FAQs

Where do I put garden waste?

Hamilton City Council does not provide a green waste collection as part of the kerbside rubbish and recycling service.

There are private collection services available. Alternatively green waste can be taken to the Hamilton Organic Centre on Wickham Street, Frankton.

Can I recycle soft plastics?

No.

Soft plastics cannot be recycled in the kerbside collection service as they are often made of different types of plastics, making them difficult and expensive to recycle. They can also get caught in and damage the machinery, or mistaken in the machinery’s sorting process as paper/cardboard. This leads to contamination of the paper/cardboard recycling. The Soft Plastics Recycling Scheme continues to collect soft plastics.

Am I able to put black bags in the red rubbish wheelie bin?

Yes, you can use black bags in the red rubbish wheelie bin but you don’t have to. Rubbish can go in the bin loose, so why not save the waste and cost of plastic liners and go bag-free?

Can I put compostable products like bags and coffee cups in my food scraps bin?

No, products like 'compostable' bags, coffee cups, and other packaging cannot go into the food scraps bin because New Zealand does not currently have a standard for compostable or biodegradable plastic and can contaminate our food scraps composting system.

Which bin will I put nappies in and how will I keep my bin from smelling?

Red rubbish wheelie bin.

A community nappy trial conducted by Lake Macquarie City Council in Australia showed that the odour of bins containing nappies at the end of a fortnight were no worse than the odour of regular general waste bins at the end of a week. The trial also showed that odour does not significantly increase with time, nor with the number of nappies in the bin. But in the summer months, there are a number of things you can do to minimise the odour in your bin:

• Wrap the nappy into itself using the tabs.
• Seal nappies tightly in brown paper bags before placing in the bin.
• Store the red lid rubbish bin in the shade and out of direct sunlight, if possible.
• Consider using odour neutralising products in your red lid bin, for example bicarbonate of soda. Or add a couple of drops of lavender or tea tree oil to the top of the lid.
• If possible, tip the contents of the nappy down the toilet before disposing.
• Consider using modern cloth nappies, which are a cost effective and environmentally friendly alternative to disposable nappies – and they won’t fill up your bin.

These measures seem to be working really well in other parts of New Zealand, where fortnightly collections have already been introduced.

Please note the weight limit for the red rubbish bin is 40kg.