Litter and illegal rubbish dumping

Illegally dumped rubbish is a problem for our community and our environment – it costs us all. If you see illegal dumping or littering (sometimes called fly-tipping) let us know, as there are penalties for both of these in Kāpiti. 

What's the problem? | Reporting illegal dumping | Infringement fees 

What's the problem?

Illegally dumped rubbish:

  • can be dangerous to the public, as it may contain hazardous objects such as sharp objects or asbestos
  • costs us all, diverting money from other things that benefit our community
  • can harm our local environment, injuring or killing birds, fish, plants, and damaging soil and waterways
  • decreases enjoyment of our shared spaces.

Reporting illegal dumping

You can report rubbish and littering to us by telephone, using our online contact us or report a problem form, or through our Antenno app.

Infringement fees

Rubbish dumping is an offence under the Litter Act 1979. Council officers can issue infringement notices between $100 and $400, depending on the type and amount of litter.

Infringement notices for disposal of waste in Kāpiti Coast District in a public place, or on private land, without the occupier’s consent:

Typical offences First offence Second or subsequent offence within 1 year

Depositing litter of less than or equal to one litre by volume

Eg, takeaway food/drink containers, cigarette butts, plastic drink bottles.		 $100 $400

Depositing litter from 1 to 20 litres by volume*

Eg, roadside dumping of household rubbish or accumulated car waste or putting it in public litter bins.		 $200 $400
  • Depositing litter from 20* to 120** litres by volume
  • Depositing any litter in a Council park or reserve
Eg, roadside dumping of smaller volumes of household or green waste, or of any pest plant material.		 $300 $400
  • Depositing litter of more than 120 litres** by volume
  • Depositing of hazardous litter
Eg, dumping commercial waste, dumping disposable nappies, car parts or glass, e-waste, animal remains or anything that has a hazardous chemical residue.		 $400 $400

 *20L is the approximate capacity of a small pull-out kitchen or bathroom rubbish bin

**120L is the approximate max. capacity of two 'usual' black rubbish bags for household (60L per bag)

Reduce, reuse, re-purpose

Before throwing something away, think whether it could be reused, donated, repaired, recycled, or composted. You can:

  • Seek out a new home for your unwanted stuff. Try your community networks or op shops to see if someone needs what you’ve got – you’d be surprised by what people are looking for.

  • Make use of FREE e-waste recycling station at the Otaihanga Zero Waste.

  • Fix that toaster! Keep an eye out for repair café events to get malfunctioning kit another shot. It’s often a quick fix.

  • Shocking amounts of organic waste goes to NZ landfills every year. Get your green waste into the compost and free up bin space for what really needs leave the property.

  • The re-use shop at Otaihanga Zero Waste focuses on selling building materials, electronics and household appliances.

  • Know the drill with your recyclables – what’s accepted and what’s not. You can get rid of things like plastic, glass and cardboard for FREE at our transfer stations.

  • Not sure what to do with hazardous waste – check out our information on recycling options and safe disposal.