Let’s get Recycling!

KERBSIDE STANDARDISATION

In March 2023 the Government announced that for the very first time, there would be a consistent recycling service across the country.

Having standardised recycling rules will make it easier for people to use our kerbside services and get recycling right.

Items no longer accepted in the yellow bin:

  1. Aluminium foil or trays
  2. Aerosols (like fly spray or spray deodorant)
  3. Lids
  4. Small plastics or papers – For containers, please nothing smaller than a hummus pottle, and when it comes to paper – nothing smaller than a Post-It note.
  5. Large plastics or metal cans – Anything over 4 litres such as large water dispensers, or large olive oil tins.
  6. Plastics 3, 4, 6, and 7 – look for the triangle on a plastic container to see what type it is.

For more information on the national standardisation programme, see the Ministry for Environment.

Please note that kerbside standardisation does not apply to Gore District Council as they do not have recycling services currently in place.

How recycling works in Southland

Kerbside recycling is Southland is collected by WasteCo and then received by the team at Recycle South. Once the kerbside recycling is brought to the Recycle South recycling plant in Invercargill it is sorted and put into bales of each type of material. As many recyclable items as logistically possible are then sold – items that would usually be heading for landfill!

There are some items that cannot be put in your yellow kerbside bin but are accepted by Recycle South. Check out their website to see what can be dropped off to their recycling plant in Invercargill.

Here are a few things you can do to take your recycling to the next level!
• Wash but don’t squash your recycling
• Remove lids, tops & caps
• Flatten boxes
• No food-contaminated items please

We have stickers and bin clips for your yellow bin!

To make things easier to remember what can go in your recycling bin and how to prepare it we have two stickers to go on your recycling bin – one for the front and one for the inside of your bin. We also have clips for your yellow bin

You can collect these from reception at Invercargill City Council or Southland District Council.

We have put together a guide on how to apply the stickers to your bin. 

Here is the bin clip installation guide and video. More information on bin clips can be found in the FAQ page.

Yellow bin collection

All eligible properties are issued with a yellow-lidded mobile bin for the collection of recycling by their local Council.

Each Council has a different collection time, frequency, bin size and may not accept the same acceptable items.

HANDY TIPS!
  1. If you are unsure of your bin day, please look outside your street to see if others have put their bin out.
  2. If it’s windy outside and your bin is barely filled, in order to avoid the bin toppling over and spilling its contents, you might want to consider waiting until it is sufficiently filled for collection.

Late or Missed collections

We do not empty your recycling bin if:

  • It has been put out at the wrong time (too late) or was placed incorrectly.
  • It was not your scheduled collection day. Check your collection day here.
  • The bin was overfull (open lid) or was too heavy to empty.
  • It contained non-permitted items (contamination). See what cannot go in the yellow recycle bin.

Check your bin if it has been tagged due to contamination.

If you have met the collection requirements and your recycling was missed, please report the incident to your local Council.

  • Gore District Council
  • Invercargill City Council
  • Southland District Council

If we missed collecting your whole street, immediately call your local Council and report the missed collection.

What goes in your yellow kerbside recycling?

WasteNet-Plastics
WasteNet-PaperCardboard
WasteNet-SteelTinCan
Glass and Jars

Yes Please!

Plastic containers numbers 1_2_5

Plastic containers numbers 1, 2 & 5

Glass bottles and jars

Glass bottles and jars

Steel, aluminium, and tin cans

Steel, aluminium, and tin cans

Advertising mail and envelopes

Advertising mail and envelopes

Newspapers and magazines

Newspapers and magazines

Paper and cardboard packaging

Paper and cardboard packaging

Egg carons and cereal boxes

Egg carons and cereal boxes

No Thank You!

Plastic bags (full or empty)

Plastic bags (full or empty)

Food scraps

Food scraps

Clothing, shoes and bedding

Clothing, shoes and bedding

Hazardous waste, chemicals and empty aerosol cans

Hazardous waste, chemicals and empty aerosol cans

All types of batteries

All types of batteries

Nappies

Nappies

No Polystyrene

Polystyrene

No Cookware, pyrex, window mirror and drinking glass

Cookware, pyrex, window mirror and drinking glass

No Electronic and electrical items

Electronic and electrical items

Medical waste

Medical waste

No Garden waste

Garden waste

No Gas bottles

Gas bottles

What goes in my bin?

Not sure which bin something should go in?

Try our handy search function to find out which item/material goes in which bin or if you need to dispose of it differently.

alternative recycling

There are some items that can’t go in your yellow lid bid but can still be recycled by dropping these items to designated drop off locations. We’ve noted these below.

battery recycling

Batteries

We have teamed up with Phoenix Metalman to provide a drop-off point for all kinds of electronic batteries in a first for Southland which will keep these batteries out of landfills. Please ensure batteries have no rust or corrosion, as these pose a serious fire risk and cannot be sent for recycling.

 

Where to drop off
Phoenix Metalman, 297 Bond St, Invercargill
Mitre10 Invercargill, Winton, Gore or Te Anau.

Tetra Pak

Liquid Paperboard Packaging (Tetra Pak)

Currently these items are not part of our nationwide kerbside collection scheme, so therefore need to be dropped off to a local collection point. Packaging should be rinsed, cut open and flattened. Keep all associated plastics such as lids and straws should stay on/in the packaging.

 

Where to drop off
The Batch Café, 173 Spey Street, Invercargill.

HAVE recyclables that don’t fit in your kerbside YELLOW bin?

Take these to Recycle South