How Kiwis are recycling wrong - and how many are punished for it
New figures show how often New Zealanders put the wrong things in the recycling bin, and how many face penalties for it.
New figures show how often New Zealanders put the wrong things in the recycling bin, and how many face penalties for it.

How Kiwis are recycling wrong - and how many are punished for it
New figures show how often New Zealanders put the wrong things in the recycling bin, and how many face penalties for it.
Contamination remains the biggest problem for councils, with soft plastics, food waste and non-recyclable containers repeatedly turning up in kerbside collections.
A contaminated load can be diverted to landfill entirely, undoing the effort of everyone else on the street.
Councils use a mix of bin tagging, warnings and in some cases charges, though enforcement varies considerably around the country.

Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston has appointed Rahera Turner, Thora Huebner and Joanne Witko to the New Zealand Sign Language Board, adding new members as the board works through delivery of a 10-year NZSL strategy.

NZ Ambulance Association national secretary Mark Quin says Palmerston North Hospital's overloaded emergency department left ambulance patients waiting one to two hours to be handed into hospital care.

Dunedin families are facing the practical and emotional consequences of Wakari Hospital's Ward 10A closure, with some high-needs patients expected to be moved to facilities in the North Island.