Fortnightly rubbish trial confirmed

Auckland Council’s Planning and Policy Committee has approved the controversial trial of a fortnightly rubbish collection. 

Waste Planning Manager Sarah Le Claire noted concerns raised during the consultation, especially from large households, but said options like larger bins and additional food scraps bins would be available.

With council staff indicating that evidence shows 40 per cent of waste is food waste, the aim is that the food scraps bins greatly reduce general waste.

Le Claire said, “We have explored how large families would cope and we know that although Auckland has proportionately more large households than other New Zealand cities – only 8,000 of our 500,000 households would be classified as large.”

Councillors also raised concerns around potential illegal dumping and costs. Councillor John Watson said when the results of the trial came back he would be looking at if participants were financially on the winning end of it. 

Watson said, “I won’t be supporting an outcome where people make the behaviour change and to make their behaviour change they have got to pay a whole lot more because that’s not going to work.” 

Committee Chair Richard Hills provided perspective by noting that the removal of plastic bags had been controversial when it was introduced. Hills said, “We need to figure out ways to reduce our waste so we stop digging up our whenua to put waste into it.” 

The plan is to trial the service in three areas, each with 3000 to 4000 households, in 2026 ahead of a potential citywide rollout in 2028. The three trial areas have not yet been selected.

Ahead of the trial, the rollout of Auckland Council’s regionwide rates-funded rubbish collection service will be complete. Rodney collections are scheduled to start in September 2025.