Wayne is the CEO of the Hutt Valley Branch of Keeping New Zealand Beautiful. Having lived in the Hutt for 41 years, he is committed to the idea. He spoke of how the National KNZB was founded in 1967, that turning point of a year when Norman Kirk was Prime Minister, decimal currency started and the six o'clock swill ended. In that halcyon year milk came in recyclable glass bottles, coke and other soft drink bottles were refundable and plastic bags were rare. By 1984 it had 25 branches nation-wide and government funding stopped.
Now, the government makes only a token contribution, for example supplying litter audit kits to encourage other organisations to do the work. Only 4% of local councils do a good job. Lower Hutt has 1000 public rubbish bins which are (theoretically) emptied every day but is steadily reducing the number. They are poorly designed and each lined with (yet another) plastic bag. The HCC will not even give KNZB free access to the tip for collected litter. It spends $ 22,000 a month cleaning graffiti off its own buildings, but not surfaces it does not own unless those surfaces are particularly prominent. It is also reluctant to pursue, let alone prosecute, fly-tippers.
The most common forms of current litter inland includes cigarette butts, disposable nappies, and broken bottles, and on beaches, abandoned fishing gear. Recent research has shown that the worst litterers are the 25-34 year olds and most litterers are reluctant to take litter to the nearest bin if it is more than 8metres away. 90% of respondents to a recent survey felt litter was an issue. Only 9% of plastic milk "bottles" are recycled, the rest end up as rubbish. Only types 1,2, and 5 plastics are recyclable in NZ. Plastic can take up to 500 years to break down and even then, forms micro-plastics which get into the food chains of all living creatures.
KNZB campaigns against litter and waste and encourages school programmes. It also organises "Pick Up" campaigns every four to six weeks and commends and publicises the work of ghost divers and individual leaders. It also receives support and donations from several firms. We should all be grateful for the work Wayne does and admire him for staying positive.
