Collection days Collection Days

What goes in the bins

Learn about our different bin types and what you can/can't put in them.

What goes in the bins

Bin group

Which bin do I use?

Not sure which bin something should go in? Search for the item/material to find out.

Our bin types

Rubbish Bin
Ipupara Rubbish Bin

This bin has a red lid and is collected weekly.

YES
  • Any household items that cannot be reused or recycled
NO
  • Hot ashes or liquid
  • Hazardous waste such as large batteries or gas bottles
  • Soil, bricks or rubble

Mixed Recycling Bin
Ipu hangarua Mixed recycling bin

This bin has a yellow lid and is collected fortnightly, alternating with the glass crate.

YES
  • Plastic containers marked with recycling numbers 1, 2 and 5 (look for the triangle on the bottom
  • Paper and cardboard
  • Tins and cans
NO
  • Glass
  • Batteries
  • Lids
  • Drink cartons / Tetra Pak
  • Polystyrene
  • Plastic bags, cling film or soft plastics

Glass Recycling Crate
Pouaka karāhe Glass recycling crate

The blue crate for glass is collected fortnightly, alternating with the mixed recycling bin.

YES
  • Glass bottles
  • Glass jars
NO
  • Lids
  • Tableware and Pyrex
  • Broken glass
  • Light bulbs
  • Mirrors or window glass

Green Waste Bin
Ipupara tupu Green waste bin

This bin has a green lid and is collected every 4 weeks. Use it for garden waste only.

YES
  • Grass clippings
  • Plant cuttings
  • Wood cuttings smaller than 20cm diameter
  • Flax and cabbage tree leaves
NO
  • Rubbish
  • Nappies
  • Concrete or stone
  • Food waste

Where does my recycling go?

Find out where your recycling goes and what happens to it at the processing plant.

Glass

Glass is sent to VISY in Tāmaki Makaurau /Auckland, where it is further sorted for colour, and re-processed into new glass bottles and jars.
Cans and Tins

Rinsed cans and tins from your yellow-lid recycling bin have a much shorter journey: they go to metal recyclers Macaulay Metals in Seaview, Te Awa Kairangi ki Tai / Lower Hutt.
Paper & Cardboard

Paper and cardboard goes to Oji Fibre in Seaview, where the team sorts each item before identifying markets to maximise their recycling potential.
Plastics (HDPE 2)

Naturally coloured high-density polyethylene (HDPE 2) – like 'clear' milk bottles and detergent containers – go to Aotearoa NZ Made in Te Papaioea / Palmerston North, where they’re turned into re-processed pellets. The raw material is then turned into items such as wheelie bins.
Plastics (PP5)

Polypropylene (PP5) – which is used to make a wide variety of products, from sports gear to medical equipment – is sent to Astron Sustainability in Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland, where it is taken through extensive processing to turn it into recycled resin.
Contaminated & Unsuitable items

Sadly, these all go to landfill! Please make sure that your recycling is clean, with no food scraps, before putting it into your yellow-lid recycling bin. If you’re unsure whether an item should go into your recycling bin or your rubbish bin, look it up via the ‘What goes in the bin’ search bar.