Rakaia uses a three bag system.  The black bag is for rubbish and there is also a blue (dry bag) and green (wet bag) collection.  The blue and green bags are sold in rolls of five at a retail cost of $2.30 per roll.

There is no limit on the number of black, official bags you may place at kerbside for collection.  Recycling bins have been delivered to every residential property in Ashburton, Methven, Hinds, Mt Somers and Mayfield.  If your property is brand new you are entitled to a free recycling bin.  If your property does not have a recycling bin please contact the Council and we will check to see if we have a record of delivery.  Replacement and additional bins may be purchased from the Council at a cost of $10.00 per bin.  Up to five recycling bins may be placed at kerbside for collection.

Methven, Mayfield, Mount Somers and Hinds are all collected on a Monday. Rakaia is collected on a Friday.

The Central Business District, the area bounded by Havelock Street, East Street, Cass Street and Kermode Street, is collected on a Tuesday and a Friday.  Please have your items for collection at the kerbside by 9.00 am.

The kerbside collection service is for domestic use only it is not intended to service businesses.  Businesses are requested to take their recyclables to a drop-off facility.

In Ashburton, Methven, Mayfield, Mount Somers and Hinds the following items are accepted at kerbside for recycling:

Glass bottles and jars (rinsed, lids removed))
Any plastic container (rinsed, lids removed, flattened)
Aluminium and tin/steel containers (rinsed, flattened)
All paper (placed in supermarket bag and tied)
All cardboard up to A1 size, excluding fast food packaging (flattened)

The contents of your recycling bin may be left unsorted and loose and labels may be left on

In Ashburton, Methven, Mayfield, Mount Somers and Hinds the following items are unsuitable for kerbside collection:

Window glass, light bulbs, drinking glasses, crystalware, kitchenware, porcelain, ceramics or pottery
Plastics that have contained meat product, polystyrene (No 6 plastic), hazardous chemical containers, plastic shopping bags or gladwrap
Paint or solvent cans
Books, food wrapping or paper used for personal hygiene
Commercial quantities of any product
Syringes, sharp knives, sharp objects

In Rakaia the following items may be put out for recycling:

Blue (Dry) Bag

Metal items: any type of tin, container or object eg spaghetti tin etc, rinsed clean
Plastic item any type, rinsed clean, tops off please
Paper items all clean, dry paper.  Large amounts may be tied up & placed at kerbside
Glass/china any type.  (Broken or sharp items in black bag)
Clothing any type including boots, shoes, hats, jackets etc
Wood  any type, old toys, broken furniture parts, cane baskets etc
Batteries dry type only please.  Liquid batteries in black bag

Please do not put:

Any green waste type product in this bag
Any hazardous item
Any large heavy item eg concrete blocks, bricks, stones, wooden blocks etc

Green (Wet) Bag

Vegetable peelings, food scraps, leftovers, meat scraps cooked or uncooked, all wrapped in newspaper if possible
We paper of any sort eg used & clean tissues, wet ones, cotton buds, handy towels etc
Bones, egg shells, light wooden items eg matches, skewers
Pet droppings in bag/cardboard box, pet hair/fur, leftover petfood
Clothes dryer lint, vacuum cleaner bags and contents
Cigarette butts, ashes, fireplace ashes, floor sweepings etc
Lawn clippings, hedge trimmings, weeds, vegetables, fruit, flowers, pruning, leaves, dirt, old pot plants etc.