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Rubbish & Recycling
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Rubbish & Recycling
Te Para me te Hakarua
We're on a journey to become a zero waste district. Here you'll find everything you need to know about how to reduce your waste, use the recycling service and other waste services in the Queenstown Lakes District.
A-Z Rubbish & Recycling Directory
Navigate through our comprehensive A-Z Rubbish and Recycling Directory, to find out what belongs in your kerbside bins and where other unwanted items can be dropped off for reuse, recycling, or safe disposal.
Can't find the item you're looking to reuse, recycle or safely dispose of? Let us know!
Empty aerosol cans can be put in your rubbish bin.
Aerosol cans with substances can be brought to the Queenstown & Wānaka transfer station for safe disposal.
Unempty aerosols can't go in the kerbside bins because of their potential to ignite or explode if pierced, compressed or flattened in the during the collection and sorting process. Even if they are not a hazardous chemical (e.g. food products) the can may still ignite or explode.
Agrichemicals are classified as hazardous waste and cannot go in your kerbside rubbish or recycling bins. Hazardous waste is accepted at the Queenstown & Wānaka transfer stations by prior arrangement to ensure an approved handler is available to safely deal with the waste. Please call Waste Management on 03 3412092 to arrange.
What can and can't be accepted:
Accepted:
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Class 2,3,4,5,6 (not cyanide), 8 & 9. Please note the container must be labelled. An unlabelled container must be accompanied by a safety data sheet (MSDS).
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The quantity must not exceed 100kgs or 100 litres.
Not accepted:
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Class 1,6 (cyanide), 7 (please contact the police).
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Anything in an unlabelled or leaking container or quantities over 100kgs or 100 litres (Please contact Waste Management Technical Service 0800 10 10 10 or 03 376 4191).
Current fees and charges can be found on our Transfer Stations webpage.
Agrecovery provides a free or subsidised service to dispose of unwanted agrichemicals. For more information or to register, contact Agrecovery – 0800 247 326 or visit www.agrecovery.co.nz
Agrecovery provides free recycling for plastic containers (0-60 litres), large drums and IBCs, and LDPE bags (No.4 plastic) from participating brands. For more information and to register contact Agrecovery on 0800 247 326 or agrecovery.co.nz
Plasback provides recycling solutions for farmers, including silage wrap, silage covers, grain bags, polypropylene bags, twines, large drum recovery, vine nets and irrigation pipe. For more information contact Plasback 0508 338 240 or plasback.co.nz
To recycle cans in your yellow mixed recycling bin, please ensure they are empty, clean and under 3 litres in size.
To recycle cans at the Whakatipu Recycling Centre Public Drop Off, please ensure they are empty, clean and under 3 litres in size.
Public Drop Off
Wastebusters in Wānaka accepts aluminium cans for recycling. Fees may apply.
Put aluminium and tin foil in your red rubbish bin if you can't reuse it.
Foil is often highly contaminated with grease and food. It's also a different grade of metal to tins and cans so has to go in your red rubbish bin.
Aluminum or tin foil can be dropped off at either of the Queenstown and Wānaka Transfer Stations.
Loose aluminium lids go in the red rubbish bin. They are too small to be sorted at the Material Recovery Facility, so can't be recycled.
Lions Clubs throughout the country regularly collect can tabs, as well as the screw tops off aluminium bottle tops which can be recycled in the same way. These items are sold to scrap metal recyclers and the funds raised are passed on to the Kidney Kids Foundation.
Contact your local police station for safe disposal of unwanted or old ammunition and explosives.
Appliances do not belong in your kerbside recycling or rubbish bin, we suggest you take them to the transfer stations to recycle them.
Queenstown and Wānaka transfer stations can accept small household appliances for recycling as E-cycle, including drills, alarm clocks, heaters/fans, vacuums and microwaves.
See E-Waste or Whiteware for more information.
Wastebusters in Wānaka accepts appliances in good working order for reuse, including toasters, kettles, heaters and vacuum cleaners.
Paper and cardboard free from contamination (glue, crafty materials etc) can be recycled in your yellow kerbside mixed recycling bin.
If your art and craft items are not suitable for recycling or reuse dispose of them in your red rubbish bin.
Arts and crafts materials can be dropped off at either of the Queenstown and Wānaka transfer stations.
You can donate a whole range of art and craft materials to local op shops for reuse, including poster paints, canvas and brushes; stationery; knitting, crochet and needlework supplies; and decorations. You could also offer unwanted items to your community through local sharing platforms.
Always contact a professional to remove and dispose of asbestos to avoid jeopardising your health. You can find a list of licensed asbestos removalists on WorkSafe's website.
Domestic scale volumes not exceeding 20 litre bags can be disposed of at both our transfer stations by prior arrangement only. Please call Waste Management on 03 3412092 to arrange. Do not place asbestos in your kerbside recycling or rubbish bins.
All asbestos waste should be double wrapped in new heavy-duty 200 µm (minimum thickness) polythene sheeting or double bagged in in new heavy-duty 200 µm (minimum thickness) polythene bags (with a maximum size of 1200 mm long and 900mm wide to reduce manual handling injuries). Twist the top of each bag tightly, fold the necks over (a ‘gooseneck twist’) and seal with adhesive tape so that the contents are fully enclosed. Clearly mark the outer bag as ‘Caution Asbestos – Do not open or damage bag. Do not inhale dust’.
For disposal of larger quantities, please contact Victoria Flats Landfill (Scope Resources 03 445 1860).
Completely cold ashes which have been doused in water and left for 5 days can be placed in your red rubbish bin.
Ashes can stay hot long after a fire has gone out and can start fires in household rubbish bins, rubbish trucks, transfer stations and landfills.
Safely dispose of ashes from BBQs, fires and cigarettes by emptying into a metal bin, pouring water over them and leaving for 5 days to cool. It is important that only cold ashes go in the red rubbish bin, as even warm ashes can melt a plastic wheelie bin.
Ash can be disposed of at either of the Queenstown and Wānaka transfer stations.
Ash from chemical free firewood can be great to use in your garden.
If your bags are not suitable for reuse, dispose of small items in your red rubbish bin and larger items at a transfer station.
Larger bags not suitable for reuse can be disposed of at a transfer station.
You can donate bags and suitcases suitable for reuse to local op shops. Please ensure the zips work and there are no holes or rips. You could also offer unwanted items to your community through local sharing platforms.
Household and car batteries can be recycled free of charge at the Frankton and Wānaka transfer stations.
Accepted batteries include;
• Lithium/ Li-ion batteries (e.g. from laptops, cameras, cell phones and tools);
• Alkaline (AA, AAA, C, and D alkaline batteries);
• 9-volt (e.g. from smoke alarms),
• Cr123 (e.g. from cameras);
• Dry cell and zinc (e.g. button batteries);
• NiCd, NiMH (e.g. rechargeable batteries),
• Lead acid car batteries and
• EV batteries.
NOTE: Damaged, leaking, rusty and modified batteries cannot be recycled. These can be brought to the transfer station to be disposed of as hazardous waste. Batteries that are damaged should be placed in a container to prevent spills.
Bay Audiology clinics offer for free hearing aid battery recycling.
Mitre10 recycles batteries from devices brought instore, including AA, AAA, C, D, 9V, 6V, power tool and button cell batteries.
Use rechargeable batteries whenever possible to reduce waste, save energy, and over time, cost you less. Where disposable batteries have to be used, choose long-life brands.
Mattresses and wooden bed frames unsuitable for reuse can be disposed of to landfill at both Queenstown and Wānaka transfer stations.
Metal bed frames can be recycled as scrap metal at both transfer stations.
Bed bases, frames, mattresses and headboards in good reusable condition (e.g. no stains) can be donated to an op shop for reuse, or you could use a local sharing platform to pass them on.
Broken bikes can be recycled as scrap metal for free at both the Queenstown & Wānaka transfer stations.
Wastebusters accepts all kinds of working bikes and bike parts for reuse.
The Lightfoot Initiative, in partnership with OneBike, accepts bikes needing very minor repairs or servicing, which can be fixed up by their mechanics and donated to the district's newcomers. Donate your bike via onebike.org.nz
Never dispose of biohazardous and medical waste in your kerbside rubbish or recycling bins, public rubbish or recycling bins and at transfer stations.
Contact your local pharmacy, medical centre or provider to see if they offer a service where you can bring back your medical waste including treatment drugs for safe disposal.
Blister packs can't go in your yellow mixed recycling bin as they are made of different materials like plastic and aluminium foil, and they are too difficult to recycle. Empty blister packs can be disposed of in your red rubbish bin.
Contact your local pharmacy to return blister packs containing any medicine and medication residue including tablets, pills, lozenges and caplets for safe disposal.
To recycle old books in your yellow mixed recycling bin rip the pages from the spine of the book into smaller sections. Put the book cover in your red rubbish bin.
Books and magazines in poor condition which can't be recycled or reused go in the red rubbish bin.
Books and magazines in poor condition which can't be recycled or reused can be disposed of at the Queenstown and Wānaka transfer stations.
You can recycle old books in the paper bin at the Whakatipu Recycling Centre Public Drop Off. To recycle old books rip the pages from the spine of the book into smaller sections. Dispose of the book cover in your red rubbish bin or at the transfer station.
Public Drop Off
Books and magazines in reusable conditions can be donated to local op shops. Please make sure there's no pirated or objectionable material, and no ripped books. You could also stock up your local Liliput Library.
Books unsuitable for resale are great for crafts or can be made into fire bricks.
Small amounts of bricks and tiles can go in your red rubbish bin but consider disposing at a cleanfill site instead to keep inert material out of landfill and ensure your bin does not exceed the collection weight limit.
Uncontaminated bricks and tiles not suitable for reuse can be disposed of as hardfill/cleanfill at the Queenstown & Wānaka Transfer Stations.
Wastebusters accepts bricks and tiles in good reusable condition or you can pass on unwanted materials through your local sharing platforms.
Clean and dry brochures and flyers can be recycled in your yellow mixed recycling bin.
Wet or water damaged brochures and flyers have to go in your red rubbish bin.
Clean and dry brochures and flyers can be recycled at the public drop off facility at Whakatipu Recycling Centre Public Drop Off.
Public Drop Off
Clean and dry brochures and flyers can be recycled at Wastebusters in Wānaka.
There is no way to recycle bubble wrap (or other soft plastics) in the kerbside bins, so please put it in the red rubbish bin. Soft plastics and bubble wrap that ends up in our recycling stream can cause big problems at the Materials Recovery Facility if they get tangled in the machinery.
Soft plastic can be disposed of at the Queenstown and Wānaka transfer stations.
Reach out to your community through local sharing platforms to see if anybody needs it for packaging/moving house.
The Soft Plastic Recycling Scheme run by The Packaging Forum has now recommenced in Queenstown Lakes. Soft Plastic Recycling Scheme collection bins will be available in the following locations:
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Queenstown: Countdown, New World and The Warehouse
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Wānaka: New World and The Warehouse
The soft plastic collected through these bins will be transported to Future Post’s new Blenheim facility for recycling into fence posts destined for farms and wineries, as well as garden frames for households.
Refer to the Soft Plastic Recycling website for information on what types of plastics can be recycled through these bins.
If you dispose of construction material in your rubbish bin, ensure the lid can close so the bin can be picked up.
Materials unsuitable for reuse can be disposed of to landfill at the transfer stations.
Wastebusters accepts all sorts of building material for reuse, see www.wastebusters.co.nz/building-materials for the full list.
Wānaka Community Workshop takes selected materials. For details, visit www.wanakacommunityworkshop.org.nz
You could also offer unwanted items to your community through local sharing platforms.
Butane cannisters, gas bottles and helium cylinders can be recycled at the Queenstown & Wānaka transfer stations. Do not put butane cannisters in your kerbside bins as there is a significant chance of a fire occurring when items are compressed in the bin trucks.
Small items unsuitable for reuse can be disposed of to landfill in you red rubbish bin.
Broken gear unsuitable for reuse can be disposed of to landfill at the transfer stations.
Wastebusters accepts camping gear in good reusable condition including, tents, chairs, stretchers, blow up mattresses (no holes), gazebos, and camping accessories.
Wastebusters can't accept gas bottles, these can be recycled at the transfer stations (see gas bottles).
You could also offer unwanted items to your community through your local sharing platforms.
Hire gear or rent out your own gear through your local sharing platforms, neighbours or lending apps like mutu.co.nz.
Car batteries can be recycled at the Frankton and Wānaka transfer stations free of charge.
Only recycle clean, dry and flattened cardboard in your yellow mixed recycling bin. Food contaminated cardboard or carboard that is lined with foil or plastic needs to go in the red rubbish bin.
Egg trays and toilet roll inserts can be accepted in your yellow mixed recycling bin. Cardboard cores, commonly found in printing or carpet roles, can't be recycled because they are contaminated by the high volume of glue used in their construction. Dispose of these as rubbish.
Recycle household clean, dry and flattened cardboard. Food contaminated cardboard or carboard that is lined with foil or plastic needs to be disposed of as rubbish.
Egg trays and toilet roll inserts can be accepted in your yellow mixed recycling bin. Cardboard cores, commonly found in printing or carpet roles, can't be recycled because they are contaminated by the high volume of glue used in their construction. Dispose of these as rubbish.
Public Drop Off
CDs, DVDs and their plastic cases can go in the red rubbish bin.
CDs, DVDs and their plastic cases can be disposed of the the Queenstown and Wānaka transfer stations.
CDs and DVDs in reusable conditions can be donated to local op shops. Please make sure there's no pirated or objectionable material, and no empty cases. These items can aslo be used for a range of arts and crafts.
Mobile phones contain lithium ion batteries which pose a fire risk if they are put in kerbside bins or landfill. Recycling your mobile phone helps ensure the battery is disposed of safely. Mobile phone can be safely recycled at both Frankton and Wānaka Transfer Station free of charge.
Unwanted mobile phones can also be dropped off free of charge for recycling at one of the following:
• Wastebusters in Wānaka
• 2degrees, Spark or Vodafone retail stores
• QLDC Service Centres on Gorge Rd, Queenstown, and Ardmore St, Wānaka
Put chipped or broken crockery in the red rubbish bin.
Crockery contaminates recycling: Just one cup or plate can prevent glass from being recycled because it causes huge problems in the production of new glass bottles and jars.
Cups, plates, bowls and other crockery in good reusable condition can be donated to a local op shop.
If you can't upcycle or repair your chair you can bring it either to the Queenstown or Wānaka transfer stations to be disposed of at landfill.
You can donate your chair in good reusable condition to local op shops. Broken furniture cannot be donated. Consider repairing and have a look at local repairers here.
Chargers can be recycled as e-waste at both Queenstown and Wānaka transfer stations.
E-waste is sent to E-Cycle in Christchurch where products are dismantled and separated into component or material categories in their recycling plants, and then sent to reputable local and international specialist recyclers for conversion back into raw materials or for re-use in new products.
Recycling e-waste helps to recover precious metals and safely manage hazardous substances.
Noel Leeming in Queenstown can take a range of e-waste, including chargers.
Wastebusters in Wānaka also accept chargers and other computer accessories for recycling. Fees apply.
Damaged or expired car seats, capsules and boosters can be recycled at Queenstown and Wānaka transfer stations.
Car seats are recycled through the SeatSmart programme operated by 3R.
The seats are dismantled and up to 75% of the seat materials are recycled or repurposed. For more information on what happens to the seats visit www.seatsmart.co.nz.
Fees may apply. See here for more detail.
Domestic volumes of inert materials that will have no adverse effect on people or the environment when buried can be accepted for recycling as cleanfill/hardfill at the Queenstown amd Wānaka transfer stations.
ACCEPTED
• Uncontaminated soil
• Rock
• Gravel
• Sand
• Silt and clay
• Bricks
• Concrete
• Ceramics
• Weathered dry asphalt
• Tiles
NOT ACCEPTED
Materials that may present a risk to human or animal health; and materials with combustible, putrescible, degradable or leachable components are not accepted, including:
• Abrasive blasting sands/agents
• Asbestos
• New asphalt
• Bark
• Cables
• Car parts
• Carpet
• Cement/cement waste
• Cesspit/stormwater cleanings
• Concrete with exposed reinforcing
• Concrete slurry
• Cork tiles
• Contaminated soils
• Corrugated iron
• Dredging spoil
• Electrical equipment/insulation
• Formica board
• Foundry sand
• Glass fibres
• Hardboard
• Hazardous material
• Household waste
• Hydro-excavated waste
• Liquid waste
• Medium density fibreboard
• Medical/veterinary waste
• Metals
• Mine tailings/spoil pant
• Organic waste
• Paint
• Painted materials
• Paper and cardboard
• Particleboard, inc chipboard
• Plasterboards
• Plastics and polystyrene
• Plywood
• Radioactive waste
• Road sweepings
• Sawdust and wood chips
• Tar
• Timber
• Tyres
Fees may apply. See here for more detail.
Wānaka Greenwaste and Landscaping Supplies (privately owned, contact: 027 476 6034).
Clear shrink wrap can go in your rubbish bin.
Clear shrink wrap can be disposed of at the Queenstown and Wānaka transfer stations.
Clean, clear plastic wrap marked 4 (e.g. pallet wrap) can be recycled at Wastebusters. The wrap should have a slight stretch in it when pulled. Wastebusters doesn't recycle household soft plastics (e.g. plastic bags, pasta, cereal or bread bags).
Clothes and shoes unsuitable for the following diversion avenues can go in the red rubbish bin.
Donate your clean clothes in good condition to an op shop, swap with friends, or have a garage sale. You could also offer unwanted items to your community through your local sharing platforms.
Follow the golden rule of donating by only donating items you'd be happy to give to a friend.
Top tips for responsible donating:
• Wash clothing and textiles, it’s far nicer for the sorting staff and helps your stuff find a new home quickly.
• Try to fix what’s broken or take it to a local repair event. Don’t donate broken, ripped or stained items.
• Talk to op shop staff to make sure your items can be accepted (funnily enough, they don’t want undies or toilet brushes!)
If you have clothes that are not suitable to pass on (ripped, stained or too worn), here’s a few ways to keep them in use before they go in the rubbish bin:
• Cut up to use as veggie ties, use as cleaning rags, if you're crafty use as stuffing, tie in knots for a quick dog toy (remove buttons/zips) or talk to your local bird or animal rescue, they may like your old towels or sheets.
Top tip
Did you know, natural fibres like cotton and wool can be composted? Just remove any elastic, zips and buttons, and rip up a bit before you feed them to the worms.
Coffee grinds can go in your red rubbish bin.
Coffee grinds and tea leaves are great for the garden, and worms love them too.
Learn how to compost your food scraps at home with help from Dr Compost.
Get free composting and gardening advice from Dr Compost at events, workshops, or on Facebook. For more information visit the Dr Compost Facebook page or download the online resources www.wastebusters.co.nz/dr-compost.
Subsidised Bokashi bins, with free compost zing, can be purchased at Council offices or Wānaka Wastebusters (max of four per person/business). Please note that the subsidised price only applies to Queenstown Lakes residents and you will be required to provide contact details/proof of address on purchase.
If you'd like to get into worm farming, we subsidise the purchase of worms too. You can get them for half price from Central Wormworx, contact Rosanna or Robbie Dick on 03 445 0263 after 6.00pm or 021 132 2964.
Want to compost your food scraps but don't have room for a compost bin? Find somebody to compost it through sharewaste.org.nz.
Coffee pods can go in your red rubbish bin.
Nespresso coffee pods can be recycled through a courier bag system. For more details go to Nespresso's website.
Most compostable packaging and compostable coffee cups require processing in the high temperatures of a commercial composting facility.
There is no commercial composting facility in the district and they cannot be recycled so they have to go in the red rubbish bin.
Certified home compostable packaging can go in your home compost if you have one but beware of products containing PFAS.
To find out more about compostable materials go to www.wasteminz.org.nz.
While equipment free from batteries can go in your red bin, it is better to recycle these items at the transfer stations.
Old computer equipment, also known as e-waste, can be sent to E-Cycle to be recycled through the transfer stations. This includes computers, printers, TVs, faxes, cell phones and computer accessories (keyboards, mice, routers etc).
Wastebusters in Wānaka accepts computers and computer hardware for recycling, for more details, go to www.wastebusters.co.nz/at-wastebusters/computer-recycling/
The following locations accept confidential documents for destruction:
For shredded paper that is not confidential, you can recycle it at Wastebusters, or put it in your red rubbish bin. Shredded paper cannot be recycled in your kerbside bins as it gets tangled in the sorting machinery.
Corflute signages are made of different plastics and are difficult to recycled. Cut your corflute signage into smaller pieces to dispose of in your red rubbish bin.
Corflute signage can be disposed of at both Frankton and Wānaka transfer stations as general waste. Fees may apply. See here for more detail.
Corflute’s polypropylene content makes it a tricky plastic to recycle industrially. Some printing companies will be able to reskin the corflute if it is in great condition.
You could also offer the signs to your community through your local sharing platforms to be repurposed into new signs or use them as a temporary barrier or partition. They are also great for kids school projects.
Curtains and blinds unsuitable for reuse can be disposed of to landfill at the transfer stations or put small items in your red kerbside rubbish bin.
Curtains and blinds can be disposed of at either of the Queenstown or Wānaka transfer stations.
Wastebusters accepts good condition curtains, blinds and curtain rails for reuse.
You could also offer unwanted items to your community through local sharing platforms.
Appliances do not belong in your kerbside recycling or rubbish bin, we suggest you to repair them or take them to the transfer stations to recycle them as scrap metal as a last resort.
If your unwanted appliance is still working consider selling or donating. If in good condition, you could also offer your dishwasher to your community through your local sharing platforms.
Consider repairing and have a look at local repairers here.
Materials unsuitable for reuse can be disposed of to landfill at the transfer stations or put small items in your red kerbside rubbish bin.
Steel doors are recyclable at the transfer stations as scrap metal.
Wastebusters accepts doors, door frames and door hardware for reuse.
Wastebusters has limited storage space for bulky materials, so please call the front yard on 443 8606 ext 1 if you have large quantities you’d like to donate.
You could also offer unwanted items to your community through local sharing platforms.
Broken drinking or wine glasses go in the red rubbish bin.
Remember, you can only recycle clean glass bottles and jars in your blue kerbside bin. All other glass has to be put in the rubbish bin, including:
• Drinking and wine glasses
• Heat-proof glass (pyrex)
• Lightbulbs
• Perfume bottles
• Moisturiser jars
• Mirrors
• Window glass
Drinking glasses can be disposed of at either of the Queenstown and Wānaka transfer stations.
Drinking and wine glasses in good reuse condition can be donated to your local op shop.
Appliances do not belong in your kerbside recycling or rubbish bin, we suggest you to repair them or take them to the transfer stations to recycle them as scrap metal as a last resort.
If your unwanted appliance is still working, consider selling or donating. If in good condition, you could also offer your dryer to your community through your local sharing platforms.
Consider repairing and have a look at local repairers here.
E-Bike batteries can be safely recycled at both Frankton and Wanaka Transfer Station free of charge.
Only recycle clean, dry and flattened egg trays in your yellow mixed recycling bin. Food contaminated egg tray need to go in the red rubbish bin.
You can bring clean, dry and flattened cardboard egg trays to the Whakatipu Recycling Centre.
Public Drop Off
You could also offer egg cartons to egg sellers through local sharing platforms.
E-waste can be recycled at both transfer stations and at Wastebusters, including:
• CRT and flat screen TVs and monitors
• PCs, desktops, servers, laptops, UPS, routers. modems, switches etc
• Printers and photocopiers
• Computer accessories (keyboards, mice, routers etc)
Small appliances and consumer electronics (e.g. DVD player, stereo) can also be recycled at the transfer stations.
E-waste is sent to E-Cycle in Christchurch where products are dismantled and separated into component or material categories in their recycling plants, and then sent to reputable local and international specialist recyclers for conversion back into raw materials or for re-use in new products.
Recycling e-waste helps to recover precious metal recovery and safely manage hazardous substances.
Fees may apply. See here for more detail.
Noel Leeming in Queenstown can take a range of e-waste, including computers, computers cables and accessories, printers, scanners and cameras. You can take it to the customer service desk. See more information on their website: E-Waste Recycling | Electronic Waste Disposal - Noel Leeming
Used engine oil from cars, trucks, mowers, chainsaws etc can be recycled at the transfer stations. Please make sure oil is in a clearly labelled, water-tight and sealed container, e.g. the container that the new oil comes in works well.
Contaminated oil (e.g. with petrol or antifreeze) is not accepted and should be treated as hazardous waste.
E-Scooter batteries can be safely recycled at both Frankton and Wanaka Transfer Station free of charge.
Contact the police at 105 (non-emergency) or 111 (in an emergency) for safe disposal of explosives. These items should not be placed in your kerbside recycling or rubbish bins.
Fertilisers are classified as hazardous waste and cannot go in your kerbside rubbish or recycling bins. Hazardous waste is accepted at the Queenstown & Wānaka transfer stations by prior arrangement to ensure an approved handler is available to safely deal with the waste.
Please call WM on 03 3412092 to arrange.
See Hazardous waste for more detail.
Fees may apply. See here for more detail.
Fire extinguishers can be recycled at both transfer stations.
Before disposing of used fireworks make sure these have properly cooled. Douse used fireworks with water and leave to cool for 24 hours before disposing of these in your red rubbish bin.
Before disposing of used fireworks make sure these have properly cooled. Douse used fireworks with water and leave to cool for 24 hours before disposing of these at either transfer station.
If you have unused or faulty fireworks contact our transfer stations for advice on safe disposal.
Before disposing of used flares make sure these have properly cooled. Douse with water and leave to cool for 24 hours before disposing of these in your red rubbish bin.
Before disposing of used flares make sure these have properly cooled. Douse with water and leave to cool for 24 hours before disposing of these at either transfer station.
If you have unused or faulty flares take them to a police station for safe disposal.
Flooring and underlay unsuitable for reuse can be brought to the Queenstown and Wānaka transfer stations for disposal.
Wastebusters accepts good condition flooring material, including tiles, vinyl, carpets and rugs for reuse. Wastebusters cannot take underlay.
You could also offer unwanted items to your community through local sharing platforms.
Carpets made from natural materials (e.g. wool) can be used as weed matting.
Fluorescent bulbs from Compact fluorescent lamps (CFL), also called energy-saving lights, and compact fluorescent tube e.g. office strip lighting, can be recycled at the Whakatipu Recycling Centre.
Tungsten light bulbs (old style filament bulbs) and LED lights can not be recycled, please put them in rubbish.
Fluorescent bulbs from Compact fluorescent lamps (CFL), also called energy-saving lights, and compact fluorescent tube e.g. office strip lighting, can be recycled at the Wānaka transfer station.
Public Drop Off
Wastebusters in Wānaka accepts the above lightbulbs. Mitre 10 Mega Wānaka & Queenstown accept select lightbulbs, see in store for details.
Some eco-bulbs contain mercury, which is recovered during the recycling process when the tubes are crushed. Aluminium and glass can also be reclaimed for recycling.
While surplus food can be disposed of in your red rubbish bin and through the transfer station facilities, it releases methane - a harmful greenhouse gas - when it breaks down in landfill so this should be avoided where possible.
Food (surplus) is accepted at both the Queenstown and Wānaka Transfer Stations.
If you have surplus food you can't eat, explore these options to keep it in circulation:
Basket of Blessing accepts fresh baking, preserves, treats, fresh produce, fresh flowers, dried fruit and nuts, snack packs, gluten, dairy and nut free items, beverages. For more info see www.basketsofblessing.co.nz/how-to-help/donate
Community Networks/LINK Food Bank accepts canned, non-perishable and fresh items including veggies, milk, bread and meat www.communitynetworks.co.nz/food-and-financial-support
Community Food Pantries in the Upper Clutha accept donations of fresh fruit, veggies, seedlings, jams and preserves, eggs and baked goods. Find locations at www.wastebusters.co.nz
Kiwi Harvest works with food businesses, including supermarkets, wholesalers, producers, cafes, restaurants, and hotels, to rescue the good food that they are not able to sell. Find out how to donate here: www.kiwiharvest.org.nz/donate-food
QLDC is proud to be part of the national Love Food Hate Waste NZ campaign which aims to inspire and enable people to make the most of the food they have at home.
For practical tips on how to reduce food waste and save money visit www.lovefoodhatewaste.com
While food scraps can be disposed of in your red rubbish bin and through the transfer station facilities, they release methane - a harmful greenhouse gas - when in landfill so it is best to avoid disposal where possible.
Learn how to compost your food scraps at home with help from Dr Compost. Get free composting and gardening advice from Dr Compost at events, workshops, or on Facebook. For more information visit the Dr Compost Facebook page or download the online resources www.wastebusters.co.nz/dr-compost.
Subsidised Bokashi bins, with free compost zing, can be purchased at Council offices or Wānaka Wastebusters (max of four per person/business).
Please note that the subsidised price of $28 per unit only applies to Queenstown Lakes residents and you will be required to provide contact details/proof of address on purchase.
If you'd like to get into worm farming, we subsidise the purchase of worms too. You can get them for half price from Central Wormworx, contact Rosanna or Robbie Dick on 03 445 0263 after 6.00pm or 021 132 2964.
Community Compost
Want to compost your food scraps but don't have room for a compost bin? Find somebody to compost it through sharewaste.org.nz.
Reuse
QLDC is proud to be part of the national Love Food Hate Waste NZ campaign which aims to inspire and enable people to make the most of the food they have at home. For practical tips on how to reduce food waste and save money visit www.lovefoodhatewaste.com.
Surplus fruit and veg from your garden or other edible food you can't eat can be shared within the community (see Food Surplus for details).
Domestic whiteware, including fridges and freezers, can be recycled at the transfer stations.
Old fridges and freezers must be disposed of correctly so they can be degassed to capture the greenhouse gases including chlorofluorocarbons, hydrochlorofluorocarbons, or Freon gases.
Once safely captured, these chemicals can be purified for reuse or turned into other substances.
The appliance can then be safely scrapped to reclaim the metal.
Fees may apply. See here for more detail.
If you can't upcycle or repair your three-legged chair or other broken furniture, you can bring it either of the transfer stations to be disposed of at landfill.
You can donate all kinds of furniture in good reusable condition to local op shops, including sofas, armchairs, tables, desks, chairs, dressers and drawers. Broken furniture cannot be donated.
Garden chemicals are classified as hazardous waste and cannot go in your kerbside rubbish or recycling bins. Hazardous waste is accepted at the Queenstown & Wānaka transfer stations by prior arrangement to ensure an approved handler is available to safely deal with the waste.
Please call WM on 03 3412092 to arrange.
See Hazardous waste for more detail.
Fees may apply. See here for more detail.
Smaller items can go in the red rubbish bin, ensure the lid can close so your bin can be collected.
Garden tools and hardware unsuitable for reuse can be brought to the Queenstown and Wānaka transfer stations for disposal.
Wastebusters accepts all kinds of garden tools and accessories in good reusable condition, including garden hoses, irrigation pipes, garden tools, pots and planters, shade cloth and more. You could also each out on your local sharing platforms to see if it is useful for somebody else.
Gas bottles, butane canisters and helium cylinders can be recycled at both transfer stations.
Fees may apply. See here for more detail.
Gas bottles can be refilled or swapped at some petrol stations (e.g. Caltex, BP) and Mitre 10 Mega in Wānaka and Queenstown.
Broken window panes go in the red rubbish bin. Remember, you can only recycle clean glass bottles and jars in your blue kerbside bins.
Broken window panes can be disposed of at the Queenstown and Wānaka transfer stations.
Metal frames can be recycled as scrap metal at either transfer station.
Broken heatproof glass/ovenware (e.g. pyrex) goes in the red rubbish bin.
Broken heatproof glass/ovenware (e.g. pyrex) can be disposed of to landfill at the transfer stations.
Ovenware and heat proof glass in good reuse condition can be donated to your local op shop.
Prescription glasses cannot be recycling in your kerbside bins and should be disposed of in your red rubbish bin.
Prescription glasses can be disposed of at either of the Queenstown and Wānaka transfer stations.
Donate your pre-loved prescription glasses and sunnies to Specsavers who will pass them on to people in need overseas. Find out more here www.specsavers.co.nz/specsavers-community-program
Recycle clean glass bottles and jars that once contained food or beverages in your blue glass recycling bin.
All other glass has to be put in the rubbish bin, including:
• drinking and wine glasses
• heat-proof glass (pyrex)
• lightbulbs
• perfume bottles
• moisturiser jars
• mirrors
• window glass
• candle glass
These types of glass all have a different chemical composition to glass bottles and jars and cause problems during the manufacture of new glass bottles and jars.
Crockery contaminates recycling too. Put broken cups, bowls and plates in the rubbish bin. Lids go in the rubbish too.
Clean glass bottles and jars, with the lids, can be used around the home for storage or often be donated to op shops, especially around harvest time when people are preserving food.
Refillable glass beer bottles which can be washed and reused (e.g. Emersons, Speights/ABC swappa-crate) can be dropped off at Wastebusters or returned to most bottle stores. Keep them separate if you're dropping off with your recycling at Wastebusters.
Queenstown & Wānaka transfer stations accept hedge trimmings and tree branches up to 400mm in diameter, and small tree stumps for diversion to green waste.
Other green waste brought to the transfer station has to go to landfill, including broom, gorse, loose leaves, grass clippings, flax and weeds. Find more information about why we can't accept all green waste here.
To ensure you can divert tree branches at the transfer station, separate them from your other waste by putting them on top of your trailer load so they can be lifted off for green waste before you dispose of anything else to landfill.
Fees may apply. See here for more detail.
Wānaka Greenwaste and Landscaping Supplies (privately owned, contact: 027 476 6034) takes tree and hedge clippings, weeds and general garden waste. Please keep all cabbage tree, flax and grass clippings separate.
Glenorchy, Kingston, Lake Hawea, Luggate and Makarora all have community run green waste facilities. For more information on community run green waste facilities contact the Community Associations directly: www.qldc.govt.nz/community/community-associations-and-groups.
Learn how to compost your green waste at home with help from Dr Compost. Get free composting and gardening advice from Dr Compost at events, workshops, or on Facebook. For more information visit the Dr Compost Facebook page or download the online resources www.wastebusters.co.nz/dr-compost
Top tip
The first step in learning about the impact your garden weeds can have on the environment is to identify it. Find out what you're dealing with at www.doc.govt.nz/nature/pests-and-threats/weeds/identifying-weeds/
Contact your local police station for safe disposal of unwanted or old guns and weapons. These items should not be placed in your kerbside recycling or rubbish bins.
Domestic volumes of inert materials that will have no adverse effect on people or the environment when buried can be accepted for recycling as cleanfill/hardfill at the Queenstown & Wānaka transfer stations.
ACCEPTED
• Uncontaminated soil
• Rock
• Gravel
• Sand
• Silt and clay
• Bricks
• Concrete
• Ceramics
• Weathered dry asphalt
•Tiles
NOT ACCEPTED
Materials that may present a risk to human or animal health; and materials with combustible, putrescible, degradable or leachable components are not accepted, including:
• Abrasive blasting sands/agents
• Asbestos
• New asphalt
• Bark
• Cables
• Car parts
• Carpet
• Cement/cement waste
• Cesspit/stormwater cleanings
• Concrete with exposed reinforcing
• Concrete slurry
• Cork tiles
• Contaminated soils
• Corrugated iron
• Dredging spoil
• Electrical equipment/insulation
• Formica board
• Foundry sand
• Glass fibres
• Hardboard
• Hazardous material
• Household waste
• Hydro-excavated waste
• Liquid waste
• Medium density fibreboard
• Medical/veterinary waste
• Metals
• Mine tailings/spoil pant
• Organic waste
• Paint
• Painted materials
• Paper and cardboard
• Particleboard, inc chipboard
• Plasterboards
• Plastics and polystyrene
• Plywood
• Radioactive waste
• Road sweepings
• Sawdust & wood chips
• Tar
• Timber
• Tyres
Please call Waste Management on 03 3412092 to ensure an approved handler is available at the Transfer Station to safely deal with hazardous waste.
Accepted: In a labelled container and in quantities less than 100kg or 100L:
Class 2: flammable gases
Class 3: flammable liquids
Class 4: flammable solids
Class 5: oxidising substances
Class 6: substances toxic to people (not cyanide)
Class 8: corrosive substances
Class 9: substances toxic to the environment
All accepted material must be accompanied by a current safety data sheet (SDS). Safety data sheets provide important information about hazardous. substances. The supplier of a hazardous substance must provide a compliant SDS with their products.
Please contact Waste Management Technical Service (0800 10 10 10 or 03 376 4191) for unlabelled or leaking container or quantities over 100kg or 100L.
Not accepted:
Class 1: explosives
Class 6: substances toxic to people (cyanide)
Class 7: radioactive materials - please contact the police
Fees may apply. See here for more detail.
Electric heaters can be recycled as E-waste at both Frankton and Wānaka transfer stations. See E-waste or Appliances (household) for more details.
Fees may apply. See here for more detail.
The body of an oil-filled heater can be recycled as scrap metal at both Frankton and Wānaka transfer stations. The oil needs to be drained prior to recycling.
Wastebusters in Wānaka accepts oil-filled heaters and electric heaters in good working order for reuse.
You could also offer your heater in good condition to your community through your local sharing platforms.
Helium cylinders, LPG bottles, and butane canisters can be recycled at both the Queenstown and Wānaka transfer stations.
Helium cylinders, LPG bottles, and butane canisters should not be placed in kerbside bins as there is a significant chance of a fire occurring when items are compressed in the bin trucks.
Smaller items can be put in your red rubbish bin. Hosing and plastic tubing contaminates recycling when it's put the wrong bin and causes problems in the Materials Recovery Facility where recycling is sorted.
Hosing and plastic tubing not suitable for reuse can be disposed of at the Queenstown or Wānaka transfer station.
Hoses and plastic tubing suitable for reuse can be donated to Wastebusters or listed on your local sharing platform.
Insulation unsuitable for reuse can be disposed of in your red rubbish bin.
Insulation unsuitable for reuse can be disposed of at the transfer stations.
Wastebusters accepts dry and clean insulation for reuse, in original packaging if possible. No offcuts please.
You can also list insulation on your local sharing platform for reuse.
Junk mail can be recycled in your yellow mixed recycling bin.
If you don't want to receive junk mail, pop a "No Junk Mail" sign on your letterbox.
Kitchenware not suitable for reuse can go in your red rubbish bin. Remember crockery contaminates recycling, put broken plates and cups in the rubbish bin too.
Donate your unwanted, good condition kitchenware to a local op shop, including plates, bowls, cups, cutlery, serving dishes, gadgets (in working order), and more.
Laptop can be recycled as e-waste at both transfer stations. See “Electronic waste” for more information.
Fees may apply. See here for more detail.
Wastebusters in Wānaka also accept laptops and other e-waste.
Landline phones can be recycled as e-waste at both transfer stations. See “Electronic waste” for more information. Fees may apply. See here for more detail.
Wastebusters in Wānaka take landline phones for recycling as e-waste. Fees apply.
Leftover food contaminates recycling if it's put in the wrong bin. If you can't use, store or compost leftovers, please put them in the red rubbish bin.
Loose metal and plastic lids go in the red rubbish bin. They are too small to be sorted at the Material Recovery Facility, so can't be recycled.
Often lids are made of different materials or are different colours to the bottles or containers they belong to so they can’t be recycled together either.
Aluminium bottle tops are being collected by the Lions Club and recycled to raise funds for the Kidney Kids Foundation. Contact the local Lions club for more information: https://e-clubhouse.org/sites/queenstown/
Check with your local preschool or school if they'd like your lids for creative play.
Linen and other textiles unsuitable for reuse can be disposed of in your red rubbish bin.
Linen and other textiles unsuitable for reuse can be disposed of at the Queenstown or Wānaka transfer stations.
You can donate good condition linen and Manchester to local op shops.
Linen unsuitable for donation (e.g. if it is torn or stained) may be accepted at your local animal rescue.
Natural fibres (e.g. cotton) can be torn up and composted.
Liquid paperboard cartons like the milk Tetra Pak packaging cannot go in your kerbside recycling bins as they are made of different materials like cardboard, plastic and aluminium. Please put them in your red rubbish bin.
Liquid paperboard cartons can be disposed of at either the Queenstown or Wānaka transfer station.
Tetra Pak and other liquid paperboard cartons can only be recycled at Wastebusters. This packaging is sent to Hamilton and made into construction board called Saveboard. Saveboard prefers cartons to be empty, washed and cut open along the seam.
Lithium-ion (Li-ion) and Lithium polymer (LiPo) batteries can be recycled at both Frankton and Wānaka transfer stations free of charge. Refer below to a list of accepted batteries.
The most commonly found lithium batteries that can be recycled are Lithium-ion (Li-ion) and Lithium polymer (LiPo).
Li-ion batteries are found in e-bikes, e-scooters, vaping devices, many personal electronics such as cell phones, tablets and laptops, electric toothbrushes, tools, and for solar power backup storage.
LiPo batteries are found in mobile devices, power banks, very thin laptop computers, portable media players, wireless controllers for video game consoles, wireless PC peripherals and electronic cigarettes.
NOTE: Certain types of lithium batteries cannot be accepted for recycling including Lithium Sulphur (LiSo2, LiSoCl2) found in medical instruments, measurement instruments, home safety systems, or batteries containing the code “ER” followed by numbers/letters (e.g. ER14250). These can be brought to Wānaka or Queenstown Transfer Station and disposed of as hazardous waste. Fees may apply. See here for more detail.
Always bring damaged, leaking, rusty and modified batteries to a transfer station to be disposed of as hazardous waste, as they can’t be recycled. Batteries that are damaged should be placed in a container to prevent spills.
Clean and dry magazines can be recycled in your yellow mixed recycling bin.
Wet or water damaged magazines have to go in your red rubbish bin.
Clean and dry magazines can be recycled at the public drop off facility at Whakatipu Recycling Centre Public Drop Off.
Public Drop Off
Clean and dry magazines can be recycled at Wastebusters in Wānaka.
Masks cannot be recycled in your kerbside bins, put them in your red rubbish bin if you can't dispose of them via alternative methods.
Masks can be disposed of at either transfer station.
If you can, opt for a reusable facemask made of natural fibres. Reusable masks made of natural fibres can be composted by putting them in your existing compost heap or burying directly in the soil. Remove and dispose of elastic in the red rubbish bin.
Mattresses unsuitable for reuse can be disposed of to landfill at both Queenstown and Wānaka transfer stations.
Mattresses in good reusable condition (e.g. no stains) can be donated to an op shop for reuse, or you could use a local sharing platform to pass them on.
Queenstown and Wānaka transfer stations accept thermometers as hazardous waste.
Please wrap these careful in a plastic bag in case the thermometer breaks.
Mirrors can be disposed of in your red bin.
Mirrors can't be recycled in your kerbside bin as they have a different chemical composition to glass bottles and jars and will cause problems during the manufacture of new glass bottles and jars.
Mirrors can be disposed of at either transfer station.
Mirrors in good reuse condition can be donated to a local op shop. Broken mirrors go in the red rubbish bin.
Disposable nappies go in the red rubbish bin.
We know you just want to get those stinky nappies out of your home, but please take care when disposing of them. They contaminate recycling if they end up in recycling bins, and it's pretty yuck for our hard-working crew who hand sort the district's recycling.
Compostable nappies go in the red rubbish bin too.
Nappies can be disposed of at both the Queenstown & Wānaka transfer stations.
Save on waste by making the change to cloth nappies. For all you need to know about reusable nappies and waste free parenting, including the cost savings, head to Waste Free with Kate's website (katemeads.co.nz)
Never dispose of sharps in your kerbside rubbish or recycling bins, public rubbish or recycling bins and at transfer stations. Always place loose needles and other sharps into approved sharps containers.
Contact your local pharmacy, medical centre or provider to see if they offer a service where you can bring your used sharps back for safe disposal.
You could also look at the New Zealand Needle Exchange Programme and find a participating outlet here.
Appliances do not belong in your kerbside recycling or rubbish bin, we suggest you to repair them or take them to the transfer stations to recycle them as scrap metal as a last resort.
If your unwanted appliance is still working, consider selling or donating. If in good condition, you could also offer your oven to your community through your local sharing platforms.
Consider repairing and have a look at local repairers here.
If you have paint or paint packaging that you no longer want or need, you can return it to one of the following locations:
Resene Colourshop Wānaka & Queenstown. For recycling instructions and acceptance criteria: Resene's website.
Dulux Paint Take Back at Guthrie Bowron Wānaka & Queenstown. Note that they can only accept paint in its original can/bucket. They cannot accept stains, liquids, sealers, compounds or glue. A small fee applies. For recycling instructions and acceptance criteria: Dulux's website.
Clean and dry paper, including junk mail, newspapers and office paper can be recycled in your yellow mixed recycling bin.
Please dispose of shredded paper in your red rubbish bin. Paper contaminated with food or grease also goes in the red rubbish bin if it can't be home composted.
Clean and dry paper, including junk mail, newspapers and office paper can be recycled at the public drop off facility at Whakatipu Recycling Centre Public Drop Off.
Public Drop Off
Clean and dry paper, including junk mail, newspapers and office paper can be recycled at Wastebusters in Wānaka.
Shredded paper can only be recycled at Wastebusters in Wānaka, or it can be used in your compost as a carbon element.
Pet accessories unsuitable for reuse go in the red rubbish bin, including plastic items as these cannot be recycled.
Pet accessories unsuitable for reuse can be disposed of at both the Queenstown & Wānaka transfer stations.
You can donate reusable toys, bowls, beds and pet accessories to local op shops or animal rescue centres.
Pizza boxes free of food and grease can be recycled in your yellow mixed recycling bin.
Pizza boxes free of food and grease can be recycled at the public drop off facility at Whakatipu Recycling Centre Public Drop Off.
Public Drop Off
Plant pots are to be disposed of in your red rubbish bin.
Even though some plant pots are made with plastic #5, they can’t go in your yellow mixed recycling bin. Some plant pots are made from recyclable plastic #5 and some aren’t, but they can look identical making it difficult to distinguish between recyclable and non-recyclable plastics in facilities with hand sorting like ours.
Also, some manufactures will add a range of fillers to the pot to prevent UV degradation, making them resistant to chemicals, which can then affect the processing back into recycle resin.
While plant pots can't be recycled in your kerbside yellow mixed recycling bin, there are a few locations where you can drop these off for recycling – see Other Options below.
Plant pots can also be disposed of at both transfer stations.
Old plant pots can be used again by leaving them out in the sun for a few days to sanitise.
Wastebusters also takes plant pots for reuse or you can recycle plant pots at Mitre 10 Mega stores in Wānaka and Queenstown.
Put plastics bags, e.g. bread bags, cereal liners, chip packets etc, in the rubbish or find other uses for it (e.g. dog poo bags). They can't be recycled in your kerbside bins.
Soft plastics, like plastic bags, that end up in our recycling stream can cause big problems at the Materials Recovery Facility when they get tangled in the machinery.
Plastic bags can be disposed of at either the Queenstown or Wānaka transfer stations.
The Soft Plastic Recycling Scheme run by The Packaging Forum has now recommenced in Queenstown Lakes. Soft Plastic Recycling Scheme collection bins will be available in the following locations:
-
Queenstown: Countdown, New World and The Warehouse
-
Wānaka: New World and The Warehouse
The soft plastic collected through these bins will be transported to Future Post’s new Blenheim facility for recycling into fence posts destined for farms and wineries, as well as garden frames for households.
Refer to the Soft Plastic Recycling website for information on what types of plastics can be recycled through these bins.
Biodegradable bags go in the red rubbish bin if you can't find other uses for them like bin liners or dog poo bags.
Biodegradable bags that end up in our recycling stream can cause big problems at the Materials Recovery Facility when they get tangled in the machinery.
Plastic biodegradable bags can be disposed of at either the Queenstown or Wānaka transfer stations.
Empty, clean plastic bottles, trays and containers marked 1, 2, or 5 can go in your yellow bin. This includes soft drinks or water bottles, milk bottles, shampoo bottles, margarine or ice cream tubs, meat trays, and punnets.
Put plastics marked 3,4,6 and 7, and soft plastics like bread bags in the red rubbish bin. Lids go in the rubbish too. Only recycle items less than 4 litres in your kerbside bin.
For more information on which plastics you can recycle visit our How We Recycle webpage.
Empty, clean plastic bottles, trays and containers marked 1, 2, or 5 can be recycled at the Whakatipu Recycling Centre Public Drop Off. This includes soft drinks or water bottles, milk bottles, shampoo bottles, margarine or ice cream tubs, meat trays, and punnets.
For more information on which plastics you can recycle visit our How We Recycle webpage.
Public Drop Off
Larger HDPE plastic containers (no 2) can be recycled at Wastebusters (e.g. bulk packaging for cleaning products from hotels or cafes). Please contact Wastebusters at 03 443 8606 for more information.
Plastic bottles and containers marked 3, 4, 6, 7 cannot be recycled and should go in your red rubbish bin if you cannot avoid or reuse these.
For more information on which plastics you can recycle visit our How We Recycle webpage.
Plastic bottles and containers marked 3, 4, 6 and 7 can be disposed of at either the Queenstown or Wānaka transfer station.
Loose plastic lids go in the red rubbish bin. They are too small to be sorted at the Material Recovery Facility, so can't be recycled.
Often lids are made of different materials or are different colours to the bottles or containers they belong to so they can’t be recycled together either.
Check with your local preschool or school if they'd like your lids for creative play.
Plastic crates unsuitable for reuse can be disposed of to landfill at both Queenstown and Wānaka transfer stations.
Old plastic recycling crates are great for planting, or using to store firewood and kindling. If they're in good reusable condition you can donate them to Wastebusters for reuse, or pass them on through your local sharing platform.
Plumbing hardware unsuitable for reuse can be disposed of in your red rubbish bin. Plumbing hardware cannot be recycled.
Plumbing hardware unsuitable for reuse can also be disposed of at either the Queenstown or Wānaka transfer station.
Wastebusters accepts plumbing hardware for reuse, including good condition baths, sinks, shower mixers, taps, plus plumbing fitting & fixtures, pipes & bathroom accessories.
You can also list your plumbing items on local sharing platforms for reuse.
Wastebusters does not accept toilets or toilet brushes.
Poisons are classified as hazardous waste and cannot go in your kerbside rubbish or recycling bins. Hazardous waste is accepted at the Queenstown & Wānaka transfer stations by prior arrangement to ensure an approved handler is available to safely deal with the waste.
Please call WM on 03 3412092 to arrange.
See Hazardous waste for more detail.
Fees may apply. See here for more detail.
Polystyrene can not be recycled through the kerbside system. Put it in your red rubbish bin if the below diversion avenues don't work for you.
Polystyrene packaging can also be disposed of at either the Queenstown or Wānaka transfer station.
Wastebusters can recycle clean, white polystyrene packaging with stickers removed.
Household expanded polystyrene packaging can also be recycled at Mitre 10 Mega in Queenstown and Wānaka, through Expol's Residential Polystyrene Recycling scheme.
Expol offers a building site and commercial polystyrene recycling services, contact them to arrange by calling 0800 86 33 73 or emailing: pickup@expol.co.nz
Ensure polystyrene is clean, with no dirt, food residue, stickers or tape.
Respiratory protection (e.g. masks) and PPE unsuitable for reuse can be disposed of in your red rubbish bin.
Respiratory protection (e.g. masks) and PPE unsuitable for reuse can also be disposed of at either the Queenstown or Wānaka transfer station.
Wastebusters accepts unbranded work boots and hi vis in good condition for reuse.
You can also list your PPE on local sharing platforms for reuse.
Printers can be recycled as e-waste at both Frankton and Wānaka transfer stations. See “Electronic waste (E-waste)” for more information. Fees may apply, see here for more detail.
Wastebusters in Wānaka take printers for recycling as e-waste. Fees apply.
If you can't recycle your print cartridges through a specialised scheme, please dispose of them in your red rubbish bin.
Printer cartridges can also be disposed of at either the Queenstown or Wānaka transfer station.
Print cartridges can be recycled at Cartridge World in Queenstown and Wastebusters in Wānaka who work with Cartridge World so they can be refilled and reused. Obsolete or broken cartridges can be recycled too.
Plastic and glass roll-on deodorant containers made of multiple different plastics/materials need to go in your red rubbish bin because they are too difficult to recycle.
Only recycle roll-on deodorant container made of plastic # 1, 2 or 5. The roller bar needs to be removed and put in the Red Rubbish Bin. Make sure the main container is clean and free of residue before recycling.
Sanitary items, including pads and tampons, go the red rubbish bin. Please take care when disposing of sanitrary items so they do not contaminate our recycling streams or impact our wastewater system.
Sanitary items, including pads and tampons, can also be disposed of at either the Queenstown or Wānaka transfer station.
Many single-use sanitary pads and tampons contain plastic and will potentially never break down in a landfill. Why not give reusable menstrual products a try? As well as being kinder to the environment, they’ll save you a lot of money in the long run. Read more here: Reusable Menstrual Products — Waste-Ed with Kate (wastedkate.co.nz)
Anything that is made up of at least 80% metal can be recycled as scrap metal, e.g. broken bikes and outdoor heaters, pots and pans.
There is no charge to drop off scrap metal at the transfer stations.
To ensure you can divert scrap metal at the transfer station, put them on top of your trailer load so they can be lifted off for recycling before you dispose of anything else to landfill.
Wastebusters can accept any metal that can be reused like chimney flues, roofing iron and metal beds. They also take working small appliances like heaters, lamps and stereos for resale.
Ski or winter gear unsuitable for reuse can be disposed of in your red rubbish bin.
Ski or winter gear unsuitable for reuse can also be disposed of at either the Queenstown or Wānaka transfer station.
Ski and winter gear or clothing can be donated to local op shops. Wastebusters accepts all sorts of winter gear for reuse, from skis, snowboards, boots and poles, to clothing and accessories.
Soft plastics e.g. bread bags, cereal liners, chip packets etc, go in the red rubbish bin or find other uses for it (e.g. dog poo bags). They can't be recycled in your kerbside bins.
Soft plastics, like plastic bags, that end up in our recycling stream can cause big problems at the Materials Recovery Facility when they get tangled in the machinery.
Soft plastics can be disposed of at either the Queenstown or Wānaka transfer stations.
The Soft Plastic Recycling Scheme run by The Packaging Forum has now recommenced in Queenstown Lakes. Soft Plastic Recycling Scheme collection bins will be available in the following locations:
-
Queenstown: Countdown, New World and The Warehouse
-
Wānaka: New World and The Warehouse
The soft plastic collected through these bins will be transported to Future Post’s new Blenheim facility for recycling into fence posts destined for farms and wineries, as well as garden frames for households.
Refer to the Soft Plastic Recycling website for information on what types of plastics can be recycled through these bins.
Sports equipment not suitable for reuse can be disposed of in your red rubbish bin.
Sports equipment not suitable for reuse can also be disposed of at either the Queenstown or Wānaka transfer station.
All kinds of sports equipment in good condition, from bats to balls, kayaks, surf boards, skis, snowboards and wetsuits can be donated to local op shops. Do not donate broken gear.
Try to donate in season (e.g. ski gear in winter) as op shops don't have much storage space.
Some goods may not be accepted due to safety standards e.g. bike helmets and life jackets. You may be able to give these away on local sharing platforms.
Recycle cans in your yellow kerbside recycling bin. They must be empty, clean and under 4 litres in size.
Empty, clean steel cans under 4 litres in size can be recycled at the Whakatipu Recycling Centre Public Drop Off.
Larger metal food containers can be recycled as scrap metal at the Queenstown and Wānaka transfer stations. They must be empty and clean.
Public Drop Off
Wastebusters in Wānaka accepts steel or tin cans.
Steel lids like the jam jar lids go in the red rubbish bin. They are too small to be sorted at the Material Recovery Facility, so can't be recycled.
Often, lids like the jam jar lids, are made of different materials to the jar or containers they belong to so they can’t be recycled together either.
String, twine and rope cannot be recycled. They cause problems in the Material Recovery Facility and get tangled in conveyor belts, so please put them in your red rubbish bin if they can't be passed on or composted.
String, twine and rope can be disposed of at either the Queenstown or Wānaka transfer station.
Contact your local op shop to see if you can donate rope, string or twine for reuse.
Rope string or twine made of natural fibres can also be composted.
Takeaway cups and containers have to go in the red rubbish bin. There is no way to recycle or compost them through the kerbside or public bins.
Takeaway cups can be disposed of at either the Queenstown or Wānaka transfer station.
It's never been easier to get a single-use cup free (SUCFree) coffee as more and more cafes and outlets join up the SUCFree Wānaka and SUCFree Whakatipu movements. They offer cup lending schemes or libraries, you can bring our own cup or you can sit in.
Find out more via the Plastic Free Wānaka website or via the SUCFree Whakatipu Facebook page.
Tea bags go in your red rubbish bin.
Tea leaves are great for the garden, and worms love them too.
Learn how to compost your food scraps at home with help from Dr Compost.
Get free composting and gardening advice from Dr Compost at events, workshops, or on Facebook. For more information visit the Dr Compost Facebook page or download the online resources www.wastebusters.co.nz/dr-compost
Subsidised Bokashi bins, with free compost zing, can be purchased at Council offices or Wānaka Wastebusters (max of four per person/business).
Please note that the subsidised price only applies to Queenstown Lakes residents and you will be required to provide contact details/proof of address on purchase.
If you'd like to get into worm farming, we subsidise the purchase of worms too. You can get them for half price from Central Wormworx, contact Rosanna or Robbie Dick on 03 445 0263 after 6.00pm or 021 132 2964.
Want to compost your food scraps but don't have room for a compost bin? Find somebody to compost it through www.sharewaste.org.nz
Did you know a lot of tea bags contain plastic, so empty the leaves to compost, and put the bag in the red rubbish bin.
Tetra Pak cannot go in your kerbside recycling bins. Please put them in your red rubbish bin.
Tetra Pak can be disposed of at either the Queenstown or Wānaka transfer station.
Tetra Pak and other liquid paperboard cartons can only be recycled at Wastebusters. Tetra Pak is sent to Hamilton and made into construction board called Saveboard. Saveboard prefers cartons to be empty, washed and cut open along the seam.
Textiles unsuitable for diversion avenues go in the red rubbish bin. Textiles, clothing and shoes cannot go in your kerbside recycling bins.
Textiles unsuitable for diversion avenues can also be disposed of at either the Queenstown or Wānaka transfer station.
Donate clean textiles in good condition to an op shop, swap with friends, or have a garage sale. You could also offer unwanted items to your community through local sharing platforms.
Follow the golden rule of donating by only donating items you'd be happy to give to a friend.
Top tips for responsible donating:
• Wash clothing and textiles, it’s far nicer for the sorting staff and helps your stuff find a new home quickly.
• Don’t donate broken, ripped or stained items. Try to fix what’s broken, or take it to a local repair event.
• Talk to op shop staff to make sure your items can be accepted (funnily enough, they don’t want undies or toilet brushes!).
If you have textiles that are not suitable to pass on (ripped, stained or too worn), here’s a few ways to keep them in use before they go in the rubbish bin:
• Cut up to use as veggie ties, use as cleaning rags, if you're crafty use as stuffing, tie in knots for a quick dog toy (remove buttons/zips) or talk to your local bird or animal rescue, they may like your old towels or sheets.
Did you know natural fibres like cotton and wool can be composted? Just remove any elastic, zips and buttons before you feed them to the worms.
Please put timber that is unsuitable for reuse in the red rubbish bin.
You can dispose of timber that is unsuitable for reuse at either transfer station.
Wastebusters accepts timber, plywood, fencing and timber frames. Materials must be in good, reusable condition. Timber should be at least 1m long. Wastebusters can't take chipboard, plasterboard or cement board (e.g. MDF, GIB).
They have limited storage space for building materials, so please call the front yard on 443 8606 ext1 if you have large quantities or bulky items you’d like to donate.
Wānaka Community Workshop and the Menzshed may also be able to take some timber for reuse.
Only recycle clean, dry and flattened cardboard in your yellow mixed recycling bin.
Put broken tools that can't be fixed or tools unsuitable for reuse in the red rubbish bin. Remove any batteries and recycle - see "Batteries" for more details.
You can also dispose of broken tools that can't be fixed at the Queenstown and Wānaka transfer stations.
Wastebusters accepts building tools in good condition for reuse.
Wānaka Community Workshop and the Menzshed may also welcome building tools to reuse.
Please put broken toys that can't be fixed or toys unsuitable for reuse in the red rubbish bin.
You can also dispose of toys that can't be fixed or reused at either the Queenstown or Wānaka transfer stations.
You can donate your children's old toys and puzzles to local shops so they can go around again. Please check they're in good reusable conditions, with no missing or broken pieces.
Join your local toy library to hire toys, puzzles, and games. Try a new toy every few weeks, saving money and resources. See links below for more details about Toy Library:
TVs can be recycled at both transfers stations. Fees apply.
E-waste is sent to E-Cycle in Christchurch where products are dismantled and separated into component or material categories in their recycling plants, and then sent to reputable local and international specialist recyclers for conversion back into raw materials or for re-use in new products.
Recycling e-waste helps to recover precious metals and safely manage hazardous substances.
Fees may apply. See here for more detail.
Wastebusters in Wānaka accept TVs. Fees apply.
Queenstown and Wānaka Transfer Stations accept car tyres with or without rims for recycling.
Fees may apply. See here for more detail.
Broken or non-reusable umbrella goes in the red rubbish bin. These can't be recycled.
You can donate your umbrella in good condition to an op shop. If reusable, you could also offer your umbrella to your community through your local sharing platforms.
Consider repairing and have a look at local repairers here.
Vapes can be safely recycled at both Frankton and Wanaka Transfer Station free of charge.
Vapes and vape batteries cannot go in the red rubbish bin, yellow mixed recycling bin or public litter and recycling bins. These contain lithium batteries which are highly flammable. They can cause fires in bins, collection trucks, at the recycling centre (MRF), transfer stations, and the landfill – this is dangerous and costly
Vapes and vape batteries need to be recycled through specialist recycling drop off points. Check the VapeCycle website for more information Vape Recycling NZ | VapeCycle.
Cold, solidified fat can be wrapped in scrap paper or put in a plastic bag and disposed of in your red rubbish bin.
Vegetable oil can also be disposed of at either the Queenstown or Wānaka transfer station.
When hot fats and oil are tipped down the drain, they cool and can block water pipes, so save your pipes and recycle oils instead.
Wastebusters recycles used vegetable oil, and collects deep-frying oil from restaurants and take-aways. Household cooking oil (clean, no food residue) can also be dropped off at Wastebusters in sealed, labelled containers.
VHS tapes or cassettes can't go in your yellow mixed recycling bin as they are made of different materials like plastics and magnetic tape, and they are too difficult to recycle. As a last resort, they can be disposed of in your red rubbish bin.
You could donate your old VHS tapes/cassettes in good condition through your local sharing platforms or see if there is any collector happy to take them.
Appliances do not belong in your kerbside recycling or rubbish bin, we suggest you to repair them or take them to the transfer stations to recycle them as scrap metal as a last resort.
If your unwanted appliance is still working, consider selling or donating. If in good condition, you could also offer your washing machine to your community through your local sharing platforms.
Consider repairing and have a look at local repairers here.
Old HDPE plastic wheelie bins can be brought to Queenstown Transfer Station for recycling. These are transported to Comspec in Christchurch where they are shredded and reprocessed into new plastic products like irrigation pipes.
There are lots of reuse options for old wheelie bins. For example, you could clean out your old wheelie bin and put it to work as a mobile earthquake kit. Find out more about getting prepared for an emergency at getready.govt.nz/en/prepared.
Wooden frames and window glass without a frame can be disposed of at the transfer stations. Metal frames without glass can be recycled at the transfer stations as scrap metal.
Wastebusters accepts wood or metal window frames with glass intact. Please note that they cannot take window glass without its frame.
Please put wine bottle tops in your red rubbish bin.
Lions Clubs throughout the country regularly collect can tabs, as well as the screw tops off wine bottles, which also contain aluminium and can be recycled in the same way. The tabs are sold to recyclers and the funds raised are passed on to the Kidney Kids Foundation.
These can be dropped off to ACL Ltd, 26 Glenda Drive (Unit 7), Frankton. Tabs and tops can be left outside by the sign for staff to collect.
Wooden pallets unsuitable for reuse can be disposed of at both Frankton and Wānaka transfer stations as general waste. Fees may apply. See here for more details.
You could also offer wooden pallets suitable for reuse to your community through local sharing platforms (i.e Queenstown Trading).
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