Recycling Bin Inspections
Recycling Bin Inspections are Back!
Starting 10 February 2025, bin inspections will return to help ensure the contents of kerbside recycling bins meet the right standards.
Why Inspections Matter
While most Southlanders do a fantastic job recycling, some recycling bins still contain contaminated items, undermining the efforts of those who carefully clean, dry, and sort their recyclables. Too much contamination (think of coffee cups with coffee still in them, nappies or other things that spread), can result in an entire truckload being sent to landfill instead of being sorted, sold, and reused. In some cases, highly contaminated loads pose health risks, especially since Southland’s recycling is hand-sorted.
We’re bringing back recycling bin inspections to:
- Reduce waste going to landfill.
- Protect those who sort our recycling by hand.
- Save ratepayers money in disposal and transport costs of contaminated trucks.
What's Changed?
With the government standardising kerbside collections on 1 February 2024, some items that were previously accepted are no longer allowed in your recycling bin. These include:
- Aluminium foil or trays.
- Aerosols (like fly spray or spray deodorant).
- Lids, tops, caps, pumps or trigger sprays.
- 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.
- Liquid paperboard cartons (like milk cartons or juice cartons).
How do bin inspections work?
Starting on 10 February 2025, real humans—not Bitz McGee—will begin conducting the inspections within the Invercargill City Council and Southland District Council boundaries. Inspections will occur on your regular collection day if the inspectors are in your neighbourhood.
The Recycling Bin Inspectors will check for non-recyclable materials in yellow-lidded recycling bins. After each inspection, inspectors will leave a bin tag with helpful feedback to improve your recycling habits. In some cases, you may also receive additional guidance via a letter in your letterbox.
There are three types of bin tags that inspectors may leave:
If your recycling is sorted correctly, you’ll receive a “great” tag with a smiley face as a thank-you for recycling well.
If there’s a small amount of accidental non-recyclable items—such as lids, polystyrene, aluminium foil, or the wrong type of plastic—you’ll receive an “almost” tag with tips to help you recycle correctly next time.
If your bin contains significant contamination, such as rubbish or too many non-recyclable items, you’ll receive a red “Oh No!” tag. Unfortunately, bins with a red tag won’t be emptied. Please remove the non-recyclable items by your next collection day.
FAQ's
Unfortunately, some recycling bins still contain contaminated items, undermining the efforts of those who carefully clean, dry, and sort their recyclables. Too much contamination (think of coffee cups with coffee still in them, nappies or other things that spread onto all recycling in the truck already), can result in an entire truckload being sent to landfill instead of being sorted, sold, and reused. In some cases, highly contaminated loads pose health risks, especially since Southland’s recycling is hand-sorted.
We’re bringing back recycling bin inspections to:
- Reduce waste going to landfill.
- Protect those who sort our recycling by hand.
- Save ratepayers money in disposal and transport costs of contaminated trucks.
Within the Invercargill City Council and Southland District Council boundaries.
No. The bin inspections will only take place within the Invercargill City Council and Southland District Council boundaries.
We will start bin inspections on the 10th February 2025.
The inspectors will be opening bin lids and looking at the contents of wheelie bins which are on the roadside waiting for collection. The inspectors may shift the bin from side to side to get a better look at what is in the bins, however they will not be sorting through all of the material in the bins.
As long as you have not received a red tag, the recycling truck will follow shortly after the inspectors and empty your bin as usual.
Recycling Bin Inspectors are looking for materials that cannot be recycled such as: plastic bags, food scraps, hazardous waste, batteries, polystyrene, electronics, liquid paperboard cartons, lids, tops, caps, aerosols and more. For more information on what goes in the yellow bin, click here!
Your bin will receive one of three tags:
- Green: “Great” = Good recycling, thank you – Bin emptied.
- Orange: “Almost” = A few non-recyclable items are in your bin, but we have accepted it today. Please read more about what can/cannot be recycled – Bin emptied.
- Red: “Oh No” = Contaminated bin – No collection due to many non-recyclable items (significant contamination).
If you receive an orange or red tag, your bin inspector will leave helpful notes highlighting what was in the bin that cannot be recycled.
No, the Recycling Bin Inspection Programme is free for residents.
Inspections will be occurring regularly across the Southland District and Invercargill City areas. Inspectors will review recycling bins on your regular collection day if they are in your neighbourhood.
No, if a property’s recycling bin is inspected and found to have too many non-recyclable items in it (we call this contamination), it will be given a red tag and will not be emptied.
If your yellow-lidded recycling bin has been tagged, please remove the contaminant and dispose of it into your rubbish (landfill) bin. Both the tag and the flyer left in your letterbox will tell you what item needs to be removed. Once removed, put the bin out on the kerbside for the next scheduled collection.
Our recycling bin inspectors will photograph the contamination in the bin that has caused concern and resulted in the leaving of the red tag, and therefore your bin not being emptied. You can contact us to discuss the issue. Our goal is to educate, not punish, so we’ll work with you to understand and if possible, resolve concerns.
Contact WasteNet on wastenet@icc.govt.nz
- If you live within the Invercargill City Council boundary, you can call the ICC call centre: (03) 211 1777
- If you live within the Southland District Council boundary, you can call the SDC call centre: 0800 732 732 or (03) 211 2500
No, the Bin Inspection Programme is covered under existing waste management budgets.
You can contact WasteNet by emailing wastenet@icc.govt.nz
- If you live within the Invercargill City Council boundary, you can call the ICC call centre: (03) 211 1777
- If you live within the Southland District Council boundary, you can call the SDC call centre:0800 732 732 or (03) 211 2500
You can also visit www.wastenet.org.nz for more information.
You’re in the right place! We have several resources available on our website. Start by checking out our handy search function to learn more about what goes in the yellow bin.
Solid Waste Kerbside Collection Council sets a targeted rate to fund the provision of kerbside removal of refuse and recycling within the service area. This is set as a fixed charge per provision of the service for residential, commercial and industrial properties within the service area.
For ICC: An additional set of bins can be provided at full cost: https://icc.govt.nz/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Rating-Policy-2024.pdf
Unfortunately, the tags are not recyclable. Paper or cardboard cannot be used as it is not durable enough to withstand our weather.
The bin tag is not recyclable. However, if this is the only thing in your recycling bin that is not recyclable, you will receive a green tag to say, “great” and some minor feedback asking you to not put the tags in the recycling bin.
Who to contact if you have questions:
Please reach out to your respective council or send us an email directly.
Invercargill CIty Council
Phone: (03) 211 1777
Southland district Council
Phone: 0800 732 732
Wastenet Southland
Email: wastenet@icc.govt.nz
