Changes to Rubbish and Recycling

How do I choose what I want?

If you’re a ratepayer:

Check your November rates invoice, choose your bins, complete online, by post or in-person.

Online

This weekend our online bin selection process will launch at hutt.city/choosemybins. If you receive your rates invoice online you'll already have a login and can make your bin selections. If not, you’ll need to register using:

• your email address
• your account number*
• your valuation number*

Then you’ll receive an email that walks you through the rest of the process.

*You’ll find these on your most recent rates invoice.

TIP: Make an easy step in reducing waste by signing up to receive your rates invoices by email when you register. Help us save paper!

By post / in-person

You’ll receive a form along with your November rates invoice. Fill in that form and post it back to us using the reusable envelope, or drop it into the Council building on Laings Road, or any of our libraries or community hubs.

Tell us by 31 January 2021

If you send by post, please allow a week for delivery to ensure we receive it in time. If we don’t hear from you we’ll assume you’re comfortable with the default size bins (120L for rubbish and 240L for recycling).

If you rent:

You may want to talk to your landlord about these changes. We’ll let you know early next year when and how you’ll receive your new bins.

If you live in an apartment building:

The new service may differ depending on the circumstances. For example, there may be shared bins in a central storage area. We’ll be contacting property owners over the coming months to assess location-specific needs.

I’m a landlord, do I choose for my tenants?

Yes, because the new service is paid for through a property’s rates, the property owner decides what bins to choose.

We suggest that you talk with your tenants about the new service and which bins will suit them. A smaller household might be fine with a smaller bin, but a large family or one with young children may need a larger bin. If your tenants use Council rubbish bags, refer to the start of this brochure to see a rough conversion from bags to the new bin sizes.

Is there a wheel in/out service available?

For elderly residents and those with disability or mobility challenges we offer a wheel in/ out service where the service provider will handle your bins. Let us know if you’d like to be contacted about this service by checking the box on the bin selection form.

Is there anything else I need to do before the new service starts?

If you currently use rubbish bags, you do not need to do anything else. Rubbish bags are being discontinued as of 1 July 2021.

If you have a contract for your current rubbish collection, make sure you cancel it before 1 July 2021.

How will it work?

Weekly rubbish

If you’re the property owner, you’ll get to choose between a 120-litre (default option), 80-litre, or 240-litre wheelie bin.

Fortnightly recycling

For mixed recycling you’ll receive a 240-litre wheelie bin (default option), or you can choose a smaller 120-litre bin if you have less recycling.

For glass, you’ll get a 45-litre crate.

Optional green waste

You’ll also get to choose if you want to pay for green waste collection every four weeks. You’ll receive a 240-litre wheelie bin that would only be for garden waste, not food waste. Green waste can also still go into your weekly rubbish.

How much will it cost?

These costs include GST, are indicative only and will appear on your revised bill from 1 July 2021.

*You currently pay $40 per annum for recycling.

What could this look like for me?

Use our rubbish and recycling calculator to work out what you might pay with the new system.

Why are these changes happening?

Rubbish and recycling services haven’t changed for almost 20 years in Lower Hutt. We need a modern service, that is environmentally-friendly and easier for more people to use.

This is a big change to the way rubbish and recycling is managed. Our new service will be more financially and environmentally sustainable. It will:

• be available to everyone who lives in our city, in a standard way 
• have provisions in place to help residents in hilly suburbs and people with disabilities or mobility issues
• in many cases it will save you money
• mean no more Hutt City Council rubbish bags from 1 July 2021 which is safer for workers collecting rubbish
• mean there are less trucks on the road which is better for the environment
• pay employees the living wage.

What happens next?

We’ll start delivering the bins you’ve chosen before the new service starts on 1 July 2021. Don’t worry if your neighbours receive bins before you do, this is a staggered delivery and there’s plenty of time. We’ll let you know when to contact us if your bins still haven’t arrived.

More information

• Check out our Frequently Asked Questions
• For information on the consultation process, check out our Have your Say website
• Sign up to receive rubbish and recycling updates