KASSIE MACKAY | Culture
DISAPPEARING ACT
A Whakataki flatmate, Rhiannon Smith, is in shock this afternoon. Less than 12 hours after placing her recycling bin at the end of her driveway, the wheel-mounted plastic vessel is now totally void of discarded plastic vessels.
Smith, aged 23, shares a flat with three male friends on the outer edges of Whakataki and travels into work at 7am each day. Each Wednesday, she would drive to work in a state of confusion, puzzled by the sight of neighbouring streets littered with large bins. It was not something she’d seen at her own flat where, Smith says, “I just put everything in a plastic bag.”
However, the departure of three flatties for a boys’ weekend left Smith with a list of tasks to complete in their absence. Top of the list? Take out the recycling bin out by 7.30am on Wednesday. “I had to message the group chat to ask what that even meant,” admitted a red-faced Smith.
“I honestly thought the bin was for My Food Bag or something… like, my flatmate Rob leaves out this box and they refill it or whatever.”
It was to Smith’s surprise then, that on following her flatmates’ instructions, she found the large outdoor bin full of plastic containers. “I was so weirded out. Why would you keep these? But when I got home from work, they were all gone!”
Smith beamed as she recalled pulling the empty bin back up her driveway. When asked if she’ll change her ways and start recycling, Smith’s eyes glimmered: “I can’t wait to find out what else can go in that bin!”
More to come.
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