Kerbside Recycling and Food Scrap Collection

To reduce confusion about what can, and cannot, put out for kerbside collection all councils are required to offer the same kerbside collection services.

Why is standardised kerbside collection happening?

Currently New Zealanders generate more than 17 million tonnes of waste each year. We send almost 13 million tonnes of that to landfill. Food scraps make up 22 per cent of landfill emissions.

Of the materials households place out in kerbside bins and bags, two-thirds are placed out as rubbish and sent to landfill. In some countries two-thirds are placed out as recycling and only one-third is sent to landfill.

A standardisation of kerbside recycling and food scrap in Aotearoa New Zealand will:

• increase the quality and quantity of materials collected for recycling
• reduce the amount of recycling and food scraps sent to landfill as rubbish
• reduce disposal costs
• reduce greenhouse gas emissions
• recycle more resources through our economy and put more nutrients back into our soil.

By 2030, we want at least 50 per cent of all household waste to go into recycling and food scrap bins rather than ending up in landfills.

What can be recycled and go in your food scrap bin for kerbside collection