Wellington rubbish truck driver shortage filled but collection delays expected to continue

A pile of recycling waiting to be collected from Mount Victoria. Photo / Vita Molyneux

High volumes of trash and a long-standing driver shortage are being blamed for Wellington's rubbish collection issues – but the company contracted to deal with it says it will soon be a thing of the past.

Since before Christmas, swathes of Wellington from Naenae to Oriental Bay have been left waiting for their bins to be taken – sometimes the pickup is delayed by days or even weeks.

But a spokesperson for EnviroWaste – the company contracted by Wellington City Council to collect the bins – says the delays are almost over.

"Wellington residents will be pleased to hear we've plugged our driver shortage and we've started the year fully staffed," they told the Herald.

However, even though the drivers have been hired they still need to be trained.

"As with any new job, this process takes time so some parts of Wellington may continue to experience delays in having their rubbish and recycling collected for a little while longer."

The spokesperson went on to say it's the biggest time of the year for trash, which has contributed to the delays.

"Christmas consumption, garden tidy-ups and garage clear-outs are adding to our drivers' workload in this peak period. Our team is working flat out and we appreciate people's patience during this busy time. If your bins or bags are not picked up on your normal collection day, please leave them out and we'll get to them the next day."