Official
Pre-Paid Rubbish Bags
 How much do the bags cost?
The recommended retail price of bags is $2.00. The charge includes the collection of the bag as well as the actual manufacture and supply of the bag. Retailers do however have discretion to sell the bags at a higher
(or lower) cost.
Where can I buy them?
Many local supermarkets, dairies and service stations stock the bags. Bags are also available at the Council Civic Centre, as well as the New Lynn Service Centre,
Massey Library and the
Refuse & Recycling Station,
in Henderson.
How much can I put in my bag?
When the bags are put out for collection they must be able to be handled by one person, must weigh no more than 15 kg and hold no more than 60 litres of rubbish.
It is not necessary for you to purchase scales to weigh bags! If a bag cannot withstand the amount of rubbish inside (i.e. it breaks), or if it is not easily picked up by one person, then it is too heavy. The maximum bag weight is set at 15kg so that the bag will not break and it is manageable for both the person bringing it to the kerb
and the collection contractor who must lift it into the collection truck. The average bag put out for collection weighs around 8 kg.
What can I put in my bag?
Most household rubbish and commercial "housekeeping" rubbish (excluding trade waste) will be collected, excluding hazardous waste. Broken glass or sharp objects must be wrapped and the bag securely tied. Hot ashes should not be put into the bags.
Garden waste in the bags will be collected, but services such as garden bag pickups are more economical for disposing of garden waste.
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See Recycling
for information on how to reduce the amount of
household waste that you dispose of in 'grey' bags. |
What are the bags made of and what do they look like?
Waitakere's bags are made of a grey plastic and are marked with the Council's logo.
The bags are proven to be up to 41% stronger than what is accepted by most other Councils. Waitakere's bags are also a lot stronger than most other types of rubbish bags you find on supermarket shelves, and are even tougher than some brands claiming to be extra-strength.
If you wish to complain about the quality of the bags - see Complaints about quality of bags or faulty
bags.
Are the bags biodegradable?
The official Council bags are not biodegradable. Biodegradable bags would cost approximately four times as much, as the material required to make true biodegradable bags (i.e. plastic materials mixed with cornstarch) is very expensive and extremely difficult to get hold of. Bags made of this material need to be significantly thicker in order to biodegrade (therefore even more expensive because they require more of this expensive cornstarch plastic).
Further information on biodegradability of bags:
- Waitakere's rubbish bags go directly to landfill and get buried by other
rubbish; thus they are not exposed to sunlight or oxygen - necessary ingredients for any type of breakdown. Even newspapers do not break down without oxygen, and therefore sit in the landfill (if not recycled) for years. It is possible for a newspaper from 1950 to still be in good shape at the bottom of a landfill.
- Paper bags require at least 4 times as much energy to produce, and therefore cost more. Paper creates and releases many pollutants into the air. The plastics used to make our bags produce no pollutants. Paper is also susceptible to breakdown in bad weather.
- Up to 30% of the materials used to produce our bags may come from recycled material.
- All plastics are photodegradable, which means that they break down when exposed to sunlight. The degree of photo-degradability can be altered and depends on the additives used - these additives are expensive. It is estimated that the additives needed to make our bags more photodegradable cost at least 4 times as much as the materials currently used to make our bags.
What happens if I put out a non-official
bag?
Non-official bags, or bags that do not meet the standards (i.e. must be able to be handled by one person, must weigh no more than 15 kg and hold no more than 60 litres of rubbish), will not be collected.
Where can retailers buy bags?
There are 2 ways retail outlets can purchase bags for resale:
-
contact your wholesaler (Hi Tech Packaging Ltd, the bags manufacturer, are in contact with all wholesalers)
-
if you require bulk bags, call Hi Tech Packaging.
Costs of bags to retailers can be obtained by liaising with either
Hi Tech Packaging or the retailer's wholesaler.
If you would like to discuss the increase in wholesale price of bags, please contact
Hi Tech Packaging to discuss.
Mobile Garbage Bins
There are a number of different companies offering mobile garbage bins (MGBs) as an alternative to the rubbish collection service provide by the Council.
You will need to contact various companies to find out costs etc. (check the Yellow Pages or advertisements in the Western Leader).
Complaints about quality of bags or faulty bags
If you have purchased a defective bag, your best course of action is to return the bag to the place of purchase and seek a replacement.
You may also wish to contact the manufacturer if you have concerns about the general quality of the bags.
If you wish to complain about the quality of the bags you can contact the manufacturer:
Hi Tech Packaging Ltd
Phone: (09) 839 2307
Email: nickyc@hitechpackaging.co.nz
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