Rubbish service answers

A new pay-as you throw rubbish collection for the North Shore was announced in July. The new service aims to put the householder in charge of their rubbish costs by purchasing pre-paid tags to attach to bins. Auckland Council’s general manager waste solutions Parul Sood answers some of your most common questions.

1. What about other people dumping in other people’s bins?

Auckland Council is currently developing processes to deal with this kind of situation. However, it is an fineable offence, up to $400, to put items into someone else’s bin without their permission and is considered illegal dumping.

2. Some homes can’t fill a bin every week, what about smelly bins?

The pay-as-you-throw rubbish service means the less often residents put their rubbish bins out, the more money they will save. Rubbish bins should not smell or become messy if recycling items are put in the recycling bin, and food waste is put into compostible liners before putting into the rubbish bin.

3. Why are we being told to keep our old bins, after being told to throw them away?

Auckland Council wants to become a zero waste region by 2040. We encourage residents to put their old blue bin back into action as their general rubbish bin to save unnecessary waste going to landfill.

4. The new service seems like a moneygrabbing exercise masquerading as an ecochoice. What is your response to that?

The decision to go to a pay-as-you-throw is responding to residents who have told us they want rubbish bins instead of bags. Of those consulted, 69 per cent agreed with the user-pays system because they want the option to save money.

5. Why should North Shore dwellers have to pay for bin collection when other Auckland residents get theirs for free?

Currently, no Auckland residents get their bin collection for free, only rates-funded. North Shore residents do not pay the rubbish collection component in their rates. When the new service is introduced, residents will only pay when their bin is emptied by purchasing a pre-paid tag.

North Shore residents are one of the first three communities to trial the new rubbish service.