Rubbish and Recycling change FAQs

I missed the deadline - can I still make bin selections?

You can't make a bin selection currently because HCC has now ordered bins in line with selections made. Households that didn't make a selection will receive the default bins: a 120-litre rubbish bin and a 240-litre recycling bin.

If you'd like to change your bin sizes, please complete the bin  enquiry form

Note: a service charge may apply to any changes made. Details of any applicable charges are shown on the bin enquiry form.

What happens next?

1. If you use a private provider for your rubbish collection service, make sure your current contract ends before 1 July 2021.
2. Bins will be delivered through May and June.
3. When you receive your new bins:
   1. Check the side of the red rubbish bin for a sticker with your collection day on it and a handy guide on the new service.
   2. It's really important to remember that your bins can't be used until the service starts from 1 July, so continue with your current service until that time. In the meantime, you can store your bins in your garage, garden, or down the side of your house. 
   3. For some residents living in apartments or multi-unit dwellings, your bin deliveries may be a little different so we'll be in touch soon to let you know how this will work.

What size are the new bins? 

A 120-litre bin should suit most people; however, it depends on how much rubbish you throw out!

• A 240-litre bin is equal to about 4 rubbish bags
• A 120-litre bin is equal to about 2 rubbish bags
• And an 80-litre bin is equal to about 1.3 rubbish bags

The standard recycling bin will be 240-litres and will be collected every fortnight. Smaller 120-litre recycling bins are also available but the price will be the same.

What can I put into each bin?

Recycling

For recycling, you can put plastic bottles and containers 1 and 2*, paper, cardboard, food tins and aluminium cans into your bin. Please don’t put food waste, soft plastics - even if they are 1, 2 (or 5) - nappies, rubbish, paint containers, green waste and batteries, etc into your recycling bin.

*We will be re-introducing number 5 plastics after July 2021. We are waiting for some new technology to be installed before they can be collected for recycling.

Green waste

You can put grass clippings and plant cuttings into your green bin. Please do not put food waste, nappies, rubbish, batteries, etc in it.

Rubbish bin 

You can put food waste, nappies, soiled cardboard, other plastic packaging, lids, tetrapaks, etc into the rubbish bin. Please don’t put hot ash, liquids, or other hazardous waste in it.

Will this be cheaper than rubbish bags?

Yes, for most people.

If you use Council’s rubbish bag collection service, and you use one or more bags per week, then the new service will be cheaper for you. It should also be cheaper than most private weekly collections.

For example, if you use one Hutt City Council rubbish bag a week, you currently pay $143 a year. If you select an 80-litre rubbish bin (with enough room for 1.3 bags) you will pay an estimated $114 per year.

For those of you who use fewer than one Council rubbish bag per week, you may end up paying slightly more. However, from 1 July, everyone will have access to a kerbside rubbish and recycling collection service which will result in a smaller carbon footprint for our planet.

Can I still use rubbish bags?

Only until 30 June 2021 when production and distribution of council rubbish bags will end. From 1 July 2021 the new kerbside bin service will be available to every household in Lower Hutt.

I’m a business using Council rubbish bags, what do I do?

Council’s rubbish bag service will cease on 30 June 2021. Please contact a private waste service provider to arrange for an alternative waste and recycling collection service for your commercial property.

What do I do with my current rubbish service?

From 1 July 2021, all homes will be provided with a rubbish bin, collected weekly. The service will be charged through rates and you cannot opt out. If you don't want to effectively pay twice, you should make sure you end the contract you have with your current service provider before 1 July 2021.

I've already paid for a full year’s service with a private company. Can I continue to be serviced by them and, if not, will I be issued a refund for the overlap?

If your current service provider is Waste Management, you will be eligible for a refund. Please contact Waste Management to confirm. Waste Management will be providing the new service from 1 July 2021.

If your current service provider is not Waste Management, please contact them to discuss your options. Whether you are eligible for a refund from your private supplier may depend on your current contract.

Can I opt out of the new service?

You can decide not to use the Council service for rubbish or recycling, however the cost of the service will still be incorporated into your rates.

What does this mean for community recycling stations?

­­­­Our recycling stations are prone to illegal dumping of rubbish and the recycling tends to be contaminated.

Due to the bigger recycling bins (currently about 50 litres per week vs about 150 litres per week in the future), remaining community recycling stations will close.

The recycling station in front of the Seaview transfer station (not owned by us) is not affected by our changes.

How will people with disabilities or mobility challenges access the new services?

We will provide an assisted wheel-out and wheel-in service. If you have a disability or face mobility challenges and you don’t have anyone to assist you, please contact us by phone 04 570 6666 or complete our bin  enquiry form

What if my property is hard to access?

If you have a long or steep driveway, you might be able to store the bins at the end of your driveway, as long as they’re kept on your property.

Alternatively towbar hitches like the following can be bought online:

• Wheelie bin tow hitch
• Bin Towa Wheelie Bin Tow Accessory

What if I live on a private road?

HCC will contact you to secure your permission to use the road. If the road is narrow and winding, we'll need to assess the situation and possibly make different arrangements for pickup if trucks are unable to manage this. 

Do I have to purchase the new bins?

No, you will pay for the service through your rates and the bins will be provided as part of this.

Can I put green waste into the new rubbish bins?

If green waste goes to landfill, it creates methane, a greenhouse gas significantly more potent than carbon dioxide.

So we recommend residents dispose of their green waste on their own properties through composting. There is always the option of using the green waste collection service.

A Council green waste collection service is available four-weekly or there are other private collection options through Waste Management or Composting NZ. If neither of these options is suitable, you can dispose of green waste in your general rubbish bin.

Please complete the bin  enquiry form to see fee's and order a green waste bin.

Can the green waste bins be collected more often?

We will not be offering a green waste service that is collected more than every four weeks. If that doesn’t work for you, there are private services that are available on a weekly basis.

What can I put into the green waste bins?

Our green waste bins are only for garden waste, including grass clippings and plant cuttings. Please put food waste into your compost or worm farm, or, alternatively, in the rubbish bin.

What are the exact dimensions of the wheelie bins?

The exact bin dimensions are:

How do I fit all of the bins on the kerb on collection day?

Collection of different bins will be on different weeks. For example, one week you’ll put out your rubbish and recycling bins, the other you’ll put out your rubbish bin and your glass crate.

For flats, shared driveways and cul-de-sacs, you might need to work with your neighbours to find a safe and appropriate space to place your bins. This may mean putting all the bins together, and you may have your neighbours’ bins outside your property on collection day.

Can I have only the rubbish bin delivered or only the recycling bin delivered?

Every household will receive rubbish and recycling bins. If you don’t want to receive the bins, please contact us on 04 570 6666. Please note that the targeted rate will still be charged to the property.

What if I’m renting?

Your landlord pays for the new rubbish and recycling bins as part of the property’s rates. If you want to change the size of your bins, please talk to your landlord.

You can still request assistance for kerbside collection due to a disability or medical reason if you are a tenant.

What if I live in a unit or apartment?

We will assess your property so we can come up with the best solution. For example, we could offer 660 litre bins, as long as there is an appropriate area for waste storage on the property.

Will I be charged for this service if I have a vacant lot?

If your land is vacant (doesn’t have a home or anything else on it) it will not need a rubbish/recycling bin or a glass crate. We will not deliver bins and you will not need to pay the targeted rates.

What will happen to my old recycling crates?

After July 2021, we will pick-up your old green crates if you don’t want to hold on to them for another use such as gardening or storage. The old crates that people don't want will be recycled.

Do I take my bins with me when I move?

All bins and crates should remain with the property. If you move somewhere else in Lower Hutt there will be bins available there.

Where are the bins being manufactured?

We’d hoped the bins could have been manufactured locally but due to the scale of the project, it became clear we needed to get the bins made in Adelaide, Australia, as there is no New Zealand supplier who could manufacture bins on the scale that we need. We’re pleased to confirm that they’re being assembled and distributed by a 100% Kiwi-owned company.

I have a new property that hasn’t been rated yet. How do I order a bin?

Please complete our bin enquiry form and we can arrange this for you.