Three-quarters of the material was on-sold for recycling.
Dunedin City Council Water and Waste Services solid waste manager, Ian Featherston, said 7943 tonnes of recyclable material was collected from Dunedin kerbs in 2009, down from 7953 tonnes in 2008.
However, he was delighted the market for recycled cans, plastics, cardboard, paper and glass was buoyant again in New Zealand, after a collapse in October 2008.
In 2008, 62% of the recyclable material collected was sold.
Of the 7934 tonnes collected in 2009, 76% was sold to domestic and international recycling companies, and the percentage was expected to increase during the next 12 months, he said.
The market collapse in 2008 was caused by the global credit crunch which caused international markets for material - particularly plastics and glass - to dry up.
Mr Featherston said recycling services across the country diminished, staff were laid off and recyclable materials were stockpiled as councils and contractors tried to find ways to deal with the slump in the world market for recycled materials.
Since then, the market had rejuvenated and several new New Zealand markets had been established, including two new plastic recycling companies in Christchurch, he said.
Glass was still being stockpiled at the Green Island landfill because the domestic market had not buoyed again yet.
But an Auckland-based glass manufacturer which used recycled glass was due to start another furnace this year and Mr Featherston was confident most of Dunedin's glass mountain would be sent there.
"The rest is being crushed, to be used as aggregate at Dunedin sites. It's positive, in that there's more jobs being created for New Zealanders and it's keeping reusable materials out of the landfill," Mr Featherston said.
Central Otago Wastebusters manager Brian Fitzgerald said he also had noticed a rejuvenation in the recycling market.
"It's gone from a slow market at the beginning of the year to the point where we can now sell everything that we collect."
During 2009, the facility had collected and sold 1100 tonnes of cardboard, paper, metals and plastics, and had managed to sell 2400 tonnes of glass, which had been stockpiled.
Waitaki Resource Recovery Trust manager Marian Shore said the Oamaru centre had collected 2346 tonnes of glass, plastics, metals and foam from furniture in 2009, all of which had been on-sold to recycling companies.
Recyclable material had been extracted from all refuse, and accounted for 71% of all waste taken to the transfer station, she said.
RECYCLING
Recyclable material collected and sold in 2009:
Dunedin: 7943 (76%)
Central Otago: 3500 (100%)
Waitaki: 2346 tonnes (100%)
