A to Z recycling and disposal guide

Use this recycling and disposal guide to help with the reuse, recycling and safe disposal options for everyday products and household items.

You can search for items by one or more options below:

  • name or keywords (e.g. caps, cans, tops, etc)
  • filter by the disposal method (e.g. view all items that can go in your red recycling bin etc).
  • filter by the category (e.g. building, food / drink, plastics etc). 

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Consider donating your unwanted professional or business attire to people in need to find work and dress suitably for interviews and the workplace. 

Dress for Success (dressforsuccess.org)

You could also host a clothes swap at your home with a group of friends.


Related keywords

clothes, clothing, shoes, work clothes, jewellery, scarves, handbag, outfit, suit, blouse, trousers, skirt, dress, jacket

Bundle your cardboard together and put out for kerbside recycling collection.   Alternatively, you can drop it off to a transfer station for free. 

All paper and cardboard should be flattened and placed beside your recycle bins.

You can tie it in a bundle, put in a plastic bag or into a cardboard box.

Make sure all paper and cardboard is folded into a bundle no bigger than your red recycling bin.  If you are putting your paper and card into a box, make sure the box is no bigger than your red recycle bin. 

Paper and card do not need to be separated from each other.

Rubbish Collection

Cardboard is sent to a mill in South Waikato for processing. This mill uses recycled cardboard and new wood fibres to make new cardboard.

Paper goes to an Auckland mill to be processed. This mill uses 100% recovered paper to make corrugated cardboard.


Related keywords

cardboard, card, tube, box, cereal, egg carton, postcards, flattened cardboard boxes, shoe boxes, cartons

If in a good condition, donate them to your local second hand op shop.

If broken, please wrap.

Rubbish bag and wheelie bin icon. Put into your rubbish bag or wheelie bin.  


Related keywords

plate, bowl, platter, saucer, cup, cookware, pottery, ceramic, stoneware, stoneware, crockery, mug

Household hazardous waste can be dropped at Re:Sort at 201 Kioreroa Road from 8:00am – 12:00pm on scheduled amnesty days.

Household hazardous waste includes small quantities of substances such as garden chemicals, sprays, powders, cleaning products and pool chemicals. 

Household hazardous waste disposal (nrc.govt.nz)


Related keywords

herbicide, insect spray, pesticide, insecticide, mercury, metho, meths, methylated spirits, coolant, diesel, petrol, unleaded, drain cleaner, windex, spray, fertiliser, bug spray, fly spray, thermometer, nail polish, polish remover, oven cleaner, paint stripper, paint thinner, poison, polish, pool cleaner, rat poison, thinners, Turpentine, turps, car wax, bleach, brake fluid, coolant, disinfectant, fertiliser, herbicide, cleaning products, insecticide, pesticide, pool chemicals, chlorine, solvents, paint thinner, stain remover, kerosene, kero, kerocene, baits, cockroach, insect, mouse, poison, gipsom, gypsum, lubricant, paraffin, transmission fluid, Silvo, ammonia

Consider donating your old, expired child car seat to the Seat Smart project. They dismantle the seats and recycle component parts. 

Seat Smart project (seatsmart.co.nz)


Related keywords

booster, capsule, baby seat, carseat, babyseat

Cleaning wipes or paper towels 

Rubbish bag and wheelie bin icon. Put these items into your rubbish bag or wheelie bin.  These include wipes, baby wipes and paper or paper towels used for cleaning.


Cleaning sprays and liquids

Household hazardous waste can be dropped at Re:Sort on Kioreroa Road from 8:00am to 12:00pm noon on scheduled amnesty days.

Household hazardous waste includes small quantities of substances such as cleaning products, garden chemicals, sprays, powders and pool chemicals. 

Quantities should be no more than 20 litres or 20kg at one time. 

Household hazardous waste (nrc.govt.nz)


See also:  Household hazardous waste


Related keywords

cleaning, spray, liquids, wipes, cleaning towels, paper towels

Non-wearable

Could the fabric be upcycled into another product or does it simply need some mending?  Consider these options before thinking about disposal.

If clothing is made of natural fibres such as cotton or silk, it can be composted.

If clothing is 100% cotton, it can be sent to Little Yellow Bird through their textile take back scheme.  Stores like H&M and Zara have textile bins in most stores for all clothing and textiles in any condition. 

Little Yellow Bird (littleyellowbird.com)


Wearable

Consider swapping clothes before donating - why not hold a clothes swap event at your home with some friends?

Good quality clothing can be donated to second hand shops.

The Salvation Army Family store on Vine Street always accepts donations. 


Repair

The Repair Café Whangārei holds free monthly events where volunteers donate their time to help repair small applications (no microwaves), textiles, bikes, wooden items, sharpen tolls and more. 

Repair Cafe Whangārei (facebook.com)


Look after items properly to make them last longer. Read the fabric care labels and follow the instructions, wash less dirty clothes at a lower temperature and spot treat stains rather than washing the whole item. 

Ecostore - tips for clothes care (ecostore.co.nz)

Ecostore run make and mend events where you can learn clothing mending and upcycling.  

Ecostore upcoming events (ecostore.co.nz)


Related keywords

bed sheets, blankets, hat, material, textiles, pants, shirt, skirt, shorts, undies, knickers, jocks, socks, dress, underwear, under wear, singlet, jumper, cardigan, jacket, vest, suit, jeans, denim, underwear, under ware, synthetic, polyester, cotton, hessian, hosiery, hoisery, stockings, tights, linen,

Rubbish bag and wheelie bin icon. Put into your rubbish bag or wheelie bin.  

Most takeaway coffee cups are made out of paper but are lined with a plastic inner. 

Unfortunately, the lining makes the cups non-recyclable. Better to avoid where possible and remember to use a reusable coffee cup or thermos. 


Related keywords

coffee, cup, lid, takeaway

Rubbish bag and wheelie bin icon. Put into your rubbish bag or wheelie bin.

There are some free recycling programmes available with Terracycle which are listed below.   


Plastic pods

Plastic Starbucks and NESCAFE Dolce Gusto capsules can be recycled through the free recycling programme with Terracycle. 

NESCAFÉ® Dolce Gusto® Capsule Free Recycling Programme - Plastic (terracycle.com)


Aluminium pods

Aluminium coffee capsules from L'OR, Moccona, illy, Jed's and Robert Harris can be recycled through the free recycling programme with Terracycle. 

L'OR, Moccona, illy and Jed's Capsules Recycling Programme - Aluminium (terracycle.com)

Robert Harris Coffee Capsules Free Recycling Programme (terracycle.com)


Related keywords

coffee, pods, plastic, aluminium, espresso

You can purchase a Zero Waste Box from Terracycle to collect any brand and prescription contact lenses, cases and packaging in your home or workplace and use a free post label to send the box back to Terracycle for processing. 

Zero waste boxes (terracycle.com)


Related keywords

contacts, lens, lenses, cases

Curtains in good condition can be donated to second hand shops. The Salvation Army Family store on Vine Street always accepts donations. 

Curtain Bank - Habitat

 

 


Related keywords

curtains, shower curtains, grommet, drapes,

Consider switching to bamboo toothbrushes instead of disposable plastic ones, as bamboo toothbrushes can be composted after use.

You could also keep old toothbrushes for scrubbing in tight spots when cleaning around the house.

Any Colgate products can be recycled through the Colgate Oral Carefree Recycling Programme with Terracycle. 

Colgate Oral Care Free Recycling Programme (terracycle.com)


Related keywords

teeth, toothbrush

Recycle any brand of dish and air care packaging through the Dish and Air Care Free Recycling Programme with Terracycle.   

Items include:

  • air fresheners and refills
  • air freshener aerosol cans
  • clip-on car fresheners and refills
  • dishwashing liquid caps
  • dishwashing tablets flexible packaging
  • dishwashing liquid bottles. 

Dish and Air Care Free Recycling Programme (terracycle.com)

 


Related keywords

dishwashing, tablet, liquid cap, plastic, aerosol, can, car. freshener, refill, air, bottle

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