New council rubbish, recycling and food scraps collections
Together, we can halve the amount of household waste we send to landfill each year.*
That’s why we’re providing all households with new rubbish, recycling and food scraps bins to use alongside your current kerbside glass recycling crate from 1 July 2021. The service initially will cost $230 for the first year - including the existing charge for the glass recycling service of $37 a year - and be charged in residential rates from 1 July 2021 through a new targeted rate.
Households can also choose to have an additional garden waste collection for an extra $60 (4-weekly collections) or $95 (fortnightly collections) for the first year.
What kerbside services are being introduced?
Weekly food scraps and fortnightly rubbish and recycling collections will be added to the existing fortnightly glass recycling service. Households can also choose whether they opt into the fortnightly or 4-weekly garden waste collection.
What can go into the bins?
Food scraps bin: All food scraps, raw or cooked, including fruit and vegetables, meat, dairy, bread, bones and fish, eggshells and coffee grinds.
Recycling bin: Clean paper, flattened cardboard, plastics 1 & 2 (e.g. milk and soft drink bottles) – as well as food and drink cans (tin, aluminium and steel). Bottles and containers need to be rinsed and without lids. Plastics 3-7 will not be accepted.
Glass recycling crate: Glass bottles and jars only, rinsed and without lids. No broken glass, light bulbs or fluorescent tubes, cookware or drinking glass.
Rubbish bin: This bin is for rubbish that goes straight into landfill, because it can’t go in the food scraps, recycling or glass recycling bins. Excludes garden waste, hot ashes, medical waste, building material, large household items, chemicals and hazardous items.
Opt-in garden waste bin: All garden waste except flax, bamboo, pampas, flowering gorse, palm trees and cabbage trees.
How can I find out more about the new collections?
If you can’t find the answers to your questions on our website, you can call us on 07 577 7000.
When will I receive my new bins?
We’re rolling out the new bins to kerbsides city wide, during March, April and May 2021. See here for your suburb’s estimated delivery date range.
How do I add garden waste collections?
You can find out more about our garden waste collections, and sign up for the collections that begin in July 2021.
What if I am unable to move my bins to and from the kerbside?
If you are unable to move your bins, you can fill in an assisted service request. Your doctor or healthcare expert must verify your eligibility for this free assisted service and if your request is successful, we will collect your bins from your property.
Kerbside assisted service request
Why is the new service being introduced?
The new service will make reducing household waste easier, more accessible and more affordable for our community, and is expected to halve the amount of waste the average household sends to landfill each year by 2028.
The majority of households will see their current waste disposal costs reduced, while receiving a more comprehensive service – as the service provides a dedicated rubbish, recycling, food scraps and glass recycling collection for the same cost as using one and a half rubbish bags a week today.
Currently, almost 70% of Tauranga’s household waste sent to landfill could be recycled or composted instead. This is a result of our ‘opt-in’ system, where many households are unable, or choose not to take part in recycling or composting. We asked the community as part of the Long-term Plan 2018-28, whether we should introduces rates-funded kerbside collections to help reduce the amount of household waste going to landfill – and 66% of the submissions received were in favour of doing so. After listening to the community and assessing the environmental impacts of the current ‘opt-in’ system, Council made a resolution in 2018 to introduce the new collections. In late 2020, Council confirmed fortnightly rubbish and recycling, weekly food scraps and an optional fortnightly or 4-weekly garden waste collection will be added to the existing fortnightly glass recycling service from 1 July 2021.
*We expect the new service to halve the amount of waste the average household sends to landfill each year by 2028.
Last Reviewed: 04/03/2021