What is litter? Litter is waste in the wrong place. And according to a recent audit by Keep New Zealand Beautiful, Porirua sits third in the Wellington Region for having the most litter.
When litter is not disposed of properly, it can collect in our streets, parks, beaches, and waterways, contaminating soil and water sources.
Litter can also harm wildlife by entangling or injuring animals, or by being mistaken for food.
In Porirua the top three items commonly found as litter include plastics, cigarette butts or vapes, and paper and cardboard.
“What’s unfortunate about these statistics is that many plastics that are found as litter, such as single-use drink bottles, can actually be recycled,” says Porirua City Council Manager Harbour and Resource Recovery Nigel Clarke. “The same with much of the paper and plastic left on the ground.”
When the audit was completed in November 2022, it found that Porirua had close to 1 kilogram of litter per 1000 square metres.
“Extensive nationwide campaigns have existed for decades to encourage people to put their rubbish in the right place,” Mr Clarke says.
“We have 500 public rubbish bins around Porirua, which are emptied daily, but if you’re not near one, it’s not hard to hold onto it until you get home so you can dispose of something properly.
“We are working hard to revitalise our beautiful harbour and waterways, and each time litter blows into the water it takes us back yet another step.”
Council has a team of staff that empties the 500 bins daily and do their best to clear litter when they see it, but they can’t be everywhere all the time.
In May alone they collected more than 28 tonnes of rubbish, made up of waste from public bins, illegal dumping, and litter.
“Our residents love this city – so we’re asking them to help keep Porirua litter-free by putting their waste in the right place,” says Mr Clarke.
You can read the audit results here.
14 Jun 2023
