Lower Hutt’s rubbish and recycling services to get big upgrade

From 1 July 2021, all Lower Hutt households will receive one wheelie bin for rubbish, another wheelie bin for mixed recycling, as well as a crate for glass. Households will also be able to opt-in to receive a green waste bin.

Lower Hutt Mayor Campbell Barry says rubbish and recycling services are a core function of local government, and the changes agreed follow an extensive process and will modernise these services to ensure they are fit for the future.

“People across Lower Hutt have made it very clear that our current recycling service is not up to scratch. That’s why when I was elected Mayor, I strongly signalled our Council would urgently progress changes to bring our kerbside recycling service into the 21st century,” Campbell Barry says.

“The decision made today will mean that from 1 July next year, households across our city will have a modern recycling service, similar to what has been in place in other cities for many years.  This will significantly increase the capacity of kerbside recycling collection.”

As well as introducing an improved kerbside recycling service, Council has agreed to implement a rates-funded rubbish collection service.  This will mean all households in Lower Hutt will receive a wheelie bin for general waste.

“Together with changes to recycling, Council funded rubbish collection will result in savings for most households who put out at least one bag of rubbish a week, and create a city-wide system that incentivises people to maximise recycling and dispose of their waste in a responsible way.”

“Ultimately this is about getting the basics right, and making sure we deliver services that benefit everyone in our city,” Campbell Barry says.

By rolling out the new system to all ratepayers everyone in our community will now have easy and affordable access to kerbside rubbish and recycling services says Council’s Chief Executive Jo Miller.

“This is the single biggest change Council has made to improving sanitation, and reducing the amount of rubbish around our city. The decision by Council will have a significant and positive impact on our environment. An effective recycling system will cost the city less over time as landfill charges increase.”

Council will now move to negotiate a contract with the preferred supplier and commence work to roll out the new service. This will be accompanied by a campaign to inform householders about these changes.

More information on the changes can be found by visiting hutt.city/binchanges and people can sign up to hutt.city/binupdates to receive updates on the roll-out.