Aucklanders urged to use inorganic service

The city's popular kerbside inorganic rubbish collections have been replaced with a new collection service. Photo / Greg Bowker

Aucklanders are being urged to use a new inorganic rubbish collection service which costs $22.77 as part of their rates bill.

The city's popular kerbside inorganic rubbish collections have been replaced with a new household pickup to do away with the mess of picked-over junk, to encourage recycling and reduce piles of waste going to landfill.

One of the main changes to the old system is that people must put out material on their property, not on the kerbside or street.

The council works with body corporates to arrange collections from apartments and residents with tricky access.

The new service began last September on the North Shore, Waitakere and Rodney with about 20 per cent of households using it, said council waste solutions manager Ian Stupple.

This was a little below expectations and the 25 per cent of households that used to put out rubbish for kerbside collections, he said.

Mr Stupple said one of the key learnings from the initial service was customers wanted to know in advance when their collections would be. The schedule was now visible for the full year.

The council has opened citywide bookings for this year's schedule from February to November.

Residents can go online to see when collections are occurring in their area and make a booking. They will be reminded by email and text.

If residents miss the one-off collections in their area, they will have to wait until the following year.

Mr Stupple said the annual service, paid through a waste management rate, was a "use it, or lose it" service. Residents cannot get a rates rebate if they do not use the service.

The $7 million budget for the inorganic collection was based on how many household the council expected to use it, type of material and tonnage, Mr Stupple said.

For details of the new service, booking system and what items can and cannot be put out, go to makethemostofwaste.co.nz or www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz