A to Z recycling and disposal guide

Aerosol cans - empty

Empty aerosol cans - put into your rubbish bag or wheelie bin. 

Aerosol cans - not empty

These CANNOT go in your household bins or to landfill. 

Household chemicals and paints can be dangerous if they are not stored or disposed of safely.   They are harmful to human health and the environment.

Household hazardous waste 

Aerosols - hair care

You can recycle any brand of used hair care aerosols through the Schwarzkopf Cares Hair Aerosol Free Recycling Programme with Terracycle. 

Schwarzkopf Cares Hair Aerosol Free Recycling Programme (terracycle.com)

Related keywords

spray, can, aerosol, air freshener, insect spray, bug spray, fly spray, ant spray, spray paint, deodorant, hairspray, hair spray, deodorant, haircare, hair care

You can arrange to have your old or unwanted agrichemicals collected through Agrecovery.

Chemical disposal - Agrecovery Rural Recycling Programme (agrecovery.co.nz)

Related keywords

herbicide, pesticide, insecticide, spray, fertiliser, poison, fertiliser, fungicide, veterinary medicine, detergent, sanitiser, pest control, farms, orchards

Plastic containers, drums, bags, bale wrap etc. can be recycled through Plasback and Agrecovery schemes. 

Plasback - Recycling Used Farm Plastics New Zealand (plasback.co.nz)

Agrecovery - Rural Recycling Programme (agrecovery.co.nz)

Related keywords

agriculture, container, plastic drum, bags, bale wrap, silage, cover, feed bag, pallet cover, Polypropylene feed, seed bag, fertiliser bag, polyethylene container, HDPE, Vineyard net, monofilament net, twine, irrigation, tree guard, pipes

Cans

Rinse the can.  Put into your red recycling bin or drop off at any transfer station for free.  

Please do not squash the cans as it makes them harder for the machine to sort. 

Foil

Put into your rubbish bag or wheelie bin.

Trays

Put into your rubbish bag or wheelie bin.

Related keywords

soft drink can, beer can, tinned, tin, drink, soda, foil tray, food, soup, sardine, tinfoil, tin foil, spaghetti, baked beans, steel, food can

If it's in good condition, reuse it.  

Countdown reusable shopping bags that are damaged, can be returned to the store for a replacement.

Related keywords

shopping bag, bag, supermarket bag

Consider reusing bags for storing leftovers in your freezer, or for loose produce when grocery shopping, as a few examples. 

You can recycle soft plastics through the Soft Plastic Recycling Scheme operating in:

• Countdown stores across Whangārei
• PAK'nSAVE
• New World Regent
• The Warehouse.

Soft plastic includes:

• grocery bags
• bread bags
• bubble wrap
• plastic wrappers or foil-like plastic sleeves of products such as biscuits, chips, chocolate bars, crackers etc
• foiled coffee pouches
• anything you buy that has a soft plastic sheath. 

Have a look on the Soft Plastic Recycling website for a full list:

Soft plastics recycling (recycling.kiwi.nz)

Related keywords

plastic bag, shopping bag, ziplock, freezer bag, freezer bags, bread, grocery, bubble wrap, biscuits, chips, pasta, rice, cereal box liners, wrappers, courier pack, dry dog food bags, plastic wrapper, polyethylene bag

Batteries CANNOT go into your household bins or to landfill.

Consider using re-chargeable batteries instead of disposable batteries where possible. 

You can drop off used household batteries and power tool batteries at Bunnings Warehouse through their national battery recycling programme.  These include batteries from electrical equipment, toys, power tools and hearing aids.  They do not accept car batteries.

Where and how to recycle batteries - Bunnings  (bunnings.co.nz)

Phoenix Metalman Recycling recycle over 20 types of domestic, commercial and industrial batteries.  They will soon be able to collect lithium-ion batteries.

Recycling batteries  (phoenixrecycling.co.nz)

Car batteries

Car batteries can be taken to Phoenix Metalman Recycling.  There are two locations in Whangārei - Rewa Rewa Road and Hiko Road, Kamo. 

Recycling batteries  (phoenixrecycling.co.nz)

Also see: Household hazardous waste

Related keywords

battery, batteries, household, power tools, car, toy, lithium, lithium-ion

Beauty - empty

There are a few free recycling programmes with Terracycle.  

You can drop off any empty beauty products, no matter what brand,  at any MECCA or Sephora stores for recycling.  

MECCA Beauty Product free recycling programme (terracycle.com)

Sephora free recycling programme (terracycle.com)

Check the Terracycle website to see what other brands offer a free recycling programme.  Some brands have reward programmes and you could receive some complimentary goodies in return!

Free beauty recycling programmes (terracycle.com)

Make-up

Drop into the disposal box in the make-up section at The Chemist Warehouse, 21 Okara Drive, Whangārei. 

Recycle any brand of used make-up packaging through the Maybelline Greener Together free recycling programme with Terracycle.

Maybelline Greener Together free recycling programme (terracycle.com)

Re-purpose

Use empty beauty containers for storing small items in your home.  

Related keywords

lipstick, nail polish, foundation, compact, eyeliner, mascara, cosmetics, makeup, moisturiser, cream, perfume, toiletries, skincare, bottles, droppers, tubes, scoops, sachets, Detox, powder pots, tubs, plastic, pump, masks

Consider learning the basics of bike maintenance, e.g. puncture repair to keep your bike running smoothly for longer.

Whare Bike (facebook.com)

The Repair Café Whangārei holds free monthly events where volunteers donate their time to help repair small applications (no microwaves), textiles, bikes, wooden items, sharpen tolls and more. 

Repair Cafe Whangārei (facebook.com)

Related keywords

bicycle, bike, cycle

You can purchase a Zero Waste Box from Terracycle to collect empty blister packs in your home or workplace.

Use a free post label to send the box back to Terracycle for processing. 

Zero Waste boxes (terracycle.co.nz)

Related keywords

blister, pack, packaging

Put into your rubbish bag or wheelie bin.  

Related keywords

bottle, cap, caps, plastic, metal, top

Consider donating your old bras to Project Uplift who collect and send bras to women in need or donate to second hand op shops.

Project Uplift drop-off points (projectuplift.org.nz)

Related keywords

bras, clothing

You can recycle soft plastics through the Soft Plastic Recycling Scheme operating in:

• Countdown stores across Whangārei
• PAK'nSAVE
• The Warehouse.

Soft plastic includes:

• grocery bags
• bread bags
• bubble wrap
• plastic wrappers or foil-like plastic sleeves of products such as biscuits, chips, chocolate bars, crackers etc
• foiled coffee pouches
• anything you buy that has a soft plastic sheath. 

Have a look on the Soft Plastic Recycling website for a full list:

Soft plastics recycling (recycling.kiwi.nz)

Related keywords

Bubble wrap, soft plastic

Consider donating your unwanted professional or business attire to people in need to find work and dress suitably for interviews and the workplace. 

Dress for Success (dressforsuccess.org)

You could also host a clothes swap at your home with a group of friends.

Related keywords

clothes, clothing, shoes, work clothes, jewellery, scarves, handbag, outfit, suit, blouse, trousers, skirt, dress, jacket

Bundle your cardboard together and put out for kerbside recycling collection.   Alternatively, you can drop it off to a transfer station for free. 

All paper and cardboard should be flattened and placed beside your recycle bins.

You can tie it in a bundle, put in a plastic bag or into a cardboard box.

Make sure all paper and cardboard is folded into a bundle no bigger than your red recycling bin.  If you are putting your paper and card into a box, make sure the box is no bigger than your red recycle bin. 

Paper and card do not need to be separated from each other.

Rubbish Collection

Cardboard is sent to a mill in South Waikato for processing. This mill uses recycled cardboard and new wood fibres to make new cardboard.

Paper goes to an Auckland mill to be processed. This mill uses 100% recovered paper to make corrugated cardboard.

Related keywords

cardboard, card, tube, box, cereal, egg carton, postcards, flattened cardboard boxes, shoe boxes, cartons