Is there a limit of one bin per property?

There is a limit of one rubbish bin per rateable unit (or dwelling). A second 240L organics bin is available on application to properties that already have one 240L organics bin.

What can I choose if I have a granny flat on my property?

If you have filled out a multi-dwelling declaration form telling us that the second dwelling or granny flat is not let, you will only get the choice of one bin for rubbish and/or one bin for organics for the dwelling you occupy. If the second dwelling is occupied you will be able to choose a bin or bins for that dwelling provided a kerbside collection rate is also paid. (Note: organics bins are not available in Ohoka/Mandeville/Swannanoa.) The base kerbside recycling collection rate includes the costs Council incurs around managing the contracts, administration, etc.

What will happen if I didn’t order any bins?

You won’t get any additional bins and you won’t be rated for the extra service. If you want to order bins contact Customer Services by email to office@wmk.govt or phone 0800 965 468. You can also order bins online. You will be asked to pay a fee to cover the cost of the service for the remaining part of the year and a delivery fee. The bin charges will go on your rates from the following 1 July.

How do I know how big my recycling bin is so that I can compare it with others?

If you lift the lid of your recycling bin, the size may be etched on the top lip of the bin. The 240L organics bin has a serial number starting with WK. The 80L and 140L bins have the bin size etched on the top lip of the bin.

Will the bins be left on the street?

The bins will generally be left at the kerbside outside your property and each bin will have an address label indicating the property it belongs to.

What do I do if my bins are not delivered?

If your bin doesn’t get delivered on the day we’ve advised it would be, contact Customer Services by email to office@wmk.govt or phone 0800 965 468 and we will check on progress.

If my property changes hands, can the new owner choose a different bin size?

The choice you have made will remain in place for the property. If the property sells during the year and the bins at the property do not suit the new owner, they will be able to swap the bin for a size that suits them. The rates for the property will not change until the start of the following rating year. If the request to swap is made within 3 months of the change of ownership there is no charge to upsize and no delivery cost for the first change. This concession applies where rubbish and organics bins are already allocated to the property and are being swapped for a different size. It does not apply to new orders. Following three months after the change of ownership, a fee will be required to upsize the bin options, and a delivery fee will be payable for each set of bins.

Can I take the bins with me when I leave?

The bins belong at the property, so you must leave the bins on the property when you move out. If you have an enhanced recycling service and you are moving, talk to Customer Services about what you can do with the enhanced service. The enhanced organics service will be cancelled if you move to another property.

What happens if I move into a property with no bin?

Please check that there is a recycling bin on-site before you buy or move into a property that’s within the collection area, and that it is the right size for you. If there isn’t a bin on-site you’ll need to speak to the seller or landlord to make sure the bin is replaced before you move in, otherwise you’ll be charged for the bin replacement. The presence of rubbish or organics bins will depend on the previous owner’s choices. If there are rubbish or organics bins at the property the cost for these collections will be included in your rates. You may swap the bins once without a delivery fee for a three month period after the property ownership changes (possession date) but the rates won’t change until the start of the following rating year. Any subsequent request to change will incur the pick-up/delivery cost. Any change to a larger volume bin will require payment of the difference between the charges for the bin being surrendered and the new bin.

What happens if I am moving into a newly built house?

Contact Customer Services by email to office@wmk.govt or phone 0800 965 468 to order bins for the property. We charge for a recycling collection service so you will need to order a recycling bin as a minimum. Rubbish and organics bins are optional. You can also order bins online. You will be asked to pay a fee to cover the cost of the service for the remaining part of the year and a delivery fee per set of bins. The bin charges will go on your rates from the following 1 July. (Note: organics bins and rubbish bag collections are not available in Ohoka/Mandeville/Swannanoa.)

What can I put in the organics bin?

Food waste including fruit, veges, meat, bones and fish, bread, pastries, flours, coffee grinds and tea bags, dairy products, garden waste including cut flowers, prunings, cuttings and branches less than 7.5cm in diameter, leaves and grass lawn clippings (as long as they haven’t been sprayed with herbicides containing Clopyralid, such as Versatil), human and animal hair, shredded paper, paper smaller than an envelope except till receipts, food-soiled cardboard containers, paper towels and serviettes. The bin lid will have a sticker inside that shows what can and cannot go in the bin, and more information about the service is available here.
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How often will rubbish and organics be collected?

Organics will be collected weekly. Recycling and rubbish bags and bins will be collected fortnightly on alternate weeks. Kerbside collection reminders and information is available on our web tool.

Rubbish gets smelly after a week, why is it only collected fortnightly?

There shouldn’t be too much in your rubbish bin that smells if you put all of your food waste into the organics bin (which is collected each week). If you do have meat trays and plastic wrap with blood in them, you can freeze them until your collection day. Nappies with poo should not be put in the bin – scrape or rinse the poo off into the toilet before you put nappies into the rubbish bin.

Have you changed what you take in recycling?

From 1 July 2019 we could not accept plastic carry bags, flimsy plastic packaging like biscuit trays or clingfilm in recycling bins. We also can't take liquid cartons like Tetra Pak or soy and stock containers, or cardboard cartons that have contained liquid in our kerbside recycling. From May 2020 we can't accept plastic types 3, 4, 6 and 7 as these are low value plastics that are no longer accepted for recycling.

I live in Ohoka/Mandeville/Swannanoa and I have a recycling bin. Will I be able to use rubbish bags? Will I be able to get a rubbish bin, or an organics bin?

You have the option to get a rubbish bin collection service, but not a bag collection. At this stage we’re not planning to provide an organics collection to the properties in your area because we don’t expect there to be much demand for it given the rural nature of this area.

I live in Ohoka/Mandeville/Swannanoa and I (or the previous property owner) opted out of the recycling collection. Will I be able to opt in and get a recycling bin and rubbish bin? Will I be able to just get a rubbish bin?

If your property is inside the collection area boundaries, you can opt into the Council’s collection service for both kerbside (recycling) collection and rubbish bin collection. You can’t just opt into the rubbish service, you will have to pay rates for both recycling and rubbish collections, as the base kerbside recycling collection rate includes the costs Council incurs around managing the contracts, administration, etc.

Why can’t I get a 240L rubbish bin?

Our bag and bin audits showed us that 60% of rubbish can go into the mixed organics bin, and another 9% could go into the recycling bin – that doesn’t leave a lot of rubbish. We’re trying to encourage waste minimisation and that’s why we’re offering three different sized bins for mixed organics and only the small and medium sized bins for rubbish.

How much am I allowed to put in my bin?

The maximum weight for any bin is 70 kg. The bin most likely to be too heavy is your green bin. Soil is heavy, knock it off before you put weeds in your bin. Distribute weight by placing heavier items at the top of the bin.

What will it cost to have an organics or rubbish bin?

Prior to bin delivery, you will be asked to pay a proportion of the cost of the service for the number of months remaining in the financial year and a delivery charge for each set of bins. You will receive an invoice and the bin delivery will be arranged after payment is received. The annual cost is included in the list of fees and charges.

Why do I have to pay a bin delivery/pick up fee?

The Council is charged a fee for bin deliveries/removals and this is passed on to customers. The alternative would be to increase the rates on all serviced properties to cover delivery fees. There is one delivery/pick up fee per set of bins delivered to a property at one visit. It’s not possible to pick up your bin from the Contractor’s depot as the bins are not stored in an assembled state to save storage space. The bin is assembled and the RFID tag is scanned and linked to the property when the bin is delivered. Refer to the list of fees and charges for the current delivery/pick up fee.

If I change my mind during the year, do I get my rates refunded?

No, the laws that allow the Council to collect rates do not permit changes to the rating base during a rating year unless there has been an error in the rates assessment. Adjustments in rates take effect from the start of the next rating year. This means that rates may not be taken off or added during the year. If the bin is cancelled before October 2019 the pick-up charge will be waived. After October 2019 the pick-up charge will be payable.

What will the fees be for stolen bins?

If you call about a stolen or missing recycling bin within 24 hours of it going missing (usually that’s before 5pm on the day after the collection day) you won’t be charged for a replacement. If the call comes after that 24 hour period there is a charge, depending on the size of bin. Refer to fees and charges. The final bin replacement price is set annually by the Council.

Do I get a refund of the price of any rubbish bags that I no longer need?

No, the Council will not be buying back unused rubbish bags. You are still able to use these in addition to your bin.