Poll: How should our kerbside rubbish collection services be paid for?
Kia ora Tāmaki Makaurau.
Auckland Council is looking to scrap bin tags in parts of Auckland.
The bin tags – or a pay as you throw (PAYT) system – were rolled out in West Auckland, Papakura and on the North Shore between 2017 and 2018.
Rather than paying for kerbside rubbish collection as part of their rates, residents in these areas purchase bin tags from supermarkets, council service centres and libraries, and attach them to their bin on rubbish collection day.
The bin tags were part of the council’s strategy to achieve its goal of zero waste to landfill by 2040, with one standard sized bin (120L, bin tag cost $4.25) fitting the equivalent of, and removing the need for, two plastic rubbish bags.
The council had planned on rolling out this system across the entire region, however it now believes it is too expensive to operate and lacks the financial incentive needed to make people reduce their waste.
Now, it is proposing to move the entire region to a rates-funded collection service, with the choice of three rubbish bin sizes to cater to different household needs and costs.
If the proposal to goes ahead, it is estimated Aucklanders will pay $314 per year for their rubbish, recycling and inorganic collection. Including food scraps collection, this will cost $375.
If the entire region moves to a PAYT system, it is expected each household would spend $353 on bin tags each year, or $415 including food scraps collection. This estimate is based on the current average collection rate of a household with a standard 120L bin.
Consultation on the matter will begin on February 28. So, what do you think should happen?
Read more here: www.stuff.co.nz...
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34.6% Bin tags make me consider what I send to landfill
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40.2% Rates-funded collection is easier than using bin tags
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19.9% Rates-funded collection, but bin tags available for those with little waste
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5.4% Undecided - tell us in the comments
⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️
It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:
👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️
Would you like a free copy of our February 2025 issue?
Kia ora neighbours. We give away free copies to readers whose recipes are used in our magazine. We're still on the hunt for tomato recipes, so send your family's favourite way to use up your homegrown harvest, to: mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz. If we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of the mag