Furniture, appliances, lawn mowers, old fridges, screws and bolts, and e-waste are just some of the items that will soon be accepted at the Katikati Recycling Centre as part of a resource recovery trial - a first for the Western Bay of Plenty District.

The trial is a collaboration between the Western Bay of Plenty District Council and Katikati based Chrome Collective Charitable Trust, that offers training, employment, and advocacy to people with disabilities, to integrate them into the wider community.

“The community asked us for a place to take things that are too good to throw away, says Western Bay resource recovery and waste team lead Ilze Kruis.

“After a feasibility study and hui with local community groups, Chrome Collective stepped up to start on the resource recovery journey with Council. 

“This trial provides an opportunity to give used goods a second life and for Council to work collaboratively with a local community group to help them in their work.”

“It’s a win-win for the community, providing valuable integration and employment opportunities for the Chrome Collective, while actively diverting resources destined for landfill.”

The centre represents a new chapter in the charity’s mission to empower individuals with disabilities and promote sustainability within the community, says Chrome Collective operations manager Sharaine Steenberg.

"We are incredibly excited about the opening of the Katikati Resource Recovery Centre and invite everyone to join us for the opening and bring their reusable items to contribute to this important cause."

The Katikati Resource Recovery Centre trial will run onsite at the Katikati Recycle Centre from 7 March until the end of August 2024, on Thursdays and Saturdays from 9 am to 4 pm.

The trial is made possible with the waste minimisation levy Council receives from the Ministry for the Environment.

Normal recycling services and greenwaste drop-off will continue around the back of the shed, with a change to traffic flow, which will be signposted.

“Katikati residents are already great recyclers. Now there is an opportunity for them to do even more for the environment by bringing in goods to be repurposed, dismantled or re-used instead of sending them to landfill,” says Ilze.

Most items can be dropped off for free but, due to recycling costs, Chrome Collective will require a fee for some goods, for example $5 for a washing machine, $10 for a fridge and $15 for a computer monitor (Eftpos only).

The six-month trial will determine what resources can be recovered from the local communities in Katikati and surrounds.

Chrome Collective is working within the regional resource recovery network to collect resources to be on sold, upcycled or dismantled.  

Income from these goods will benefit the awesome work that Chrome Collective is doing in Katikati and beyond.

There will be no retail onsite during the trial, however a successful trial would see the implementation of a full resource recovery centre that offers retail opportunities for locals to shop secondhand, and support a circular economy in doing so.