Auckland’s Resource Recovery Network has grown significantly with three new Community Recycling Centres (CRCs) opening in recent months.
CRCs serve as a one-stop shop where Aucklanders can recycle, repair or buy pre-loved items. Many centres have repair cafes where volunteers help fix broken or worn items. They also serve as educational hubs to encourage people to move from a take-make-dispose mindset to a reduce-reuse-recycle one.
Our waste has the potential to be a valuable resource for Aucklanders, while allowing us to take better care of our environment. A vital part of creating a zero-waste, circular economy has been establishing the Resource Recovery Network, which diverts resources away from landfill to reuse, repair or recycle items.
With 21 Community Recycling Centres and two large resource recovery parks in place by 2030, most urban Aucklanders will live within a 20-minute drive of a convenient place to bring or buy items. Auckland currently has 14 CRCs, well on the way to meeting our goal of 21 centres.
In the last 12 months, CRCs have diverted 6,638 tonnes of the materials they have received from ending up in landfill.
They have also created more paid jobs and volunteer opportunities as the number and diversity of materials brought in has increased. CRCs are often run by social enterprises on Auckland Council land working in partnership with local communities. The development of the centres is possible due to the ongoing support and work of local boards, mana whenua, volunteers, schools and organisations – and the council’s own Waste Solutions team.
Visit the Auckland Council website for more information.
