[AKL] Free Additional Food Scraps Bin, Upgrade Recycling Bin from 240 to 360L for $40 @ Auckland Council

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Go to Deal

scott on 06/08/2025 - 14:33 aucklandcouncil.govt.nz (402 clicks)
Last edited 07/08/2025 - 09:14 by 1 other user

Some variation by area.

For Auckland Central:

Additional food waste bin is free; "If your food scraps bin is frequently over-full you can request an additional bin at no cost" - assume you do this via the contact form as there does not seem to a place for it on the bin exchange form.

Recycling bins are available in 120L, 240L and 360L size, all with the same annual cost. A one off $40 fee applies each time you request the size be changed. If you want an additional bin it will cost ~$120 per year on the rates bill.

Rubbish bins are available in 80L, 120L (standard) and 240L, with differing annual cost. One off $40 fee applies each time you request a bin size change. Decreasing from 120L to 80L saves (based on the reverse of the upgrade cost) ~$33 / year. upgrading from 120L to 240L costs ~$130 per year more.

If you rent, changes which impact annual cost require landlord approval, but if not, like changing the recycling bin size you can just pay the $40.

https://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/rubbish-recycling/bin-requests/rubbish-recycling-bin-information/Pages/rubbish-recycling-bin-options-charges-auckland-central.aspx#:~:text=a%20different%20size.-,Food%20scraps%20bin%20charges,Read%20fee%20table.&text=$13.08-,%E2%80%8BFor%20bin%20requests%2C%20visit%20Rubbish%2C%20recycling,and%20food%20scraps%20bin%20information.

Online for to request a different size bin

https://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/rubbish-recycling/bin-re…

Discussion from 3 years back (before food waste bins and the $40 bin change admin fee was added):

https://www.cheapies.nz/node/34618

Have been running a 360L recycling bin since then. Physically massive to store, but comes in handy.

Even with the $40 one off fee, I still consider the recycling bin upgrade a great deal. Rubbish bin downgrade could be worth it for small households that are not planning to move over the next couple of years, Upgrade is great value compared to skips etc. and of course the additional food scraps bin is free, and everybody loves free (unless of course you don't fill your current food scraps bin up).

Related Stores

aucklandcouncil.govt.nz

• 

  The Hound on 06/08/2025 - 17:23

  May have to upsize the rubbish bin when they change it to fortnightly collection soon.

  • 

    scott on 06/08/2025 - 17:31

    +1

    That's some time away regardless.

    "The trial is expected to begin in early 2026 and last for seven months, with a potential regional rollout in 2028, following further consultation and decision-making"

    Personally I don't think the trail will be a success. Bin is already starting to smell after a week in summer…

    Council is promoting this option for large households, but does not mention large households already with 240L bins. If the trial is a success and they do roll out region wide I would hope they offer a 360L bin like they do for recycling.

    https://ourauckland.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/news/2024/03/lar…

    • 

      The Hound on 06/08/2025 - 17:41

      +2

      Yeah you're right. Can't throw used nappies in the food scraps bin lol. But city council will prioritise reducing waste going into landfills. They aren't really bothered if your bins are smelly on your own property. Only a widespread public backlash will make them change their minds.

      • 

        scott on 06/08/2025 - 18:47

        +1

        Halving collection frequency is largely a cost saving measure, rather than waste reduction one. Per that link they are actively suggesting people who need it double their bin size, and noting that even if people do so, they will still be saving money.

        Of course there will be people that decide not to request a new size, and might create less waste to fit their old bin size at a reduced frequency.

        • 

          The Hound on 07/08/2025 - 10:57

          @scott: So retaining high council executives salary disguised as a saving the planet measure? I can totally believe that 😉

      • 

        apieceofpie on 07/08/2025 - 11:44

        Hamilton has had fortnightly collection on our 120L bins for a while, we have one child using disposables and imo it's about the right size/frequency, usually around 80-90% full. Can get a bit full if doing a clear out of junk, but easy enough to manage. Two kids worth of nappies would be more of a challenge, probably would just squeeze it in but wouldn't have much margin.

• 

  Saturdaysr4thedealz on 06/08/2025 - 17:40

  +1

  Extra food bins are free but will it have the extra annual waste charge? LIke the other bins?

  • 

    scott on 06/08/2025 - 18:43

    My interpretation is no, as an annual cost would be a cost.

    "Additional food scraps bin
    If your bin is often too full, you can contact us to request an additional bin at no cost."

• 

  Alan6984 on 06/08/2025 - 23:24

  +3

  Half the time they don't even collect our green organic waste bin. This time of year, that's just an annoyance, but in the summer we stop using it as it gets too smelly.

  I used to phone and they would then usually come the next day, but after it happened so many times I gave up calling.

  If I look up and down our street, I can probably see about fifteen houses or so. As far as I can tell, we are now the only ones that ever put out the green bin - everyone else has given up completely. Four or five years ago, it was most people using them.

• 

  kevin404 on 07/08/2025 - 08:26

  +2

  My wife and I had a 360L bin we would take out only once ever two months when the labels still existed, this turned out to be quite cheap and effectiver for two people. Now we been forced to increased rates, weekly collection (unnecesary for our particular case) and downsized to the smallest bin to make it the cheapest.

  • 

    itakestime on 07/08/2025 - 09:06

    +1

    We were the same. We'd be lucky to empty our 240L bin every 6 weeks as it just took so long to fill. Being that it cost per empty, it was an incentive to not generate rubbish (granted, it was only ~$8 to empty)

    Then they changed the recycling rules and got rid of tags..now we have to put so much more in 'general rubbish'.

    Seems backwards to me… ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

    • 

      kevin404 on 07/08/2025 - 09:26

      Yeah, it's not just the council but also many backwards measures that AT takes on around Akl. Westgate and Whenuapai (Brigham creek rd. in particular) became a nightmare to navigate. Maybe someone around here can explain to me what the hell is the plan of AT of placing traffic lights on two of the four inlets of the round about that connects Fred Taylor dr, Brigham creek and SH16 from the city to Kumeu, how is it meant to work when only two of the four roads have lights?

      • 

        ace310 on 07/08/2025 - 09:51

        +1

        It's a cruster-fck and nightmare to navigate those roads especially during peak hours. AT needs to add another entry/exit on SH16 else this is going to get even more worse once they open the bus terminal opposite briscoes. And upcoming kmart would even make it worse.

        • 

          kevin404 on 07/08/2025 - 12:56

          @ace310: Yeah, on top of that, who tf decided that Costco should only have entrance through one end of the building? Why does it not have another entrance at the back? Who the hell decided that?

          • 

            ace310 on 07/08/2025 - 13:00

            @kevin404: Costco ask for an exit to SH16 from the back but it got rejected. I heard there was some case between developer & AT

            • 

              kevin404 on 07/08/2025 - 13:04

              @ace310: There is an empty road at the back of it with already built columns in case a bridge was to be built over the highway to Whenuapai. Incompetence is unseen.

    • 

      Alan6984 on 07/08/2025 - 12:09

      they changed the recycling rules and got rid of tags..now we have to put so much more in 'general rubbish'.

      Seems backwards to me… ¯_(ツ)_/¯

      I am all for 'user pays' in most instances - why should you with only two people in your place have to subsidise us with five people? The problem with the tags was that they cost too much. Instead of one person in the truck doing everything, they had to have two people - one in the truck, and one to collect the tags. That was on top of the cost to print, administer, and distribute the tags.

      If they had gone with a more 'rational' system up front, it might have been different - QR codes or better still RFID tags on the bins, and you got billed for your usage.

      Problem then is that if you post-paid, they'd have the cost of chasing late payers, and god-help anyone that tries to push the cost of collection onto the people that create that cost, so higher rates again.

      If they went with pre-pay on account, and the truck systems refused to grab the bin if the account was not funded, then some idiots would have been complaining about how the council was getting free use of their money and not paying interest (all seven cents per year!) Plus people would have been out swapping their bin for someone else's when they didn't want to pay up (although sometimes bin tags were getting stolen too).

      Sometimes its easier to just accept that most people are going to whinge no matter what you do, and go with the simplest approach, which is to lump it all into rates, and everyone pays the same (depending on your bin size).

      • 

        kevin404 on 07/08/2025 - 13:03

        I fully understand what you are describing, its hard to find a middle ground that would check all the boxes and people wont abuse it but I also use Pay as You GO for my green waste and that works mint, they pick up when I book the collection online, I get charged when collection takes places, simple as that but councils are full of dinasoures that are happy to do things the same way they did when they move out of mom and dad house, this is why we need the next generation people to move in instead of doom scroll on instagram, it's tricky. Re: debt collection, I moved to NZ 10 years ago and I feel that NZ is quite happy with the usage of collection agencies, I experienced it first hand when I owed 30 bucks of ACC levy after being a contractor for six months, but, as you say, hiring a 3rd party service to collect deb is, effectively, a cost that adds on top of all the other stuff.

      • 

        Gibbo on 08/08/2025 - 10:48

        I actually like the idea of scanning. The payment issue could potentially be resolved by connecting to rates bills. People stealing/swapping bins could be technology tracked to ensure bin aligns with address, but has issues with larger development/units/apartment areas. Could do pick up refusals but would likely need high enforecement costs. Wonder what GPS tagging would look like… lol

• 

  richms on 07/08/2025 - 11:52

  +1

  I might upgrade the recycling because it would mean less breaking up of cardboard boxes to smaller pieces to stop it jamming and not getting emptied fully.

• 

  RealityCheckMate on 07/08/2025 - 14:22

  Ours is a 50m driveway. The rubbish bin got stolen.
  So we asked for a new one.
  We never got it - they said they delivered on the kerbside.
  They delivered another one to the house.

  On rubbish day, I found the owner of house x had two red rubbish bins. the address and numbers were all scatched off.
  Shall I tell the council or just take it back when its on the kerbside next time?

  • 

    scott on 07/08/2025 - 14:35

    +1

    Better to get the council to deal with stuff like this. You don't own the bin, the council does.

    • 

      RealityCheckMate on 07/08/2025 - 14:37

      apperantly it has a RFID , or used - to to track it

• 

  RealityCheckMate on 07/08/2025 - 14:25

  I do lawns once every fortnight , who is the cheapest for garden waste ?

  • 

    Alan6984 on 07/08/2025 - 15:37

    -2

    I do lawns once every fortnight , who is the cheapest for garden waste ?

    Cheapest is to eat it. Apparently its a substitute for buying butter.

    You probably saw the clever people saying you could buy cream and make your own butter, as it is cheaper (despite is costing more, but hey, all opinions are equally valid aren't they?)

    Anyway:

    Grass -> Cows -> Milk -> Cream -> Butter

    Therefore, quite clearly, you can just cut out the middle man (who is just making a profit from you anyway, and is therefore evil) - grass is a substitute for butter, and you can save a load of money!

    This is my equal opinion, despite it being gross stupidity ;->

  • 

    curiousb on 08/08/2025 - 12:29

    I know people who pay $15 per booked collection. Might be cheaper ones out there

• 

  Danz91 on 19/08/2025 - 12:23

  Has anyone received the $40 invoice for the recycle bin upgrade yet?