Waste management
Last updated: Wednesday 10 June 2020, 10.10am
Here's some more detail on waste services in Kāpiti for the COVID-19 Alert levels.
Rubbish collection
Rubbish collections are considered an essential service, and Kāpiti collectors will continue to pick up your rubbish as normal.
Your rubbish must all fit in your wheelie bin; extra boxes or bags can not be collected by the collection trucks.
Used personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gloves and masks should be put into a separate bag and sealed before placing in the general waste.
Recycling collection
Alert Level 1 & 2
Collection companies to continue kerbside recycling pickup; all recycling will now be sorted and processed (the sorting facility is now up and running again).
Collection companies are advising their customers if they will be collecting recycling at the kerbside. Please note that the region’s recycling sorting plant remains closed, so all recycling collected will be going straight to landfill.
If it can be done hygienically, you can continue to clean and stockpile recycling on your property until this service is available or put it in your rubbish bin.
Green waste collection will also resume for those who have this service.
We need to all act responsibly to keep our essential services running. We urge people not to dump rubbish in public spaces and to follow all guidelines from your collectors.
Recycling will not be collected from Wednesday 25 March. The recycling facility in Wellington that processes Kāpiti’s recycling closed at 12 midday on Tuesday 24 March.
Please don’t put out your recycling wheelie bin or crate, as they won’t be emptied or collected.
Think about:
- reducing the amount of packaging you buy wherever possible
- reusing containers for other purposes around your home or property
- cleaning your recycling and stockpiling it in boxes/bags until recycling collections resume, so it will be recycled, not sent to landfill.
The Rubbish Trip has other tips on how to reduce your recycling stockpile during the lockdown.
If you must dispose of recycling in your rubbish, remember to squash it, and put out only a bit at a time. You need to make sure you don’t overfill your bin, as this will:
- overwhelm collectors
- impact on collection times.
Please note that different districts have different recycling systems. While some districts may still be collecting recycling separately to rubbish, it will still be landfilled, just like Kāpiti’s recycling.
Transfer stations
Alert Level 1
The Ōtaki and Otaihanga transfer stations are open to the public for rubbish and recycling drop off.
The tip shop at Otaihanga is open Thursday–Sun 9am–4pm. Ōtaki tip shop is temporarily closed.
The Ōtaki and Otaihanga transfer stations are open to the public for rubbish and recycling drop off, with the following restrictions:
- eftpos and account customers only (no cash)
- controlled physical distancing; this will be managed by staff – we expect this to cause delays
- at Otaihanga and NZ Composting, vehicle number plates will be recorded and customers may be asked for further details to support contact tracing requirements
- Ōtaki Transfer Station are using the QR system (similar to barcodes) to meet level 2 contact tracing requirements. For those customers with the free QR app on their phone this speeds up the process of recording customer details. If you don’t have this on your mobile phone, or don’t want to download it, the operator is taking customer details at the kiosk and loading via the QR system manually.
Ōtaki Transfer Station will also be accepting green waste.
Waikanae Green Waste and Recycling Centre
Waikanae Green Waste and Recycling Centre is now open.
Ōtaki and Otaihanga will be open to the public for rubbish drop-off from Tuesday 28 April (following their normal operating hours), with the following restrictions:
- Eftpos and account customers only (no cash).
- Controlled distancing through limited access to the “pit”. This will be managed by staff. We expect this to cause delays.
- No separate recycling at alert level 3. You can drop off recycling in the general pit area with your rubbish, but for now it is going to landfill, as the sorting facility that takes the region's recycling is closed.
- At Otaihanga and NZ Composting, vehicle number plates will be recorded and customers may be asked for further details to support contact tracing requirements.
- Ōtaki Transfer Station are using the QR system (similar to barcodes) to meet level 3 contact tracing requirements. For those customers with the free QR app on their phone this speeds up the process of recording customer details. If you don’t have this on your mobile phone, or don’t want to download it, the operator is taking customer details at the kiosk and loading via the QR system manually.
- Traffic management will be in place at Otaihanga to manage expected queues.
Ōtaki will also be accepting green waste.
We are expecting high demand at both of our transfer stations, so please expect delays and follow all traffic management and instructions. If you don’t need to drop off waste urgently, please considering delaying your trip. If it doesn’t smell, hold onto it for another week.
Waikanae Greenwaste and Recycling Centre
Waikanae Greenwaste and Recycling Centre will remain closed during Alert Level 3. Please use the Otaihanga or Ōtaki Transfer Stations for green waste drop-off.
CompostingNZ
The CompostingNZ greenwaste drop off site at Otaihanga will be open for greenwaste with physical distancing measures in place.
We are closing the following facilities from 5pm Wednesday 25 March to protect public and staff:
- Ōtaki Transfer station
- Otaihanga Transfer Station
- Waikanae Recycling Station
- Composting New Zealand greenwaste operation at Otaihanga Road.
This means no public waste, greenwaste or recycling drop off is available.
Commercial collection trucks and services will be able to access these facilities, so that rubbish collections can continue as per normal. Staff at the transfer stations will be monitoring the gates so that only commercial collectors will enter the facilities.
We’re aware that some households in Kāpiti don’t pay for kerbside collection, and normally bring their waste directly to the transfer stations. For these households, please stockpile your bags and clean recycling at your property for the next four weeks.
Consider talking to your neighbours who use collection services, and ask if they have some bin space they’d be prepared to share with you.
If you are gardening, consider home composting your greenwaste. Some great resources are available to help you get started: