Improving household recycling and food scrap collections
Making it easier for people to recycle and divert food scraps from landfills.
Making it easier for people to recycle and divert food scraps from landfills.
The original policy proposals followed the Transforming Recycling consultation in 2022, which showed public support for these initiatives.
As of 1 February 2024, the materials collected from households for kerbside recycling are the same across Aotearoa New Zealand. The accepted materials are:
Standardising the materials collected across the country aims to improve the clarity and effectiveness of kerbside collections. This will reduce confusion about what can and cannot be recycled at the kerbside.
Detailed requirements for what materials are accepted in council managed kerbside recycling, food scraps, and food organic and garden organic collections can be found on the New Zealand Gazette website.
This guidance document provides industry and local government further explanatory detail on the kerbside standard materials changes. The Recycle right at kerbside website has information for the general public on what can go into council kerbside recycling.