NEW WASTE DEPOT

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 16, 14 October 1943, Page 4

NEW WASTE DEPOT

Wellington Ready For Bigger Effort 50 TONS OF PAPER WEEKLY WANTED “iVt last the JVellington Committee for the Reclamation of Waste is in a position really to go to towixso far as the reclamation of all waste is concerned, but particularly in respect of paper,” said Mr. R. L. Grant, chairman of the committee, yesterday. “Everything is now ready for the committee to collect the quantity of paper which Is the quota set it by the National Council for the Reclamation of Waste Material, and the committee hopes that} the quota will be at least filled.’’ The service to the public had not been as good as the committee would have liked, but'unfortunately many difficulties had had to be overcome, said Mr. Grant. First, adequate premises had to be obtained, but they were now available. The new depot was at 64 Taranaki Street, just south of Courtenay Place, and was ideally situated, being central and having entrances both back and front. The back entrance where paper would be delivere/i iMien brought in lorry loads was in Inglewood Place, beside the Hope Gibbons Building; the front entrance was in Taranaki Street.

The second difficulty had been transport. Till recently the committee had not had adequate transportation, but thanks to tlie assistance of the Salvage Controller, sufficient lorries were now at its disposal to undertake the collection of paper regardless of how much was made available. Staff shortage, though not completely overcome, was better now than in the history of the collection of waste in Wellington, and to all who could call at or telephone the depot, 42-856, with an inquiry, a readj' reply could be given; In addition to the committee’s group of voluntary women workers from the W.A.A.C., it had a number of men who were doing very good work under the control of the depot foreman. The Salvation Army also were doing a first-class job in conjunction with the committee in its collection of paper. Apathy to Be Overcome.

“Our quota for .paper reclamation has been set at 40 tons a week,” said Mr. Grant. “At present we are collecting only approximately 30 tons a week, and it is the committee’s objective to increase the amount to 50 tons. That is really a lot of waste paper.” At present there seemed to be a certain apathy on the part of some Wellington people in respect of saving paper, and he and his committee hoped that that state would rapidly change. Only by tlie genuine and enthusiastic co-operation of all concerned would it be possible for the committee to collect anything like 50 tons a week. Mr. Grant suggested that it would be excellent if not only the housewives, but. also shops, office, factories and ware-i houses spring-cleaned and turned out all, the old paper that was of no further; use. Some people would say that among' their waste paper were confidential documents that could not possibly be sent to the waste depot, but under the system in operation confidential papers could be adequately cared for, there being no possibility of the contents becoming known to anyone. The cable news yesterday had contained a reference to the shortage of paper in the United States and Canada, and despite any stocks that migHt be in. New Zealand at present, it behoved the people of the Dominion to be zealous IH| their collection. _ , The average householder did not have ■ a large quantity of paper, perhaps not more than two or three pounds a ween, to give, and it would be impossible for the committee to send lorries to make a house-to-house collection to get such small quantities because it would be definitely uneconomic. Nevertheless, every school could be regarded as a paper depot, and, not only that, if a householder telephoned the headmaster of the nearest school the headmaster would arrange for one of the children to nick up on Wednesday of each week any paper at a house and take it to the school. The committed owed a great deal to the teachers and school children of Wellington for the, magnificent job of pap_er-collecting they : had done. If every house in Wellingtonsent paper to a school every week, 'Wellington would, without any other supplies at all, be able to send away more than 50 tons a week. Provision for Shops and Offices. , For shops and offices the committee had prepared frames to which wool packs could be attached, and if a responsible person in each office or shop saw taat clean waste was placed daily into the wool pack large quantities of paper now being destroyed would become available. As soon as a bale was full the committee would call for it, leaving an empty pack, if the firm itself could not transport the filled pack. If a firm had' not sufficient paper to make the frame-and-bale system worth while, then a sack could be used. Factories, warehouses and printing works which had large quantities of waste paper could make arrangements either to deliver their paper daily to the depot, or if they had no transportation, arrangements could be made for lorries from the' depot? to pick up their paper. : Mr. Grant said that Auckland was lead---ing in the .collection of paper, but had onlv recently achieved, that distinction.; Wellington for some time having headed the list. Auckland had been more successful than Wellington in securing equipment which till recently had not been available in Wellington. Now, however,' with the new depot, transportation and! labour, it was confidently hoped that )v ei-l iington would again head New Zealand. That could not be achieved unless every') body co-operated and the committee knew; from experience that it was merely a. matter of again bringing to the attention of the people of Wellington the necessi y for the collection of paper. The only l types of paper that were not required were wax paper, cellophane, butter wrap-1 pers. grease-proof paper, or carbon paper.“We understand that a national puo-; licity campaign in respect of saving paper is under way, but so urgent is the need in Wellington for additional paper tna. we’ are making this personal appeal immediately and at the same time taking the opportunity of notifying all in Wellington that nre now thoroughly establi&neu at our new depot,” he concluded.