Rubbish - Overview

Official Council rubbish bags

The Council runs weekly kerbside rubbish collections throughout Wellington.

The rubbish collection is funded through the cost of the official Council rubbish bags. We only collect rubbish that's in the official bags.

You can buy these rubbish bags at supermarkets, some dairies and the City Service Centre in Wakefield Street. The recommended retail price is $11.04 for five bags or $2.21 per bag.

Collection in the Suburbs

Put your rubbish out on the kerb or road edge (with your recycling) before 8.00am on the collection day for your area, but not earlier than 5.00pm the evening before.

Make sure your bags do not block driveways, footpaths or roads. Wrap any broken glass before putting it in your rubbish bag.

If you want your rubbish collected from your back door, there is a user-pays service available. The backdoor rubbish collection is free if you:

can't carry rubbish bags to the kerbside and
are on a low income, benefit or pension.

To apply for this service or find out more information, visit:

Backdoor Rubbish Collection

The Council contracts Owyak Waste Services to collect kerbside rubbish in the suburbs.

Collection in the Inner City

The Council collects rubbish in central Wellington every night. Rubbish must be put out for collection in official bags between 5.00pm and 10.00pm.

Any rubbish that is not suitable for collection will be left by Council rubbish collectors. You must remove this rubbish by 7.00am the next day.

The Council contracts Transpacific Industries to collect kerbside rubbish in the inner city.

Fines

Fines of up to $400 can apply if you:

leave rubbish out for collection that is not in an official Wellington City Council rubbish bag
do not remove any rubbish which Council staff have left behind because it is unsuitable for collection.

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For more details see:

Waste Management Bylaw

Businesses

The Council will collect rubbish that is suitable for collection and in our official rubbish bags.

Businesses with a small amount of rubbish may find this a solution for their rubbish; however, businesses with a lot of rubbish should contact a private waste collector.

Private Waste Collectors

Unsuitable for Collection

Do not put garden or hazardous waste out with your rubbish.

Take green waste (such as grass clippings, hedge trimmings, small logs and soil) to the Southern Landfill for composting, or compost it at home.

Take hazardous chemical waste products to the hazardous waste store at the Southern Landfill. Hazardous waste includes:

paints and solvents
garden and pool chemicals
petrol and oil
cleaning chemicals and polishes
fluorescent lamps and power-saving light bulbs that contain mercury (wrap these first in newspaper or in their original packaging).

Environmental Concerns

Always put your litter in the bin. Otherwise it will end up in our parks, reserves, streams, beaches and harbour.
Report people who dump rubbish on the side of the road or by streams. This pollutes our environment and harms wildlife.
Never put paint, solvents or liquid waste into stormwater drains. The stormwater system flows without treatment into streams and the sea. These liquids poison marine and freshwater creatures, destroy habitats and disrupt ecosystems.
Cleaning vehicles or equipment into the stormwater system is illegal with a penalty of up to $1,000 instant fine or prosecution.
Put rubbish or recycling wheelie bins out for collection where they won't blow over. Always make sure the lid is completely closed.

Rubbish
Overview
Backdoor Collection
Recycling
Collection Days
Links