Diwali is a time for celebrating with family and friends, preparing delicious food and getting our homes ready for the festivities. For many Kiwi-Indian families, that also means a good pre-Diwali clean-up, from clearing out cupboards to getting rid of unwanted items and preparing sweets and snacks.
Diwali preparations are also an opportunity to make thoughtful choices at home.
But before you put everything in your council recycling bin, it's worth checking what can actually be recycled.
Most of us want to do the right thing, but some common items still end up in kerbside recycling when they shouldn't. The biggest culprits are soft plastics, clothing and textiles, and recycling placed in bags.
Soft plastics such as bread bags and chip packets do not belong in kerbside recycling.
A simple tip to remember is: if you can scrunch it into a ball in your hand, it doesn't belong in your recycling bin. Items like bread bags, chip packets, plastic wrap and courier bags can get tangled and damage the sorting machinery at the recycling facility.
Some participating supermarkets provide collection points for soft plastics.
You can take some soft plastics to collection points at participating supermarkets where they’ll end up recycled into fence posts and building materials. Otherwise, put soft plastics in your rubbish bin.
Food wrap, cling film and baking paper should go in the rubbish bin.
With many families preparing traditional Diwali sweets and snacks, there's another reminder worth sharing. Plastic wrap, cling film and baking paper used for cooking or storing food should go in the rubbish bin, not the recycling bin.
Good-quality unwanted clothing can be donated or passed on.
A pre-Diwali clean-up might mean sorting through wardrobes and making space for new clothes. But unwanted clothing, shoes and textiles shouldn't go in your council recycling bin.
If they're still in good condition, consider donating or passing them on. Otherwise, put them in your rubbish bin.
It's also important to put recycling into the bin loose. When recycling is tied up in bags, workers and machinery can't see what's inside, and the entire bag is removed and sent to landfill.
The good news is that recycling right is simple. Glass bottles and jars, cans, paper, flattened cardboard and plastic bottles and containers marked 1, 2 or 5 can all go in your kerbside recycling bin. Empty and rinse out containers.
Diwali is a celebration of caring for our homes, our families and our community. Taking a little extra care with our recycling is another way we can all contribute to a cleaner, healthier Auckland.
And if you're ever unsure whether something can be recycled, don't guess. Check before you chuck.
This Diwali, let's make room for what matters, reduce waste where we can, and recycle right.
Recycle right. Recycle loose. Let’s Sort It Out.
Wishing everyone in Auckland's Indian community a happy, safe and joyful Diwali.