The weird things Aucklanders tried recycling this year
Firearms, ammunition, swords, dead animals, chemicals, tree stumps and Christmas trees are just some of the strange things Aucklanders have attempted to recycle this year.
However, the contest for the most unexpected items went to those who tried to recycle a samurai sword and an artificial hip joint.
Auckland Council is pleading with residents to be wary of what they recycle, as it reveals some of the weird items found in the yellow-top recycling bins in 2019.
Anyone who attempted to recycled prohibited items bubble wrap, plastic bags, ribbons, batteries, food scraps, clothing, footwear, electronics, broken glass, polystyrene and single-use coffee cups should consider themselves an addition to "Santa's Naughty List", Auckland Council said.
Are you on the naughty list? What weird things have you tried recycling?
Share your favourite main crop potato recipe and win a copy of our mag!
Love potatoes? We will give away free copies of the May 2026 issue to readers whose potato recipes are used in our magazine. To be in the running, make sure you email your family's favourite way to enjoy potatoes: mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, by March 1, 2026.
Poll: 🤖 What skills do you think give a CV the ultimate edge in a robot-filled workplace?
The Reserve Bank has shared some pretty blunt advice: there’s no such thing as a “safe” job anymore 🛟😑
Robots are stepping into repetitive roles in factories, plants and warehouses. AI is taking care of the admin tasks that once filled many mid-level office jobs.
We want to know: As the world evolves, what skills do you think give a CV the ultimate edge in a robot-filled workplace?
Want to read more? The Press has you covered!
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52.6% Human-centred experience and communication
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14.8% Critical thinking
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29.8% Resilience and adaptability
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2.8% Other - I will share below!
Some Choice News!
DOC is rolling out a new tool to help figure out what to tackle first when it comes to protecting our threatened species and the things putting them at risk.
Why does this matter? As Nikki Macdonald from The Post points out, we’re a country with around 4,400 threatened species. With limited time and funding, conservation has always meant making tough calls about what gets attention first.
For the first time, DOC has put real numbers around what it would take to do everything needed to properly safeguard our unique natural environment. The new BioInvest tool shows the scale of the challenge: 310,177 actions across 28,007 sites.
Now that we can see the full picture, it brings the big question into focus: how much do we, as Kiwis, truly value protecting nature — and what are we prepared to invest to make it happen?
We hope this brings a smile!
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