The 90-year-olds running Gore’s entire recycling efforts

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Two 90-year-old men are leading the majority of Gore’s recycling efforts, saving the ratepayers thousands of dollars and the planet.

The Māori word Pākeke translates to ‘respected elder’, as well as to ‘creak’ and crackle’ – and the two 90-year-old men agree, there is no word better for this giant effort.

Through the mens’ Pākeke Lion’s club, 650 tonnes of cardboard and paper is recycled per year to earn them $100,000, which they put back into community projects for the township.

The work is all done by 25 volunteers, none younger than 70 in an old re-purposed shed that was once an ice-skating rink.

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“We go along and compare notes each day,” says one of the recycling group‘s founding members Neil McPhail.

“And there is no use growling about a sore back or something else because you find out every second person that’s there is in the same boat.”

The club save the rate payer an estimated $100,000 as well as the planet, given the waste would otherwise be sent to landfill by the council.

McPhail is a retired sheep farmer from the Waikaka Valley. His good mate and recycling stalwart John Falconer is also a retired farmer.

Neil McPhail and John Faulkner are volunteers at Gore’s recycling plant.

Kavinda Herath/Stuff

Neil McPhail and John Faulkner are volunteers at Gore’s recycling plant.

Both 90, they have been on this project pretty much since the beginning.

Three decades ago the Lion’s Club saw an opportunity to make money via one of the members who worked at the Woolworth’s supermarket at the time.

The supermarket would send them leftover cardboard to press, and in return the club could sell the pressed cardboard on.

Commercial businesses got on board the recycling phenomenon, and the volunteer group grew to today’s 25-strong team.

Gore recycling plant is run by volunteers mostly above 70.

Kavinda Herath/Stuff

Gore recycling plant is run by volunteers mostly above 70.

“We’ve got quite a few, I suppose half would be in their 70s. We really only have one person that would be younger than that. About 20 percent would be in their 80s,” says McPhail.

“They talk about the men’s sheds or whatever you like, but ours is the cardboard shed,” Falconer said.

Not all are men though.

“We have one lady that comes along, but she helps in the books’ department,” he said.

Just as well, the annual book sale in October on average gathers $25,000 in annual revenue for the members.

Gore Mayor Ben Bell wants to reinstate a full recycling kerbside service.

Robyn Edie/Stuff

Gore Mayor Ben Bell wants to reinstate a full recycling kerbside service.

Today, the club are recycling the majority of Gore’s commercial business cardboard, paper, books and newspapers.

The members then choose a worthy project in town to donate the $100,000 earnings. Past projects included St John’s ambulance and the local hospital.

The Gore District Council has been sending plastics to landfill for years. When WasteNet’s recycling contract with Southland Disability Enterprises came to an end in 2020, the council opted to go it alone.

In the same year, the council reduced its kerbside recycling service to just collecting glass once a month. It offers glass, cardboard and aluminium recycling at the Gore transfer station.

The Gore Council sends paper and cardboard to the club and pays them a $25,000 levy. The commercial businesses they collect from make up the total $40,000 cost of running the plant.

There are 25 who help the service – and most aged over 70.

Kavinda Herath/Stuff

There are 25 who help the service – and most aged over 70.

Former mayor Tracy Hicks said the issue was the cost attached to recycling that fell back on the ratepayer.

Mayor Ben Bell wants to reinstate a full recycling kerbside service, but has suggested it is slow progress.

Roll on the Pākeke.

“We are keen on promoting recycling,” McPhail said.

So keen the 25 members spend five days a week on a 12-man roster system.

Recycling stalwart John Falconer is a retired farmer.

Kavinda Herath/Stuff

Recycling stalwart John Falconer is a retired farmer.

“If we sent the paper away we would be losing money. What’s returning is what would be our wages in a roundabout way.”

Aside from driving the flat deck truck and forklift, McPhail is group convener, there “for everyone else to growl at.”

“If it is too heavier work, I don’t do it, I let the young 75-year-olds do it.”

Falconer is on the press and tying the pressed bales.

The men are big believers in routine, they don’t mix up duties.

“It is a good job for a retired person. It’s a good chance to catch up with everybody and from that point of view it is good,” he said.

Both men, now widowers, agree it keeps them busy, fit and happy.

“You’ve still got to get out of bed in the morning, which is not so good in the wintertime,” McPhail said.

“I had an uncle once, he was about 92, and he said, ‘well it’s great to be anywhere now’.”

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