Some council services will be unavailable over the Christmas and New Year break.
Check if you need to apply or order before Friday 19 December 2025.
Me pēhea te muru mea kāhore i te hiahiatiaHow to get rid of unwanted items
You cannot take asbestos to transfer stations. Visit WorkSafe to find asbestos removal licence holders who can dispose of asbestos for you.
Product recall – how to safely dispose of coloured play sand products
Suppliers issued a recall of children’s coloured play sand products as tests found low levels of asbestos. For details of products go to MBIE.
If you have been affected by the product recall, here’s what you need to know:
- Stop using the product immediately.
- Keep the sand sealed in its container, place it in a thick plastic bag and secure it with tape.
- Place the bag or container into a second thick plastic bag, seal securely with tape, and label it clearly as ‘Asbestos-Contaminated Material’.
- Take your safely contained product to the Auckland Council Asbestos Lab in Grafton.
- Do not dispose of the product in your household rubbish.
- Do not take asbestos to a transfer station.
Auckland Council Asbestos Lab
- Address: Kari Street, Grafton (old City Parks Nursery / Depot at end of Kari Street – drive to the far end of the street and through the gates).
- Opening hours: You can drop off recalled product between 9am and 3.30pm, Monday to Friday.
Follow signs to the special bins for placing your safely contained product. Do not unwrap the product. Place the wrapped product directly into the bin.
Visit Health NZ for more advice about removing asbestos from your home.
Many unwanted items can be reused, repaired or repurposed. Find out what you can get rid of and where it goes:
- at community recycling centres
- at transfer stations and
- through inorganic collections.
You can also find the best way to get rid of your items using our search tool.
Transfer stations to not receive asbestos. To learn how to dispose of asbestos, search the list of asbestos removal licence holders on WorkSafe.
Licensed waste collectors
If you want to arrange a collection for unwanted items, check our list of Auckland Council-licensed waste collectors.
