Let’s get Recycling!
KERBSIDE STANDARDISATION
In March 2023 the Government announced that for the very first time, there would be a consistent recycling service across the country.
Having standardised recycling rules will make it easier for people to use our kerbside services and get recycling right.
Items no longer accepted in the yellow bin:
- Aluminium foil or trays
- Aerosols (like fly spray or spray deodorant)
- Lids
- Small plastics or papers – For containers, please nothing smaller than a hummus pottle, and when it comes to paper – nothing smaller than a Post-It note.
- Large plastics or metal cans – Anything over 4 litres such as large water dispensers, or large olive oil tins.
- Plastics 3, 4, 6, and 7 – look for the triangle on a plastic container to see what type it is.
For more information on the national standardisation programme, see the Ministry for Environment.
Please note that kerbside standardisation does not apply to Gore District Council as they do not have recycling services currently in place.
How recycling works in Southland
Kerbside recycling is Southland is collected by WasteCo and then received by the team at Recycle South. Once the kerbside recycling is brought to the Recycle South recycling plant in Invercargill it is sorted and put into bales of each type of material. As many recyclable items as logistically possible are then sold – items that would usually be heading for landfill!
There are some items that cannot be put in your yellow kerbside bin but are accepted by Recycle South. Check out their website to see what can be dropped off to their recycling plant in Invercargill.
Here are a few things you can do to take your recycling to the next level!
• Wash but don’t squash your recycling
• Remove lids, tops & caps
• Flatten boxes
• No food-contaminated items please
We have stickers and bin clips for your yellow bin!
To make things easier to remember what can go in your recycling bin and how to prepare it we have two stickers to go on your recycling bin – one for the front and one for the inside of your bin. We also have clips for your yellow bin
You can collect these from reception at Invercargill City Council or Southland District Council.
We have put together a guide on how to apply the stickers to your bin.
Here is the bin clip installation guide and video. More information on bin clips can be found in the FAQ page.
Yellow bin collection
All eligible properties are issued with a yellow-lidded mobile bin for the collection of recycling by their local Council.
Each Council has a different collection time, frequency, bin size and may not accept the same acceptable items.
HANDY TIPS!
- If you are unsure of your bin day, please look outside your street to see if others have put their bin out.
If it’s windy outside and your bin is barely filled, in order to avoid the bin toppling over and spilling its contents, you might want to consider waiting until it is sufficiently filled for collection.
Late or Missed collections
We do not empty your recycling bin if:
- It has been put out at the wrong time (too late) or was placed incorrectly.
- It was not your scheduled collection day. Check your collection day here.
- The bin was overfull (open lid) or was too heavy to empty.
- It contained non-permitted items (contamination). See what cannot go in the yellow recycle bin.
Check your bin if it has been tagged due to contamination.
If you have met the collection requirements and your recycling was missed, please report the incident to your local Council.
- Gore District Council
- Invercargill City Council
- Southland District Council
If we missed collecting your whole street, immediately call your local Council and report the missed collection.
What goes in your yellow kerbside recycling?
Yes Please!
Plastic containers numbers 1, 2 & 5
Glass bottles and jars
Steel, aluminium, and tin cans
Advertising mail and envelopes
Newspapers and magazines
Paper and cardboard packaging
Egg carons and cereal boxes
No Thank You!
Plastic bags (full or empty)
Food scraps
Clothing, shoes and bedding
Hazardous waste, chemicals and empty aerosol cans
All types of batteries
Nappies
Polystyrene
Cookware, pyrex, window mirror and drinking glass
Electronic and electrical items
Medical waste
Garden waste
Gas bottles
What goes in my bin?
Not sure which bin something should go in?
Try our handy search function to find out which item/material goes in which bin or if you need to dispose of it differently.
alternative recycling
There are some items that can’t go in your yellow lid bin but can still be recycled by dropping these items to designated drop off locations. We’ve noted these below.
Batteries
We have teamed up with Phoenix Metalman to provide a drop-off point for all kinds of electronic batteries in a first for Southland which will keep these batteries out of landfills. Please ensure batteries have no rust or corrosion, as these pose a serious fire risk and cannot be sent for recycling.
Where to drop off
Phoenix Metalman, 297 Bond St, Invercargill
Mitre10 Invercargill, Winton, Gore or Te Anau.
Liquid Paperboard Packaging (Tetra Pak)
Currently these items are not part of our nationwide kerbside collection scheme, so therefore need to be dropped off to a local collection point. Packaging should be rinsed, cut open and flattened. Keep all associated plastics such as lids and straws should stay on/in the packaging.
Where to drop off
The Batch Café, 173 Spey Street, Invercargill.
