Plastic Fantastic (Waikato) Mystery Cache

Cache not at the above listed coordinates.
But a great place to drop your used plastics off.

More than 60 % of New Zealanders have access to community recycling and this is rapidly growing.

In 2002,alone New Zealanders recycled over 30,500 tonnes of plastic.

Less than 10 % of PET and HDPE packaging produced in NZ is recovered.

Plastic makes up 7 % of New Zealand's waste stream by weight.

Because plastics are lighter than many materials, by volume we estimate they may use up to 20 % of landfill space.

Approx 190,000 tonnes of plastic waste is disposed of to New Zealand landfills each year.

New Zealand law prevents recycled plastic from coming in contact with food.
Recycled plastics are of slightly lower quality than virgin material.
Plastics processors have found it challenging to find end uses for recycled plastics, and to have them accepted by the public.

(In the picture above,this poor man is at work in a recycling station overseas and is wading through soft drink bottles,discarded water cooler bottles,ice cream tubs,biscuit trays,cosmetic containers,computer components,polystyrene packaging and salad dome containers,to name just a few of the items he sorts out working at the recycling station. Sometimes the sheer amount of recycling and the sorting out process can find drop off depots becoming overwhelmed very quickly.)

SOME INNOVATIONS IN PLASTICS RECYCLING.

1. The wall of 1.5 litre Coca Cola bottles is made up of three layers of plastic.
There is a layer of recycled plastic between two layers of virgin material.

2. Plastic can be recycled into “plastic timber”. Thus plastic is recycled into seats for park benches, “wood” for fence palings etc.

3. Recycled plastic can be used as a bitumen extender in road construction.

4. Recycled plastic can be added to concrete at a rate of about 15 % without reducing the strength of the concrete.

5.Technology is being perfected here in New Zealand to blend a mixture of resin types to make a thin layer board for use in palletising goods for transport and storage.
A layer board does for plastics what particle board does for wood chips.
Layerboards have the potential to replace particle boards because they are not subject to water damage and attack by mould, and are easily sterilised.

6. Recycled plastic chips are being used as an ingredient for potting mixes - especially recycled expanded polystyrene chips.

(In this picture above we can see the enviromental impact that discarded plastics can have in waterways.Taken overseas it shows the effect escalates over time.Due to the majority of plastic being light weight,it becomes an easy find by the wind for quick dispersion. Navigating by kayak through allsorts including garden hose,water cooler bottles,rubbish bags,cling wrap,soft drink bottles,lots of plastic car parts that float,even discarded used medical products which truly makes for a hazardous waterway and urgently requires a solution.)