Give old items a new life: book your inorganic collection

Last Updated : 10 Feb 2025
Inorganic service meets community need

Fine summer weather is the perfect time for a clear-out of household items you don’t need anymore.

The question is: how to dispose of them once you’ve decided they have to go?

Big ticket items like lawnmowers, whiteware, furniture, mattresses, couches and old bikes can be hard to shift if you don’t have the right transport.

A great option is to book your annual inorganic collection and have the items picked up directly from your property.

This saves you the worry of deciding if an item is reusable or not – the collectors will help decide for you.

What can be reused?

Inorganic items are collected using two trucks, one taking recyclable material and the other taking items for landfill.  

If an item or material can be repaired, repurposed or reused, it will go to a warehouse to be sorted and given a second life. Scrap metal, electronics, and whiteware are recycled or reused. Bikes and lawnmowers are either fixed for reuse or kept for spare parts.

If an item is not recoverable, it will go straight into the landfill truck. Mattresses and couches are often sent straight to landfill because they are badly stained or broken.

E-waste

The inorganic collection can also dispose of or recycle electronic waste or “e-waste” like old laptops, phones and cameras, as these can often be disassembled for parts or refurbished.

Where do your inorganics go?

Many items are given to local community recycling centres or one of more than 150 community organisations registered to receive reusable items from Auckland’s inorganic collections. They include opportunity shops, art groups, schools, social enterprises and non-profits.

Tapa Talanoa Collective – a restoration story

Community group Tapa Talanoa Collective were called last July to the inorganics collection warehouse after tapa cloth had been collected. They were thrilled to find genuine traditional Tongan ngatu and Samoan ie toga. Saved from ending up in landfill, these culturally important treasures are now being restored by volunteers. 

Traditional tapa saved from landfill to be restored

Traditional tapa saved from landfill at the Tāmaki Zero Waste Hub

Taking advantage of the inorganic collection means that Aucklanders can dispose of items they no longer need, while diverting material from landfill and benefiting our local communities.

Book your collection online

Auckland residents can book their annual inorganic collection online and receive a reminder and booking confirmation the week before collection. Items must be placed inside the property boundary and not on the berm or public footpath. Collecting items from on-property ensures materials are intact and reusable.

To find out the inorganic collection week for your property, visit the online booking tool at aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/inorganic.

Other options for your unwanted household items are giving them away to friends or family, selling them online, or dropping them off at your local community recycling centre or op shop. Be sure to call first to check they can receive the items you have, and you may find some op shops will pick up good quality items.

Visit aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/whereitgoes to search for places to recycle or get rid of specific items.

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