That’s the question being asked in a new educative video animation launched this week by Council, in collaboration with Gizzy Local.

The animation, created by local artist Steph Barnett, aims to inform the community on conscious consuming and best recycling practices to ensure waste doesn’t unnecessarily end up in landfill.

Council’s waste minimisation facilitator Charlotte Phelps says recycling provides our community with the best chance to divert household waste from landfill but unfortunately that opportunity is often missed.

“One of the biggest issues we see is recyclable product that is contaminated with food can’t be recycled. That’s why it’s so important to rinse product and give it a quick scrub to remove any food before putting it in the bin.

“We also see a lot of recyclable product put in with the rubbish and it’s a real shame to see it unnecessarily go to landfill,” she says.

The video animation also covers being a conscious consumer, explaining that our shopping choices play a big role in waste minimisation.

“Remember to bring your own produce bags and choose items with no packaging first, followed by easily recyclable packaging. You can buy in bulk and make food or household items from scratch,” Ms Phelps says.

Artist Steph Barnett said the collaboration between Council, Gizzy Local, narrator Manaia Aupouri and sound engineer Nathan Seaver had been a fun project to work on.

“I enjoyed thinking about how best to engage and educate our community, as well as celebrating what makes Te Tairāwhiti so special. Because I feel so much love for both our community, our planet, and for art, this was a real dream job.”

With Plastic Free July about to kick off, there are plenty of good resources available on how to make your own natural cleaning products from readily available ingredients, along other tips on reducing your waste footprint.

The animation video can be viewed online here.

For more information on kerbside collection, visit our website.

For waste minimisation resources, check out the Plastic Free July Aotearoa website.

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