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    Rubbish and recycling stations

    Find a rubbish or recycling facility near you

    We operate a network of 16 refuse and recycling stations and 11 community recycling centres across the Far North, making it easy to dispose of waste and recycle responsibly.

    Our refuse and recycling stations accept a wide range of materials, including household rubbish, green waste, hazardous waste, scrap metal, whiteware, tyres, and recyclables. Some facilities also accept car bodies. Most recyclable materials can be dropped off free of charge.

    Our community recycling centres are free to use and accept glass bottles and jars, plastics, paper, cardboard, and aluminium and steel cans.

    During the Christmas and New Year holiday period, seasonal recycling centres are also available at Russell Kororāreka Wharf and Ōpua.

    To find a facility near you, browse the list below or use the search bar to view locations, opening hours, and accepted materials.

    Station and centre listings

    Find a venue you're looking for with our search bar.

    Kaitāia Refuse Transfer Station

     Bedgood Road, off Church Road, Kaitāia 0410
    Transfer station is at Bedgood Road, located 500 metres up Church Road. Turn off opposite Kaitāia Primary school.

    Pawarenga Community Recycling Centre

     Pawarenga Road, Pawarenga  0496
    Pawarenga Community Recycling Centre is located at the Pawarenga Community Trust, Rotokakahi War Memorial Domain.

    Russell Refuse Transfer Station

     120 Florance Avenue, Russell 0272
    Russell Refuse Transfer Station is located on Florance Avenue, approximately 2km southeast of Russell.

    Taipā Refuse Transfer Station

     13-27 Paranui Road, Taipā 0483
    Taipā refuse transfer station located on the corner of Paranui Road and Oruru Road (3km south of Taipā).

    Te Kao Transfer Station

     Potahi Road, Te Kao 0484
    Te Kao Refuse Transfer Station located off SH1 (North); East Coast Roadway (past Marae) Te Kao.

    Waipapa Refuse Transfer Station

     1913 State Highway 10, Waipapa 0295
    Waipapa Refuse Transfer Station is located at 1913 State Highway 10, at the end of the lane.

    Ōpononi Refuse Transfer Station

     131 State Highway 12, Ōmāpere 0473
    Ōpononi Refuse transfer station located Rāwene Baker Road - behind bowling club midway between Ōpononi and Ōmāpere.

    Ōpua Community Recycling Centre

     Lyon Street, Ōpua 0200
    Ōpua community recycling centre located by fuel jetty FNHL car park operating from 26 December to 29 January.

    Questions and answers

    The following materials are accepted free of charge for recycling at Council refuse transfer stations and community recycling centres.

    Aluminium/tin cans

    Please rinse cans. No foil food containers.

    Clear plastics numbered #1

    Clear bottles and clean clear meat trays. These must have the number 1 recycling symbol.

    Important! From mid-July 2025 coloured 1 (PET) plastics will not be accepted at council waste transfer and recycling stations for recycling.

    Plastics numbered #2

    Milk and cream bottles (including Anchor products), opaque, non-coloured cleaning product containers and coloured plastics, such as cleaning products and cosmetic containers. Please note these must have the number 2 recycling symbol.

    Plastics numbered #5

    Accepted items include some food containers, takeaway containers, yoghurt pottles and grocery packaging displaying the #5 recycling symbol.

    Tip! The number identifying the plastic is normally found on the bottom of the bottle or container. All other plastics not listed above should be included in household rubbish.

    Cardboard and paper

    Please flatten cardboard before recycling. Tetra Pak food and beverage cartons (such as oat milk cartons), plastic-coated cardboard, and wax-coated cardboard are not accepted for recycling.

    Glass bottles and jars

    Please separate glass by colour: clear, green, and brown.

    Note: Window, frosted, crystal or reinforced glass cannot be accepted.

    Tyres

    You can dispose of up to five end-of-life tyres for free of charge through the Tyrewise scheme. Please ensure tyres are removed from their rims before dropping them off.

    Charges at refuse transfer stations are per tyre:

    • Motorcycle tyres - FREE
    • Passenger car tyres - FREE
    • Light truck and 4x4 tyres - FREE
    • Truck tyres - FREE
    • Tractor and super single - FREE
    • Earth mover tyres - NOT ACCEPTED

    Other Materials Accepted for Recycling

    • Waste oil (up to 5 litres, then 20c per litre thereafter)
    • Batteries
    • Whiteware and scrap metal
    • Wet cell and dry cell batteries

    Note: Whiteware and scrap metal are accepted at Site Class 1 and 2 refuse transfer stations and landfill facilities only.

    E-Waste

    The council subsidises the recycling of eWaste because it contains heavy metals and other toxic materials we want to keep out of our environment.

    Refuse transfer station charges for eWaste are:

    • TVs / computer CRT screens $10
    • TVs Flat Screen $10
    • Monitors LCD $5
    • PCs  Desktop/laptop/server $5 each
    • Uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) $5
    • Laptop batteries $5
    • Network equipment $5.

    Greenwaste

    Greenwaste is accepted at some refuse transfer stations at a cost of $22 per cubic metre. Please refer to our Rubbish and recycling stations page to see which facilities accept green waste.

    Note: Branch diameter cannot exceed 75mm. We cannot accept flax, toi toi, bamboo, pampas grass, phoenix palm or cabbage tree.

    Agricultural Plastics

    For more information, view the Agricultural Plastic Recycling scheme run by - https://www.plasback.co.nz

      • Coloured #1 (PET) plastics
        From mid-July 2025, coloured #1 (PET) plastics are no longer accepted for recycling. They can still be disposed of as general waste and will attract the applicable disposal charge.
      • Infectious medical waste
      • Dust-generating materials
      • Liquids, chemicals, and sludges
      • Dead animals
      • Asbestos
      • Fuel tanks (empty or containing fuel)
      • Hazardous waste, except for limited quantities of approved household hazardous waste
      • Explosive or radioactive materials
      • Commercial air-conditioning and refrigeration units

      Household hazardous waste

      Many of our stations accept small quantities (up to 5 litres) of household hazardous waste. The following are all classed as hazardous waste:

      • Used lubricating oil
      • Paints
      • Agricultural chemicals
      • Animal remedies
      • Pool chemicals
      • Automotive batteries
      • Household batteries

      For accepted locations and any restrictions, please refer to the relevant station information page. For quantities greater than 5 litres, or for commercial hazardous waste, please contact the Northland Regional Council.

    • Per bag (standard 65L) $4.00
    • Oversized bag (130L) $7.00
    • Wheelie bin (240L) $12.50
    • Loose material (per m3) $52.00
    • Compacted and heavy material (per m3) $84.00
    • Green waste (per m3) $22.00
    • From mid-July 2025 disposing of coloured 1 (PET) plastics will attract the same charge as other household waste going to landfill.

    Rubbish disposal is a user-pays service. This means people who generate more rubbish pay more towards the cost of collecting, transporting, and disposing of it safely.

    User-pays also helps ensure that visitors contribute to the cost of managing rubbish, particularly during the busy summer holiday period when waste volumes in the Far North can nearly double.

    Most recycling can be dropped off free of charge, making it easier and more affordable for residents to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill.

    Last updated: 29 Sep 2026 4:17pm