place. Take
(04:41):
it to your second hand shop, with your charity shop
and they can take that green waste. You get green
free greenwayte dumping at gored. Don't put it in your
yellow bin places lawn clubbings and lawn clippings and branches
and bits and pieces, food oil, batteries and medical waste.
You know, that stuff shouldn't go on either of your bins.
(05:02):
Is a better way to deal with that, that's to
take it across to the transfer station and the staff
over there. We'll show you what you can do with
it there. Metals and appliance. As your toaster blows up,
it's not recyclable. It's you know, don't put it in
your yellow bind.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
And even if it hasn't blown up, still won't be recyclable.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
No exactly.
Speaker 4 (05:22):
Dead animals they see a bit of that down there,
and that's never good for them to find down there,
and please don't squash your plastic bottles, aluminium cans or
steal cans because the recycling machinery down there can't recognize
it once it's squashed.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
Ah.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
So like you take your non alcoholic beer lid off,
it's got three stars on it, but don't fold it
in half and then flick it your mate and then
put it in the recycling.
Speaker 4 (05:47):
No, no, please don't do that, So kick them as
whole as you can, and don't put multiple things in
a bag and then put it in your recycling because
then it is really hard to deal with on the
processing nine.
Speaker 1 (05:59):
That's pretty much it.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
So common sense probably prevails a wee bit in there.
But if people want to see a list, you know,
have a step by step or get more info, where
did they go to get some of that?
Speaker 2 (06:11):
So they can go to the waistep website. We can
also provide stickers for your bins which is literally black
and white of what can go in and obviously if
in the Gordes Street Council website too has got a
lot of guidance. The ultimate guide to recycling.
Speaker 4 (06:25):
Yeah, but sure waist net is wastnet dot org dot nz.
You'll find lots there awesome before I let you go.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
Actually, Craig, you're going to stick around a little bit longer, Elie,
you might too, because we two for one deal and
we're going to talk about kinetic sand after eight thirty
and once been heading the headlines recently. But in the meantime,
if you could change one thing about how we manage waste, short, simple,
what would it be here?
Speaker 1 (06:54):
Get first, just ensuring we get our recycling right for
a start.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
Yeah, I think YEA for me is probably just reducing
the amount of waste in the beginning. But yeah, definitely
washing it out and detop it, don't squash it.
Speaker 3 (07:08):
Doing what we'll do, but do it properly. Yes, speaking
of throwing things out and the right way to do it,
Rainbow saying, Craig, give us the details on this.
Speaker 4 (07:17):
Yeah, there's been quite a bit of angst about some
of this rainbow scene and colored scene that have come
from retailers. It's also called kinetic sand, and I you know,
my grandchildren have had some kinetic sand and it's great
stuff on them to play with. But there has been
some batches that have come into the country that have
(07:38):
asbestos and them found to have asbestos, so it's about
dealing with that stuff now that it's in the country.
We would have seen that there's a number of early
childhood education facilities and christ Rich and the need and
that have closed just so they can have a clean
up and make sure that they've got everything out of
the system. So if you happen to have any of
this stuff at home and you want more information, the
(08:00):
waste net website has the information on it, so you
go to waste net dot org dot nz And some
of the key points about this is if you've got
it in your home and you're not sure, stop using it.
Immediately place it in a seal container. If you'll go
to the waste net website, check that it's the right
batch numbers and then seal it in a double thick
(08:21):
plastic bag and then label it as a bestous label
contaminated material. Do not put it in your red rubbish bin.
It is a hazardous waste. We have facilities at the
four transfer stations in Southland that you can take it to,
so if you're on a VOCO we take them Vocable
Transfer Station Winton, Tiano and of course Gore let them
(08:42):
know you've got this stuff and they'll show you weekends
dispose of it. They have specialized containers. They will be
there for the next month and you'll be able to
dispose of this stuff safely.
Speaker 3 (08:52):
So key messages on picking up there. If in doubt,
throw it out, but don't throw it in any of
your bins. Make sure it's disposed at one of these places,
the transfer stations, and you can find out all of
those details and more via the wast Waist Nest Waste
Nest website.
Speaker 1 (09:12):
Thanks guys, let's.
Speaker 3 (09:15):
Calma Ray Galma just Calving got me and Garma will
get you if you don't dispose of it properly.
Speaker 4 (09:20):
So one of the things that they talk about is
if you've spilled it on the carpet, don't use your
vacuum cleaner. The reason you don't use your vacuum cleaner
is because it will get into it and it can
spread the dust out through your house.
Speaker 1 (09:30):
Wipe it up with a.
Speaker 4 (09:31):
Damp cloth, put the damp cloth in the plastic bag
with the container of stuff, and then dispose of it
at your transfer station.
Speaker 3 (09:39):
Here's a clever cooky in there. Clever Yeah, all right,
Craig and Alie, thank you so much for coming and
talking bin inspections and also making sure we are across
all of that information with what to do when it
comes to disposing of that record. Rainbow or otherwise known
as Kinetic sand Go, Well team and No Dowt all
catch up again before Christmas.
Speaker 1 (09:58):
PLA. Thanks Cheeddy,
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