As anyone who diligently separates their recyclables from their rubbish knows, a lot can be kept from landfill if you make some extra effort. This is the philosophy behind Hastings company Bin Hire, which puts a particular emphasis on sorting through the ‘rubbish’ they collect to ensure everything that can be recycled or reused is kept from landfill.
Dan Montaperto founded the company over a decade ago, as he recounts, in a paddock on a concrete pad recycling everything he could. “It’s always been about recycling and waste diversion for us – to the extent that in the office and the workshop we recycle everything we can, or compost leftovers from our lunches,” he says.
They have since grown into large premises in Whakatū where they can sort through the material collected from local businesses and homes.
They also run the Black Bridge Refuse Station near Haumoana. Here, again, the priority is on keeping anything from landfill which can be recycled or reused.
The labour costs are higher, Dan says, but the landfill costs are decreased. “The team also get a kick out of saving useful things from landfill,” he says.
Hats off to Bin Hire for using their waste management business to create and promote sustainability in their region.
Read the full article: Home-grown sustainability work in the Bay | First published by BayBuzz