AT A GLANCE:
- Auckland Council is proposing a six-month trial of fortnightly kerbside rubbish collections in parts of Te Atatū Peninsula.
- If approved, the trial would begin in late February 2026 and run until late August 2026.
- Rubbish would be collected every two weeks instead of weekly, while food scraps would continue to be collected weekly and recycling fortnightly. At the end of the trial, rubbish collections would return to the current weekly schedule.
Why Te Atatū Peninsula?
Te Atatū Peninsula has been chosen as one of three proposed trial areas because it reflects the mix of households across Auckland — including families, younger populations, and a range of household sizes and incomes.
Audits show that nearly half of what goes into our rubbish bins could actually be recycled or composted. By making better use of your food scraps bin and recycling bin, households can help cut down what goes to landfill.
The full consultation document [931 KB] is available on the AK Have Your Say website.
MAP OF THE PROPOSED TRIAL AREA IN PARTS OF TE ATATŪ PENINSULA
About the proposed trial
If approved, the trial will:
- run for six months (Feb–Aug 2026)
- change rubbish collection to fortnightly
- keep food scraps collected weekly and recycling fortnightly
- involve around 10,000 households across parts of Te Atatū Peninsula, Panmure / Tāmaki, and Clendon Park / Weymouth
The proposed trial will help the council understand how households manage with less frequent rubbish collections, what support they might need, and what effect it has on reducing waste to landfill.
What support would be available?
We know not all households are the same. If the trial goes ahead, during the trial, households would be able to request additional food scraps bins and extra or larger recycling bins. Extra or larger rubbish bins would also be available after one month of the trial - once households have had a chance to give the trial a go.
Tips and advice would also be provided on how to get the most out of your bins, including managing smells, recycling right, and reducing waste.
Households that need assisted services would continue to receive support, and the council would monitor the trial to respond to any issues like illegal dumping or bin misuse.
Benefits of fortnightly rubbish collections
Cities such as Hamilton and Tauranga have already made the switch. By introducing fortnightly rubbish collections alongside food scraps and recycling collections they’ve seen rubbish to landfill drop by around half, and no obvious link to illegal dumping.
Moving to fortnightly collections helps reduce emissions from rubbish trucks, cuts waste to landfill and keeps streets tidier with fewer bins out at once.
FOOD SCRAPS BIN AND KERBSIDE RUBBISH BIN
Rates remission (reduction)
If the trial goes ahead, households in Te Atatū Peninsula would receive a one-off rates remission during the six-month trial to recognise the change in service. The amount would depend on the size of the rubbish bin your property has at the start of the trial.
- Small bin (80L): $23.30
- Standard bin (120/140L): $28.00
- Large bin (240L): $46.50
Local recycling and drop-off options
- Community Recycling Centre (CRC): Waiōrea CRC – 990 Great North Road, Western Springs; Tipping Point – 50 The Concourse, Henderson.
Check opening hours and accepted items before you go. - Soft plastics recycling: Woolworths Te Atatū South (Cnr Edmonton & Te Atatū Rd), Woolworths Westgate, and The Warehouse Westgate.
Local events and community partners
EcoMatters will be in Te Atatū Peninsula to hold events and share more information about the proposal throughout the consultation period.
Head to Te Atatū Peninsula Library on Friday 24th, 11am – 2pm, and Tuesday 28th, 10am - 2pm to chat with the team, ask questions, submit feedback, and learn more about the project.
To keep updated on events being added, visit akhaveyoursay.nz/collectiontrial. If you can’t make it to an event, you can watch our webinar with the Waste Solutions team to learn more about the project and hear questions from other Aucklanders.
Have your say
Consultation runs until 31 October 2025. Your feedback will help elected members decide whether the trial goes ahead.
Visit akhaveyoursay.nz/collectiontrial to read the full consultation document and share your views.
