Recycling - every bit counts

Waste Minimisation

We provide a fortnightly kerbside recycling collection service.

Recycling is a process that involves separating and collecting useful materials from rubbish to be manufactured into new products or raw materials. These materials cannot be directly reused and would otherwise be discarded as waste.

Recycling is more than simply separating recyclable material from rubbish. This process is complete when recycled materials are used to make new products which are then purchased. Help close the loop and choose to buy recycled products.

Kerbside collections

We collect items from your blue and yellow mobile recycling bin as well as paper and cardboard. Recycling reduces waste and landfill costs as well as making better use of our natural resources.

Image of blue and yellow mobile recycling bin. Update on Items to Recycle

Recycling Plastics 1-7

North Shore City Council residents and businesses can now recycle all plastic bottles and containers with the numbers 1 to 7 displayed in the recycling triangle on the base or side of the item.
Previously the only plastics residents and businesses could recycle were plastic bottles numbers 1 and 2.
This means that products such as ice cream containers and lids, yoghurt pottles, dip containers and takeaway containers can all be recycled.
The base or side of the item must have a recycling symbol, with a 1 to 7 on it. If it doesn’t have this, it cannot go in the mobile recycling bin for collection.
Polystyrene – North Shore City Council does not have a market for polystyrene eg polystyrene meat trays, foam hot drink cups and polystyrene packaging. So even though they have the recycling symbol 6 on them, they cannot go in the mobile recycling bin. They must be broken up and placed in the orange Council pre-paid rubbish bags.
Items should be squashed to ensure that all of the recyclable items will fit into the mobile recycling bin.
Examples of the different products include:

Code/Number	Common Uses
PET	Soft drink and water bottles, salad domes, biscuit trays, shampoo bottles, detergent bottles, squeezy bottles, fruit punnets, fruit juice bottles, liquid soap containers, household cleaners and vitamin containers.
	Milk bottles, vitamin containers, fruit juice bottles, detergent bottles, sunscreen bottles, shampoo bottles, dishwashing powder container and household cleaners.
	Detergent bottles.
	Squeezy bottles, ice cream container lids and plastic plates and cups.
	Dip containers, ice cream containers tubs, margarine containers, plastic plates, cups, large yoghurt containers and cutlery and squeezy bottles.
	Large yoghurt containers, yoghurt pottles, dip containers, ice cream container tubs and lids. *Does not include polystyrene meat trays, foamed polystyrene hot drink cups and polystyrene packaging
	Squeezy bottles, plastic plates and spreadable butters.

Please continue to recycle:

Glass bottles and jars (no broken or window glass and no mirrors)

Aluminium and steel cans

Aerosol containers (remove plastic top).

Separate items to recycle from your normal rubbish, place them in your mobile recycling bin and leave it next to your rubbish bag on the kerb before 7.30am on your collection day.

All paper and cardboard other than tetra pak cartons, can be recycled and should be flattened and securely bundled and placed beside your mobile recycling bin, not inside it.

Please consider those using the footpath when placing items out for collection and use the kerbside wherever possible.

Find out your rubbish and recycling collection day
Learn more about our business waste collection services
Information about the HazMobile and hazardous waste collection

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Mobile recycling bins

Image of blue and yellow mobile recycling bin. The 140-litre bins replaced the old 40-litre crate and are collected fortnightly.

More information on the new recycling collection (frequently asked questions).
July 2008 to June 2009 fortnightly recycling collection calendar PDF (138 KB)

What is recycling all about?

Recycling is a process that involves retrieving used materials from the "waste stream" and making it into new and often different products.

Our recycling service is paid for by rates. We provide this service as a means of reducing domestic waste to landfill. The city is encouraged to reduce waste through the Waste Minimisation Plan, user-pays rubbish scheme and education initiatives.