Any brand of haircare product in an aerosol can be recycled via TerraCycle. All other aerosols are currently non-recyclable. When it’s time to throw your aerosol away, try to empty it as much as possible to avoid issues when it is being compacted in the rubbish truck or at landfill.
Clean cooking foil and trays can be dropped at Wellington Scrap Metals. Please contact them first to double-check that they are accepting those items.
Whiteware, fridges, freezers, dishwashers, washing machines, dryers, toasters kettles, irons are all accepted at Trash Palace. Some items you may have to pay to drop off, so check their website for details.
Used household batteries can be dropped off for free at the following Council buildings during open hours:
Accepted batteries include:
This service is provided via Phoenix Battery Recycling – the country’s first end-to-end battery recycling service. Please put clear tape on the battery terminals before dropping them off to avoid the batteries from shorting.
Bunnings Porirua accepts household single use and rechargeable batteries such as AAA, AA, C, D, 9v, 6v, power tool batteries, button cell batteries and any other handheld-sized batteries that can fit in the collection slot. Check their website for details on how to drop them off.
Some car companies have recycling schemes for their own electric and hybrid vehicle batteries, such as Toyota and Mitsubishi.
Bay Audiology offers a recycling programme for all hearing aid wearers. You do not have to be a client.
Project Uplift collects second-hand bras to send to overseas countries that need them. Check their website for local drop-off points. Zonta Mana also runs an annual collection of used bras, which are donated to Arohata Prison.
Aluminium and tin cans can go in your yellow-lid kerbside recycling bin, or they can be dropped off at the recycling station opposite Trash Palace.
Car batteries can be disposed of for free at Trash Palace, Repco Porirua and retailers that sell Century batteries.
Spicer Landfill accepts used vehicle oil, batteries and gas bottles (conditions apply).
There are car seat recycling collection points in Lower Hutt, Wellington and the Kapiti Coast. Drop-off fees vary depending on location. Find out more here.
If clothes are wearable, consider selling them or donating to a local charity shop. You can also drop them off at nearby clothing recycling bins at Paremata Station and outside Plimmerton School. Other clothing recycling options include:
Different brands of coffee pods can be recycled via TerraCycle.
Colgate oral products such as toothpaste tubes, floss and toothbrushes can be recycled via TerraCycle. You can also search for public drop-off sites in the region on the TerraCycle website.
Takeaway cups are non-recyclable. Please put cups and lids in your general rubbish and consider bringing your reusable cup next time you are out and about. In Porirua you can borrow a reusable cup from Get Fixed Bicycle Café and Little Green Olive
The City Library in Porirua is a drop-off location for used curtains, as long as they are mould-free and in a good condition. The curtains to go the Sustainability Trust curtain bank to be upcycled and gifted to low-income families. Curtain tracks need to be delivered directly to the Sustainability Trust.
Some air fresheners and dishwashing packaging can be recycled via TerraCycle.
Several businesses accept or collect old computers and electronics: Trash Palace, Earthlink, IT Recycla, Remarkit, Recycle a Device, Noel Leeming. Contact them first to find out any charges that apply and whether they’ll accept your goods.
If you can, try composting food and food scraps by using methods like a bokashi bin or a worm farm. If you cannot compost at home, see if there is a community garden in your neighbourhood that accepts food scraps for their compost.
The Agrecovery Rural Recycling Programme provides sustainable systems for recovering and recycling “on-farm” waste products.
Interwaste in Porirua provides a recycling service for these products, including compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs). You can buy a pre-paid postage box and send it back for recycling. Phone (04) 237 6982.
Gas bottles, fire extinguishers and cannisters can be dropped off for a fee at Spicer Landfill.
Prescription, reading and sunglasses can be dropped off at Specsavers.
Green waste can be dropped off at Spicer landfill at a lower cost than general waste, or at Composting NZ in Plimmerton.
There are special criteria for the disposal of hazardous waste, see here for more details.
These can be recycled via Terracyle, including any haircare brand of jars, lids, bottles, pumps and caps, hair colour bottles, caps, tubes and soft pouches and Latex, HDPE, Nitrile, and PE gloves.
See below for more information about donating household goods in Porirua.
You can drop off household items such as clothing, linen, toys and working small appliances to the following places:
Please note, these stores may not always be accepting items – you can check in with them first.
Metal bottle lids, caps, screw tops for wine and oil bottles and jar lids will be accepted at Wellington Scrap Metals. Plastic lids can also be dropped off at the Sustainability Trust in Wellington.
Any household unbroken lightbulbs can be recycled through Mitre 10.
Lithium batteries can be dropped off free of charge into the E-waste container at the Spicer Landfill refuse transfer station.
The Chemist Warehouse Porirua is a drop-off point for used make-up items such as mascara tubes and wands, plastic eye, brow and lip liners, soft and rigid make-up packaging, make-up bottles, tubes and lids, pumps caps and droppers, compacts, palettes, lipsticks and gloss.
Medicines, sharps, needles, lancets and syringes can’t be recycled. For safe disposal, return any expired or unwanted medicines to your local pharmacy. Pharmacies may also accept your sharps in a suitable container.
Disposable nappies are not recyclable, please put them in your rubbish.
Used outdoor furniture can be donated or upcycled if it’s still in a usable condition. For unusable furniture that includes metal components, they can possibly go to a metal recycler.
Clean and empty paint cans up to four litres can go in your yellow-lid kerbside recycling bin. Leftover paint is accepted at selected Resene or Dulux stores. Check their websites first as there may be a charge involved.
TerraCycle runs a recycling programme for pet food bags that are clean and dry.
These can be recycled in your yellow-lid kerbside bin once all the food scraps have been removed.
Many mobile phone providers offer collection services for used phones. Contact yours for details.
Clean plastic #5 plant pots can be dropped at Bunnings Porirua or Mitre10 Porirua.
If the bottle is #1, #2 or #5 plastic, it can be placed in your yellow-lid kerbside bin once it has been rinsed out and the lid, trigger or pump has been removed.
Plastic that is #5 can be placed in your yellow-lid kerbside bin once it has been cleaned and any lids removed.
Polystyrene is not accepted in your kerbside recycling, please place it in your rubbish.
Empty cartridges can be returned to Warehouse Stationery.
Pringles containers are not recyclable, please put them in your rubbish.
Any brand of disposable razor blades and their packaging can be recycled via TerraCycle.
This type of paper is not recyclable, please put it in your rubbish.
This type of item cannot be recycled. Folders in good condition could be donated to a second-hand shop.
Any metal from steel and iron objects, such as chairs, cars or motorcycle frames, should be taken to scrap metal dealers for cash.
Scrap metal can be taken to:
As long as the item is no bigger than a reusable bag, you can drop it off at the Sustainability Trust. This includes any of the following:
This is too small to be recycled, please put it in your rubbish.
All brands of flexible plastic skincare packaging, including sheet mask outer packaging, can be recycled via TerraCycle.
Silicone products such as lunch boxes, food covers, baby bibs, baby bowls, bakeware, freezer bags etc. are accepted at Sustainability Trust.
There are six locations in Porirua where your clean and dry soft plastics can be dropped off for recycling. The plastic is turned into fence posts and planter boxes. You can read more about the nationwide scheme here: www.recycling.kiwi
Most sports equipment cannot be recycled. If it is still in a good condition it can be donated.
Loose tea leaves can go in your home composting system if you have one. Otherwise, they can be put in your garden soil after thoroughly washing them to remove traces of sugar and milk. Most of the tea bags usually have plastic in them and should not be put in composting system. However, simply cut open the tea bag and compost the leaves only. There are some brands which are completely home compostable.
Tetra Pak cartons were previously sent to the landfill because they could not be recycled in New Zealand, but this has now changed. You can now drop off your clean Tetra Pak cartons at Spicer Landfill to be recycled.
Tetra Pak cartons are now being recycled for use for a sustainable building material called saveBOARD. It is made by compressing chipped waste material from used cartons - more info on saveBOARD can be found here.
There is a special cage for them at the recycling station at Spicer Landfill, opposite Trash Palace. Earthlink will collect, bale and ship the cartons to saveBOARD's processing plant in Hamilton.
Residential customers and approved small businesses are welcome to drop them off during opening hours. Businesses first need to contact the Council's front desk (04 237 5089) to apply to use the service.
No. Recycling material from your kerbside bins go to the sorting plant at Seaview, which has not been set up for collecting Tetra Pak cartons. So, save up your Tetra Pak and drop them in to the recycling station at Spicer seven days a week from 8.30am to 5pm.
The lids are the glue that helps form the saveBOARD.
The Building Recyclers in Elsdon may accept your good quality used timber products. Trash Palace may also accept some used timber items.
Please search under H for House hold goods
Tissues are not recyclable, please put them in your rubbish.
Used tyres can be dropped off at Spicer Landfill, free of charge, where they will be recycled as part of the Tyrewise product stewardship scheme.
Up to five tyres can be disposed of at a time free of charge, as long as they are clean and do not have rims.
Tyres with rims can still be taken to Spicer Landfill for recycling, and a service fee of $6 per tyre will be charged to de-rim them.
The drop-off site is at the far end as you enter the transfer station.
Head to Trash Palace to drop off your pre-loved goods and recycling. You may even find some treasure at the Trash Palace shop.
Up to 10 L of used engine oil can be dropped off at Spicer Landfill for free. A cost applies for larger quantities.
Any kind of vacuum cleaner is e-waste and can be dropped off at an e-waste collection site such as Trash Palace.
Most vape shops have a collection point for disposable vape products.
Spicer Landfill accepts vehicle bodies for a fee. The cost is higher if the vehicle has rubbish in it.
Other local businesses that accept vehicles:
Wallpaper is not recyclable, please put it in your rubbish.
