You can purchase official Council rubbish bags and rubbish stickers at:
- supermarkets
- dairies
- service stations.
You can use:
- official council rubbish bags (max 10kg)
- other rubbish bags 65 litres or less with an official sticker
- rubbish bags over 65 litres or garden bags won’t be collected, even if partially filled.
Safety tip: wrap sharp objects and double-bag tissues or hazardous items.
Charges for rubbish bags and transfer station fees are reviewed annually.
View current rubbish disposal fees
You can use our recycling and disposal guide to help with the reuse, recycling and safe disposal options for everyday products and household items.
A to Z recycling and disposal guide
Wheelie bins
We do not provide wheelie bins. These are provided by private companies.
Recycling bins
Each household is entitled to:
- one red bin – for plastics and metals
- one blue bin – for glass.
Red bin - plastics and metals
Use your red bin for:
- plastics #1, #2 and #5
- metal food and drink cans.
Plastic bottles must be:
- rinsed
- squashed flat (if possible)
- lids removed.
Blue bin - glass only
Use your blue bin for:
- clean, unbroken glass bottles and jars (any colour)
- lids removed.
Do not include:
Where to get your bins
You can collect red and blue bins from the following locations:
Damaged or missing bins
You can get a replacement bin if yours is:
- damaged
- stolen
- missing from a new property
No need to bring the broken bin. A friend or neighbour can collect it for you.
Need an extra bin (beyond the standard two)? It costs $19.00.
Old bins can be:
- recycled at a transfer station
- repurposed at home
- broken into smaller pieces and placed in your rubbish bin.
Moving house
Recycling bins stay with the property. Please leave them behind for the next residents.
Paper and cardboard
Do not place paper or cardboard in rubbish bags or recycling bins.
Instead:
- flatten into a small pile
- place in a bag or small box next to your rubbish bag.
What can't go in your kerbside recycling?
Some items can't go in your red or blue bins, including:
- takeaway coffee cups and lids
- broken glass
- liquid paper board cartons
- containers over four litres (4L).
Use our A to Z Recycling and Disposal Guide for safe disposal options.
What can be recycled elsewhere?
Items like these can be recycled at other facilities:
- e-waste
- light bulbs
- batteries
- soft plastics etc.
Check our A to Z Recycling and Disposal Guide for full details.
Where does your recycling go?
Glass is recycled in a plant at Auckland. The old glass bottles and jars are fed into a furnace where they are melted down to make new bottles and jars.
Cardboard is sent to a mill in South Waikato for processing.
Paper goes to an Auckland mill to be processed, becoming newsprint etc.
Tin cans, aluminium cans and plastics go to Auckland, where they are separated before being sent on for recycling.
Number 5 plastics go to Future Post in Auckland.
Why export some recyclables?
New Zealand’s small population means we don’t generate a lot of recyclable material, so there’s not as much demand for recycling processing facilities in this country.
Even though exporting our recyclables overseas means that they need to be transported further, it’s often a better environmental option than using raw materials.