Skip to main content

What should our kerbside green waste collection look like?

Kia pēhea kā riteka o te kohika taparori o te para tipu?

We currently lack a Council-provided kerbside collection service for green waste. The Government has mandated the introduction of a food waste collection by 2027, with our plan to begin this service in September 2026, aligned with the start of a new Waste Management contract.

While we must start collecting food waste, feedback from previous consultations and our Annual Residents’ Survey shows that the community desires a more comprehensive green kerbside service which would also collect organic waste, like your garden and lawn clippings.

What are the options?

For both options the collected waste would be taken to the Ashburton Resource Recovery Park, and then sent to a plant in Canterbury for composting.

You cannot opt out of whichever service is finally agreed. If your property already gets kerbside collection, you’ll get the food waste collection service and be charged. If the full kerbside green waste collection was approved, you would receive this service.

Under both scenarios, your regular red bin for general rubbish would still be collected every week.

  • Option 1 (preferred option)

    Introduce a green waste collection service

    This service would provide a 240-litre wheelie bin for the green organic waste and food waste, collected weekly.

    Collection of the organic waste would begin in September 2026.


  • Option 2

    Only provide the mandatory food waste service

    We are required by the Government to provide a food waste collection service. This service would provide a small 23-litre bin for food waste only, collected weekly.

For both options the collected waste would be taken to the Ashburton Resource Recovery Park, and then sent to a plant in Canterbury for composting.

You cannot opt out of whichever service is finally agreed. If your property already gets kerbside collection, you’ll get the food waste collection service and be charged. If the full kerbside green waste collection was approved, you would receive this service. Under both scenarios, your regular red bin for general rubbish would still be collected every week.

Option Analysis

Learn more about the costs, advantages and disadvantages of each option.

What will it cost?

Advantages & Disadvantages

Capital: $1.66 million

We expect to get a subsidy from the Waste Minimisation Fund of around $918,000 to cover the capital costs of the scheme. The remainder would be funded through loans.

Operating: $1.24 million annually

Operating costs would be covered through increased targeted rates for waste collection and savings from less refuse collected.

Debt: $742,000

Rates: $72

This is the extra charge included in the Targeted rates for Refuse Collection, that is paid by those who get the service.

Advantages

  • Provides the level of service the community has been asking for.
  • Simpler collection service than food only waste.
  • A higher diversion rate of green organic waste going to landfill.
  • Environmental benefit of diverting green waste from landfill where it produces methane.
  • Meets our legal obligations.

Disadvantages

  • More expensive annual cost than the food waste only collection.

What will it cost?

Advantages & Disadvantages

Capital: $764,000

We expect to get a subsidy from the Waste Minimisation Fund of around $458,000 to cover the capital costs of the scheme. The remainder would be funded through loans.

Operating: $524,000 annually

Operating costs would be covered through increased targeted rates for waste collection and savings from less refuse collected.

Debt: $306,000

Rates: $35

This is the extra charge included in the Targeted rates for Refuse Collection, that is paid by those who get the service.

Advantages

  • Meets our legal obligations.
  • Smaller rates increase for this service.

Disadvantages

  • No additional diversion of organic waste from landfill.
  • Does not meet the requests of the community.
  • Handling of food only waste is unappealing – to customers or collection staff.
  • Bins when full might be heavy, prone to tipping in strong winds, appealing to cats and dogs and difficult for some people to move.
  • More expensive option per tonne of green organic waste collected.
  • No environmental benefits when green organic waste continues to be added to the landfill.

Funding a new service

We can secure a grant from the government’s Waste Minimisation Fund to help implement kerbside collection for both options. This funding would help cover the capital costs of establishing the service – such as the purchase of the new kerbside bins and construction of a storage bunker at the Ashburton Resource Recovery Park.

It’s important to note that the ongoing costs of collecting and transporting both food and green waste are higher than collecting just food waste alone. However, encouraging everyone to use green bins for organic waste instead of their red bins, will mean some cost savings from less organic waste going to landfill.

Provide a short summary of your question.

You have 150 characters left

Provide detailed information relating to your question.

You have 500 characters left

Select a respondent from the list that you would most like to answer your question.

Moderation Policy

These are the people that are listening and responding to your questions.

LTP Team

{{ question.username }} asked

{{question.description}}

{{ answer.respondent.name }}
| Edited

Answer this question

Select the respondent who will be marked as answering the question

Provide the answer to the question. Answer can be saved as draft and published when complete.

No questions found

Ready to have your say?

Keep up to date and have your say about the future of our community.

Sign up Login

Contact Us

Have questions or want to learn more about a project, contact us below:

Phone 03-307 7700
Email info@adc.govt.nz
Website www.ashburtondc.govt.nz
In writing

2 Baring Square East, Ashburton 7700