Kerbside Recycling Service: what you can and can’t recycle
Council offers a kerbside recycling service to all residential, rateable properties. Read on for all the information you need about the service.
HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
- Your recycling wheelie bin is for plastics, cans, tins, paper and cardboard.
- Your blue crate is for glass ONLY.
- Your collection day is listed on the sticker on your wheelie bin. You can also look it up here.
- All recycling (mixed and glass) is collected on the same day every two weeks.
- Recycling needs to be out at the kerb by 7am to guarantee collection.
- Clean recycling goes straight into the wheelie bin or blue crate – please don’t put it into plastic bin bags or other containers.
Check out our Top Ten Recycling Tips. (1.9MB PDF)
CONFIRM YOUR COLLECTION DAY
You’ll find your collection day on a sticker on your recycling bin to make it easy to remember.
This shows whether you are assigned to Week 1 or Week 2 for recycling collections, and which day of the week is your collection day. The recycling calendar here shows the weekly schedules.
All your recycling (glass and mixed) will be collected on that day, every two weeks. Your collection day won’t change on public holidays, except some years at Christmas, New Year and Good Friday. If your collection day is going to change, this is shown on the recycling calendar.
For handy reminders, download the free Antenno mobile app and enter your home address to receive automatic alerts the day before each recycling collection day! Go to nelson.govt.nz/antenno for the download links
PUTTING OUT YOUR BINS
Please put all your recycling (glass crate and wheelie bin) out by 7am to guarantee collection.
Place bins close to the kerb at least half a metre away from other objects. Make sure the lids are closed and the front of the bin faces the road (wheels facing your house). If possible, place away from cars and overhanging trees.
REMINDER – PLASTIC BAGS AND SOFT PLASTICS DON'T GO IN Yellow KERBSIDE RECYCLING BINS
Soft plastics like shopping bags or anything soft and scrunchy such as food packaging can't be recycled in your kerbside collection bins.
If you put plastic bags or other soft plastics in your kerbside wheelie bin, it can’t be collected.
The nationwide Soft Plastic Recycling Scheme is currently unavailable in Nelson. The scheme, run by the Packaging Forum on behalf of the packaging industry, turns soft plastics into fence posts.
The Packaging Forum is gradually extending the collection network across New Zealand. In the meantime, to provide a solution where collections aren’t yet available, they have partnered with NZ Post and Future Post to trial providing pre-paid soft plastic recycle courier bags.
These bags are available from NZPost and www.themarket.com for $7.00. More information including FAQs about how the service works is available at nzpost.co.nz/about-us/sustainability/soft-plastic-recycle-courier-bags
WHAT IS SOFT PLASTIC?
Any plastic, even if numbered, that is soft, lightweight and can be scrunched easily. This includes bags of any description, including bread bags and carrier bags, food wrappers, biscuit trays etc.
What goes in your blue crate?
Glass – only recycle empty, unbroken glass bottles and jars (clear, brown, blue and green) in your blue crate. Most residents will already have a blue recycling crate that they can use for glass. If you don’t have one or need a second crate, they are available for purchase from the Council Customer Service Centre on Trafalgar Street, or online from bettabins.co.nz.
For glass recycling please note:
- Only official blue glass crates will be collected. No other containers will be collected.
- Broken glass will not be collected.
- Overfilled blue glass crates will not be collected. Crates should be filled no higher than the lip of the crate, contents flush with the top.
- When the crates are overfilled the bottles can fall and break, risking injury to our collection team and others.
- The weight of the container must not exceed 14kg.
OTHER THINGS THAT CAN'T GO IN YOUR RECYCLING WHEELIE BIN. IF IN DOUBT, LEAVE IT OUT:
- Disposable facemasks
- Shredded paper (if you have shredded paper you could ask organisations such as the SPCA if they have use for shredded paper for pet boxes, etc.)
- Liquids
- Rubbish
- Meat trays not numbered 1,2 or 5
- Polystyrene
- Tetra Pak®
- Garden waste
- Food waste
- Disposable nappies
- Hot ashes
- Oven ware
- Electrical goods
- Engine oil bottles
- Automotive parts
- Paint and chemicals
- Ceramics
- Crockery and porcelain
- Large plastic items such as laundry baskets or tubing
- Clothing or fabrics
- Very small plastic items such as bottle lids (remove all lids)
Make sure to check out the Recycling Frequently Asked Questions.