Rubbish bin and recycling crate collection is available only to properties with suitable road access. Food scraps collections are not available for Aotea / Great Barrier Island.
Aotea / Great Barrier Island – ngā kōwhiringa me ngā utu mō ngā ipupara me ngā ipupara hangarua Aotea / Great Barrier Island – Rubbish and recycling bin options and charges
You must use official council bins, bags and crates to dispose of rubbish or recycling items on Aotea / Great Barrier Island. You cannot use other containers like cardboard boxes.
Rubbish and recycling bins, bags and crates in service
Rubbish bins and bags
Rubbish bin sizes
- 80-litre bin: available for properties with less rubbish.
- 120-litre bin: standard size, suitable for most households.
- 240-litre bin: available for properties with lots of rubbish.
Price of official council rubbish bags
Pricing may vary by area and between retailers. These are the recommended retail prices (RRP).
| Bag size | Single bag price (RRP) | Pack of five bags price (RRP) |
|---|---|---|
| 40-litre | $4.50 | N/A |
| 60-litre | $6.00 | $30.00 |
Rubbish bag prices are higher for the Hauraki Gulf islands to cover the cost of transporting large amounts of recyclables and rubbish to the mainland for disposal.
Where to buy official council rubbish bags
You can only buy our orange rubbish bags from:
- Aotea / Great Barrier Library
- selected convenience stores on the island.
Recycling crates and bags
Recycling crates
Recycling crates are available only in one size (60-litre). Each property can have two crates.
Recycling bags
You can use official council 45-litre recycling bags to dispose of recycling items.
You can buy official council recycling bags from:
- Aotea / Great Barrier Library
- selected convenience stores on the island.
Price of official council recycling bags
Pricing may vary by area and between retailers. These are the recommended retail prices (RRP).
| Bag size | Single bag price (RRP) |
|---|---|
| 45-litre | $3.50 |
How rubbish and recycling bin charges are calculated
You are charged for waste collection services each year in your property rates. The rating year runs from 1 July to 30 June.
If your new waste collection service starts part way through the rating year, you will be charged from the date you order the service until 30 June.
Waste charges for a full year will be added to a property rates account from the new rating year starting 1 July.
You will not get a refund on your rates if you downsize a rubbish bin. The extra charge will be removed from your rates from 1 July.
Rubbish bin fees and charges
Annual charge
The yearly cost of a rubbish collection service depends on the size of your bin.
| Bin size | 80L rubbish bin | 120L rubbish bin | 240L rubbish bin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fee | $162.70 | $195.78 | $324.96 |
Charges for a new rubbish collection service
The cost of a new rubbish collection service is based on:
- the size of the bin
- the time between when the new bin is ordered and 30 June.
| Month bin requested | 80L rubbish bin | 120L rubbish bin | 240L rubbish bin |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 2025 | $162.70 | $195.78 | $324.96 |
| August 2025 | $150.37 | $180.95 | $300.34 |
| September 2025 | $135.58 | $163.15 | $270.80 |
| October 2025 | $123.25 | $148.32 | $246.18 |
| November 2025 | $110.93 | $133.49 | $221.56 |
| December 2025 | $98.60 | $118.65 | $196.95 |
| January 2026 | $86.28 | $103.82 | $172.33 |
| February 2026 | $73.95 | $88.99 | $147.71 |
| March 2026 | $61.63 | $74.16 | $123.09 |
| April 2026 | $49.30 | $59.33 | $98.47 |
| May 2026 | $36.97 | $44.50 | $73.85 |
| June 2026 | $27.12 | $32.63 | $54.16 |
Visit Bin requests, waste guidelines, charges and payments for bin requests.
Charges for changing to a different size rubbish bin
You need to pay a one-off administration fee to change your bin to a different size.
| Description | Fee |
|---|---|
| Administration fee for bin change | $40 |
If you are changing to a larger bin, you will also need to pay a charge based on the time between when the new bin size is ordered and 30 June.
If you have requested a different size bin during the rating year, you will be invoiced separately from your rates bill. Visit Pay your waste services invoice for payment information.
| Month bin requested | Exchange rubbish bin from 80L to 120L | Exchange rubbish bin from 80L to 240L | Exchange rubbish bin from 120L to 240L |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 2025 | $33.08 | $162.26 | $129.18 |
| August 2025 | $30.57 | $149.97 | $119.39 |
| September 2025 | $27.57 | $135.22 | $107.65 |
| October 2025 | $25.06 | $122.93 | $97.86 |
| November 2025 | $22.56 | $110.64 | $88.08 |
| December 2025 | $20.05 | $98.34 | $78.29 |
| January 2026 | $17.55 | $86.05 | $68.50 |
| February 2026 | $15.04 | $73.76 | $58.72 |
| March 2026 | $12.53 | $61.47 | $48.93 |
| April 2026 | $10.03 | $49.17 | $39.15 |
| May 2026 | $7.52 | $36.88 | $29.36 |
| June 2026 | $5.51 | $27.04 | $21.53 |
Visit Bin requests, waste guidelines, charges and payments for bin requests.
Recycling crate charges
The charge for a new recycling service is based on the time between when new recycling crates are ordered and the end of the rating year on 30 June.
| Month crates requested | New recycling crates |
|---|---|
| July 2025 | $164.29 |
| August 2025 | $151.84 |
| September 2025 | $139.40 |
| October 2025 | $126.95 |
| November 2025 | $114.51 |
| December 2025 | $102.06 |
| January 2026 | $89.61 |
| February 2026 | $77.17 |
| March 2026 | $64.72 |
| April 2026 | $52.27 |
| May 2026 | $39.83 |
| June 2026 | $27.38 |
Visit Bin requests, waste guidelines, charges and payments for bin requests.