Metal and plastic caps and lids can now be donated six days a week rather than monthly.

Waste Zero Whakatāne and Community Resources Whakatāne have teamed up to create a station at CReW to collect lids from the community.

Waste Zero volunteer Kate Lively said lids were too small to be accurately sorted by machinery at recycling plants, which resulted in some recycling being contaminated and most lids ending up in landfill.

“But they can be recycled if sorted prior to the sorting machines,” she said.

Waste Zero used to have a collection point once a month at the Sunday Market, until CReW business manager Gerard McCormack offered an alternative.

“Gerard kindly offered a space for a bigger collection; we’re happy that it’s here,” Ms Lively said.

“It makes a huge difference, especially if the whole community gets behind it.”

CReW has formed the collection point in line with its recycling ethos, using an old cabinet and reused pipes and plywood.

Those donating can sort their lids into the plastic lids and bottle caps' side and the metal steel and aluminium bottle caps and lids' side of the cabinet.

Mr McCormack said the plastic lids side was filled in the first two weeks.

The plastics are transported by Waste Zero to EnviroHub in Tauranga, where they become part of the Caps and Lids Recycling Programme, an industry-funded programme operated by the Packaging Forum.

The lids and caps are then locally granulated, washed, dried and sent to Australia to be reused in products such as wheelie bins, flowerpots, slipsheet and cable covers.

The steel and aluminium caps and lids are typically smaller, but their collection is steadily growing.

Local salvage yard Macauley Metals is backing the project by putting its hands up to take the metal caps and lids, melt the materials and then distribute them around the country.

“We appreciate their support; it’s a big thank you to Macauley Metals from us,” Mr McCormack said.  

Being able to donate six days a week as opposed to once a month is already proving more convenient for community members, with Linda Conning one of many taking advantage of the new arrangement.

“I hate waste. Normally I have to save up and take them all to the Sunday market, but I’m often doing other things on a Sunday morning, and I miss it.

“This is really helpful, and while I’m here I can browse CReW for some other stuff,” she said.

Mr McCormack and Ms Lively said workplaces could start their own smaller collection points, and then bring in bigger collections to CReW.

Mr McCormack has also offered to set up collection points at Eastern Bay schools.

Any money raised through the metal lids' collection scheme is donated towards the Kidney Kids programme through the Lions clubs.