Refuse and recycling zones

Although we don’t have any processing facilities here in Buller, we collect recycling to be processed elsewhere. You can see below how the refuse and recycling zones work and find out more what is classified as recycling on our what can be recycled page.

If your property is in zone one and eligible for recycling collection, you can look up what day and week to put your glass crate and wheelie bin on the street on our collection days page .

There’s a great deal that you can do to reduce recycling by recycling right. What that means is explained below for each zone.

Refuse is any waste or item which cannot be recycled after use. Examples are certain types of packaging, toothbrushes, clothes, household items but also tires, furniture or even car parts.

If there is no means of reusing or processing these items, they have reached their end of life and the only safe treatment is to dispose these items in a landfill.

If you have gas cylinders, flammable liquids, or ammunition your black rubbish bag is not the place to dispose off any of these dangerous items.

Batteries and other dangerous goods in household rubbish can cause fires and damage equipment, infrastructure and harm people working around and with your rubbish.

So what to do with these items, if you can’t put them in your rubbish bag?

• Containers with flammable substances - They need to be disposed of with an authorized company like Waste Management Ltd or Chemical Couriers. Get in touch with them and make sure you dispose your flammable substances correctly.
• Gas cylinders - They are received at the Westport and Reefton Transfer Station for $9.50 per cylinder. There they are degassed and commercialized as a scrap metal.
• Li-ion Ni-Cd, NiMh batteries - They are received in through the Upcycle Programme at the Reefton, Westport, Karamea refuse and recycling stations, and Mitre 10
• Large car batteries - They are received at Mitre 10, Richards Motors, and Sutherland Tyres
• Ammunitions – Get in touch with the NZ Police or the NZ Defence Force for a safe disposal.

Please be considerate and do no to put dangerous items that pose risk of fire in your rubbish.

• Refuse is collected weekly from your kerbside.
• All refuse needs to be in an official Council bag. These can be purchased from local supermarkets.
• Refuse is transported to the Westport transfer station where it is packed for transport.
• All refuse generated in zone one is sent to the Nelson landfill.

When purchasing an official rubbish bag in Buller you are pre-paying for all the costs associated with disposing of your waste and there is lots in it.

This end-to-end service includes the collection from your house, the handling at the Transfer Station, the transport to Nelson with a truck, and the safe and compliant disposal of your waste at the York Valley Landfill in Nelson, as well as other related expenses.

You can imagine, your rubbish goes through many hands, travels a long way, and the process requires specialised equipment and facilities.

• Plastics #1, #2 and #5 are only accepted if they are thoroughly rinsed and clean.
• Cardboard and paper are accepted provided they don’t have liquid residue or food contamination. Till receipts cannot be recycled.
• Aluminium tins and glasses once food residue prevents has been removed. You need to rinse, clean, check.
• Please see our recycling guidelines for the full list of what can and cannot be recycled in zone one.
• It is important that you rinse, clean, check your recycling. If items are contaminated, they will not be accepted and are disposed of as refuse, ending up in landfill.

• In Buller, on average 37% of recycling is contaminated. This means in each 10 kg of recyclable material collected during kerbside collection, 3.7 kg is contaminated and goes to landfill.
• Recycling bins are regularly audited using a traffic light system as part of the two-weekly recycling collection by Smart Environmental Ltd and Council staff.
• During the collection, staff visually assess the recycling material. Based on the evaluation, employees label the bin with a green, yellow, or red tag.
• The colour indicates how well the recycling content meets local recycling guidelines. Bins will not be collected if they are tagged red. If a bin is tagged yellow twice, it gets a red tag and will not be emptied.
• Read our handy guide to what your coloured label means.

Our Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Buller page has more guidance on recycling right.

• Each eligible property has a 45 litre crate for glass recycling and a 240 litre wheelie bin for all other recycling. Both are collected fortnightly.
• Recycling is transported to the Westport and Reefton transfer stations where it is checked, sorted and compacted to be sent to processing plants.
• If you want to see what happens once your recycling arrives at the Westport transfer station watch this video.

For a quick and easy summary, or if you are new to the district and want to get a recycling bin, read our All you need to know about recycling in Buller July 2022

To find out if your property is authorised, look up if your property rates include a Solid Waste Management component in our rates database.

If your property is in zone one and eligible for recycling collection, you can look up what day and week to put your glass crate and wheelie bin on the street on our collection days page.

Zone one is a managed by contractor, Smart Environmental Limited. If you want to set up an account or have any queries, contact Smart Environmental Limited, or phone 03 789 6427.

If your property is eligible for kerbside collection you pay in your rates for your recycling and refuse to be picked up. Therefore you are entitled to have a recycling bin.

You can request a recycling bin using our recycling bin request form.

Just remember, if you are living in a campervan or caravan the bins belong to the property. If the property changes hands, you need to leave the bins at the property. If the bins are not required anymore you can bring them back to Buller District Council.

Contact us to arrange the return of your bins.

• Refuse is anything which after it is used cannot be reused or recycled.
• Refuse also includes glass and cardboard which can’t be recycled in zone two.

• There is no kerbside collection in zone two.
• Refuse may be dropped off in a generic single black rubbish bag up to 60L.
• The bag needs to be dropped off at the Karamea Resource Recovery Centre. Official Council bags will not be accepted at Karamea Resource Recovery Centre.
• Refuse may also be dropped off loose in car boots, trailers or small trucks.
• Refuse is disposed of locally in the Karamea landfill, which is operated by WestReef Services Ltd.

You can pay with Eftpos or cash. Charge accounts are only allowed for certain government institutions. See our Karamea Fees and Charges for prices.

• Plastics #1, #2 and #5 are only accepted presuming that they are thoroughly rinsed and clean.
• Cardboard and paper are classified as refuse and refuse charges apply.
• Aluminium tins continue to be accepted although any food residue prevents them from being recycled. You need to rinse, clean, check.
• Recycling needs to put in the containers provided at the Karamea Resource Recovery Centre.
• It is important that you rinse, clean, check your recycling. If items are contaminated will be disposed of as refuse.

Recycling is transported to the Westport transfer station where it is checked, sorted and compacted to be sent to processing plants.

Opening hours for the Karamea Resource Recovery Centre and Disposal Facility:

• Wednesday, Friday and Sunday - 9.00am to 1.00pm 

See our fees and charges for the details on pricing and what can be disposed of and/or recycled.

Queries about refuse and recycling in Karamea should go to Buller District Council phone 0800 807 239.

Refuse is anything that cannot be recycled after being used.

• There is no kerbside collection in zone three.
• Refuse needs to be dropped off at the Maruia landfill.
• You can pay cash only.

Residents can take their recycling to the Maruia Landfill and Recycling Facility on SH 65, 12km from Springs Junctions, where plastics #1, #2 and #5, cardboard, paper, aluminium tins and glass are accepted if rinsed, cleaned, checked, and separated. 

The Maruia Landfill and Recycling Facility has a recycling container that has six boxes, one for plastics, one for paper/cardboard, one for cans and three for each colour of glasses (clear, brown, green).  

The container can be accessed during opening hours Thursdays between 1pm - 2.30pm.  

It is essential everyone follows these guidelines using the recycling facility:  

• Only plastics #1, #2 and #5 are accepted, ensure that they are thoroughly rinsed and clean.   
• Only clean flat cardboard and paper that is bigger than an envelope and has no liquid residue or food contamination are acceptable.    
• Aluminium tins and glasses must be rinsed and be without any food residue.   
• Glass must be separated by colour green, brown and clear.    
• Do not leave any recycling material outside of the container at any time. If the container is full, dispose of your glass at the Reefton Transfer Station during opening hours. Do not leave material next to the container or surrounding areas.  
• Do not put broken glass or mirrors in the container. They need to be disposed off as refuse at the Maruia landfill or Reefton Transfer Station.  

Scrap, green waste, e-waste (electronical waste), whiteware, large batteries, household batteries, Agre-containers are received at the Reefton Transfer Station and Recycling Centre. 

Recycling is transported to the Westport transfer station where it is checked, sorted and compacted to be sent to processing plants.

Queries about refuse and recycling in Maruia should go to Buller District Council phone 0800 807 239.

Opening hours for the Maruia landfill:

• Thursday - 1pm to 2:30pm

If you want to see what happens once your recycling arrives at the Westport Transfer Station, watch this video.