Recycling Submission

This is my submission to the Dunedin City Council on the proposed changes to Recycling:

I support the preferred Option C Proposal if:
1. Householders have a choice of recycling bins : i.e they can chose to use an alternative to the new 140-litre wheelie bin if they believe that it is more convenient for them.
2. That the cost is not more than the estimated $70. There is a serious risk that this proposal could be approved by the Council but the actual cost could turn out to be significantly higher. Any
approval should be conditional on a guarantee of the maximum cost.
Otherwise the current recycling system should be retained.
For non-recyclable rubbish, I support the current black rubbish-bag and private-contractor system because user-pays encourages waste minimization.

It is interesting that the Council now seems to be offering households a choice of recycling bins, despite voting against Councillor Walls' proposal for choice (see my previous post).
City Talk says:

For example,larger households will be able to get 240 litre bins for their recycling needs, and people with low recycling needs or access issues will be able to use small 40 litre stacking bins.

And the DCC website says:

Note: a choice of container size will be available for co-mingled recycling specific to individual requirement. Refer to pamphlet in the Consultation documents.

The ODT also has an article on Recycling. In the sidebar (but not online): the Council aims to increase recycling per year per household from 114 kg to 150 kg by 2016. We will see: there will be some increase from more types of plastics being recycled, but I am not convinced that people are not recyling material because their current bin is not big enough.
Another solution is not to create the rubbish to begin with. Our household has recently had a considerable reduction in the volume of recycling, by putting up a "No Junk Mail" sign!