Residents in the former Manukau City Council area will say goodbye to rubbish bags this year as Auckland Council introduces rubbish wheelie bins for a new service starting in September.
Almost 110,000 wheelie bins will be provided to houses in the Manukau and Howick wards.
Ian Stupple, Auckland Council’s General Manager Waste Solutions, says consultations with residents have indicated a preference for wheelie bins.
“From a health and safety perspective it’s also very positive," he says.
"In the last three years more than 80 Auckland rubbish collectors have been injured on the job due to dangerous items thrown away by residents in rubbish bags. With the move from bags to bins this risk disappears."
Residential properties will be supplied with a standard wheelie bin for household rubbish (120 litre), which holds two to three black rubbish bags.
A larger size bin is available on request. The 240 litre bin – the same size as the recycling bin – will incur an additional charge of $55 a year.
Housing New Zealand will provide all four-bedroom and larger HNZ houses with the larger 240L bins.
Heading towards waste-free goal
Auckland has an aspirational goal of being zero waste by 2040, turning its waste into resources rather than sending them to landfill.
For those interested in wasting less and reusing more, Auckland Council runs free composting workshops around the region and soft plastics can be recycled at supermarkets.
Key information
- There will be no changes to current rubbish collection days or the fortnightly recycling service.
- This service for the standard 120 litre bin is funded through rates.
- Bins will be delivered in June and July 2017, but won’t be used until the new service starts in September 2017.
- Collection services using the new rubbish bin will begin on 4 September 2017. Once this new service begins only rubbish in the bin will be collected.
How to apply for a larger bin
- The larger, 240 litre bins cost $55 a year.
- To request a larger bin, fill out an online form or phone 09 928 0934 before 31 March 2017.
- Requests received after 31 March 2017 will be separately invoiced to the ratepayer to cover the period up to June 2018. Payment is required from the ratepayer in advance of delivery, which will be from October 2017.
