Student driven crazy by recycling rules
Students can find recyling rules confusing, and have no idea about councillors or council operations, says student Kathryn van der Maas
After finishing a night shift at Waikato hospital all Kathryn van der Maas wants is a coffee and to eat her sandwich.
She peels the plastic off and plops it into the bin. Apparently it is not the type of plastic that can be recycled.
It’s 7am and she is going to be driving to her hometown, Rotorua, in a few hours. She hasn’t been home in about three months.
This 20-year-old has a lot on her plate at the moment including studying, working, and moving flats – and the last thing she needs to worry about is her recycling.
Since moving from Claudelands to Hamilton East she has noticed a difference in the standards of neighbourhood recycling collection.
Particularly, she feels collectors are stricter towards the residents in Hamilton East.
Kathryn and four other girls moved from a large old house in Claudelands to a smaller, newer flat in Hamilton East a few weeks ago.
Her flat mates are a mixture of students and professionals. The interior of her new flat is homely, tidy and unstudent-like.
But getting their heads around rubbish and recycling collection is the only downside to their new flat – the council-funded operation has Kathryn and her flat mates baffled.
While living in their flat in Claudelands they had never had any issue with rubbish and recycling.
“When we lived in the city centre our recycling got taken every week, no problems… Then as soon as we get to Hamilton East they’re really strict on what we can recycle, and you have to completely separate it, organize it or they don’t take it at all.”
The harsher rules in the Hamilton East area create a chaotic downward spiral of constant mess for their flat.
Their recycling has to be perfectly organised or it will not be taken If that happens, wind and cats get to it and rubbish is spread along the street.
“I think it’s because of the area; they’re just stricter on university students.”
Kathryn thinks the rules should be the same for everyone but is too busy to raise her concerns with council.
“To be honest I would have no idea where to give my feed back to anyway.”
She thinks if councillors had a bigger public profile among students, and explained the importance of council operations, students would care more and be able to have their issues heard as well.
“I know a lot of people who couldn’t even tell you the name of the mayor.”
