New year, new me? New Year’s resolutions can be a bit of a fad, do you really think Nigel can commit to a whole year of not smoking? And do you really think 2024 is the year that Pete’ll go to the gym every morning before work? We’re not convinced either.
At Pink Bins, we admire people’s excitement for making positive changes to their lives in the new year, but we also know it can be hard to stick to your resolutions all year long! We have a suggestion for a New Year’s resolution that’ll make you feel good about yourself and help the planet, and it’s not too much effort either!
How about, new year, new commitment to sorting your rubbish collection out?
How To Put Out Your Rubbish For Collection
Sure, it might not be as glamorous as getting that summer bod or spending more time outside, but nailing how you put your rubbish out for collection can help to ensure waste is disposed of responsibly, and repurposed or recycled where possible. Take it from us, Mother Nature loves that s#!t!
So, have we got you onboard? Awesome! If you’re living in Auckland, here’s what you need to know:
General rubbish collection
Many people assume general refuse means you can put anything in your rubbish bin, but what should you be putting in your general rubbish collection bin?
- Glad wrap,
- Tin foil,
- Single-use cups, plates and cutlery,
- Polystyrene,
- Nappies and sanitary products,
- Broken glass (but make sure to wrap it in paper so that it won’t cut anyone during transit),
- Plastic that can’t be recycled (more on that shortly),
- Noxious weeds (don’t worry! You can still get rid of those pests!).
Here’s what you definitely don’t want to put in your general rubbish bin:
- Hot ashes,
- Garden waste,
- Medical waste (except Rapid Antigen Tests which are okay to put in general rubbish),
- Building materials,
- Large household items,
- Chemicals and hazardous items (but Pink Bins can help you out with this kind of waste!),
- Recyclable items such as cans, glass and plastic bottles, paper and cardboard (because they need to go in your recycling!).
Recycling collection
One man’s trash is another man’s treasure, but really, all of our resources are precious treasures. If it’s possible to reuse, repurpose or recycle our waste, then that’s what we want to be doing! Making use of your recycling collection could help to keep rubbish out of the tip, and it could help to reuse some of those valuable resources for something else – it’s a win-win!
Recycling is always a tricky one! With every council accepting slightly different materials, it’s hard to know what you can actually put in your recycling bin. (Aunty Sharon says plastics with the number 4 can be recycled! My mate in Timaru swears tin foil is acceptable!) Starting in February of this year, the New Zealand government will be standardising the materials councils can accept in their recycling bins, so forget everything you’ve heard about what can and can’t be recycled, this is what you need to remember to put in your recycling bin going forward:
- Glass bottles and glass jars (emptied and cleaned thoroughly with the lids removed and placed in your rubbish bin),
- Tin, steel and aluminium cans (emptied and cleaned thoroughly),
- Plastic bottles with the numbers 1, 2 and 5 from your kitchen, bathroom and laundry (emptied and cleaned thoroughly with the lids removed and placed in your rubbish bin),
- Plastic food containers with the numbers 1, 2 and 5,
- Newspapers, magazines, and advertising mail (good to know for when people ignore your “NO JUNK MAIL” sign),
- Paper, cardboard including empty pizza boxes, egg cartons and window envelopes.
In general, containers in your recycling collection bin should be no larger than 4L and everything should be larger than 5cm x 5cm (hence why those lids will still have to head to the rubbish). Remember to remove anything from cardboard boxes before you toss them out, but don’t worry about taking tape or labels off.
A wee note for our Great Barrier Island fam; you’ll need to flatten and securely bundle or bag your paper and cardboard items and place them next to your crate for collection.
Food scraps collection
Green waste and food scraps that end up in landfills produce methane and CO2, both of which are harmful greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming, so one of the best New Year’s resolutions you could make is to ensure you dispose of your organic waste with care.
Luckily for us Aucklanders, we now have a special food scraps bin so that our scraps can be turned into something useful, and kept far away from the landfill! You won’t be able to put your turkey leftovers (or any meat or bones) in your food scraps bins, and you also won’t be able to put garden waste into them, but they’re perfect for the sad fruit in your fruit bowl and other plant-based scraps.
For more information about food scraps bins and council rubbish collection, or to find your collection day, you can always check out the Auckland City Council website. For more info on how to handle your green waste, check out our blog.
Think Pink
If you end up with more rubbish than your roadside collection bins can handle, then it could be time to hire a Pink Bin, or purchase a Pink Bag. We’ll come to your home or workplace, pick up your Pink Bag or Pink Bin, and take it to our sorting facility. There, we’ll tip everything out and our sorting team will sort through your waste, take out absolutely anything that can be recycled and send it off to be turned back into treasure!
If you have hazardous waste to get rid of, you won’t be able to use your council bins, but our HaziBags are specifically designed with asbestos in mind, and they’re also suitable for a variety of dangerous goods and hazardous waste.
Our team’s New Year’s resolution is the same as it is every year; to help Kiwis dispose of their waste easily and responsibly. Whatever your rubbish collection needs, we want to help! Give us a shout and we’ll sort you out so that you can accomplish your own resolutions in 2024.