News
The misuse of the Southland disAbility Enterprises drive-through recycling facility by several local businesses is restricting access for Invercargill householders and creating litter issues.
Southland disAbility Enterprises is contracted to the Invercargill City Council to provide a drive-through recycling facility for household volumes. Southland disAbility Enterprises General Manager, Hamish McMurdo, said it was disappointing that some business owners had been using the drive-through recycling facility to dispose of their commercial recycling.
“The drive-through recycling facility has not been set up to handle business recycling volumes. When businesses use this service, the containers are overfilled creating a windblown litter issue around Ettrick/Bond and Mersey Street area.
“Ultimately the householder misses out on the service. I have witnessed on our 24- hour security camera, an elderly lady have her cardboard blown away because she could not manage to get her recycling into a bin that was overfilled by a business earlier in the evening,” Mr McMurdo said.
Invercargill City Council’s Drainage and Solid Waste Manager, Malcolm Loan, said it was disappointing to hear that business owners were taking advantage of the drive-through recycle facility, causing householders to miss out.
“A number of businesses are doing the right thing and have separate arrangements with Southland disAbility Enterprises or another commercial waste company.”
With the holiday period coming up, Southland disAbility Enterprises was gearing up for its peak recycling season Mr McMurdo said.
“We would really appreciate it if businesses didn’t make our work harder by using the drive-through facility. We can provide businesses a better level of service and strongly encourage them to make separate arrangements with us for their business” he said.