Auckland Council looks to scrap bin tags, favouring rates-funded rubbish service

Tuesday, 15 February 2022

Auckland Council no longer believes bin tags are the way to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill.

Auckland Council is looking to scrap bin tags in parts of Auckland.

The bin tags – or a pay as you throw (PAYT) system – were rolled out in West Auckland, Papakura and on the North Shore between 2017 and 2018.

Rather than paying for kerbside rubbish collection as part of their rates, residents in these areas purchase bin tags from supermarkets, council service centres and libraries, and attach them to their bin on rubbish collection day.

The price of bin tags varies depending on the size of the rubbish bin – $2.85 for 80 litres, $4.25 for 120-140L and $6.15 for 240L.

Auckland Council is proposing to scrap the pay as you throw bin tag rubbish collection system, which it once believed was the best way to help it achieve zero waste to landfill by 2040.

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The bin tags were part of the council’s strategy to achieve its goal of zero waste to landfill by 2040, with one standard sized bin (120L) fitting the equivalent of, and removing the need for, two plastic rubbish bags.

The council had planned to roll out bin tags across the entire region, however it has since found the PAYT system to be the most expensive option for kerbside rubbish collection, Auckland Council general manager for waste solutions Parul Sood told Stuff.

Now, the council is proposing to move the entire region to a rates-funded collection service, with the choice of three rubbish bin sizes to cater to different household needs and costs.

International evidence indicated a “polluter pays” system prompted people to minimise their wasteful habits with the incentive of saving money, Sood said.

“Auckland’s price per kerbside collection would need to be much higher to change how households consider the amount of waste they are generating.”

If the proposal to goes ahead, it is estimated Aucklanders will pay $314 per year for their rubbish, recycling and inorganic collection. Including food scraps collection, this will cost $375.

If the entire region moves to a PAYT system, it is expected each household would spend $353 on bin tags each year, or $415 including food scraps collection. This estimate is based on the current average collection rate of a household with a standard 120L bin.

Currently, Auckland Council operates a fortnightly recycling collection service across the entire region, which is covered by a $142.70 rate.

This rate also includes an annual inorganic collection (large and small household appliances, furniture, renovation materials, electronics).

It also operates a weekly rubbish collection across all of Auckland, expect for the Rodney District, which is serviced by private waste operators.

The areas which don’t use the PAYT bin tag system – excluding Great Barrier, Waiheke and Kawau islands – also pay a standard rubbish collection rate of $150.06 for a 120L bin. They may upsize the bin to 240L for an additional $70.53.

This means that with a standard-sized rubbish bin, residents are paying a total of $292.76 for rubbish, recycling and inorganic collection – less than what they would pay if the entire region were to move to this model.

Papakura and some neighbourhoods on the North Shore also have a weekly food scraps collection service, which is covered by a targeted rate of $69.88. This service will be introduced to the rest of Auckland in 2023.

Consultation on the rubbish collection proposal will begin on February 28.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story said food scraps collection would begin from July 1 this year. It will actually begin in 2023. (Amended at 2.49pm on February 16, 2022)