Extra kerbside collections return to Waihī Beach area this summer

Worried your bins will fill up fast this summer? Get familiar with our extra kerbside collections and put your mind at ease.

For the second year running Western Bay of Plenty District Council has got you covered with additional kerbside collections to help you get through a busy summer.

Extra collections will be taking place in Waihī Beach, Bowentown and Athenree for whose bins are normally collected on a Monday.

Starting Friday 23 December to Friday 3 February, collections in the three locations will be

• Every Friday – red rubbish bin, and green food scraps bin
• Every Monday – all bins (red rubbish bins, yellow mixed recycling bin, blue glass crate and green food scraps bin)
• Friday 30 December – one off extra glass crate collection

Council’s Solid Waste Contract Manager, Tony Wilson, says that Waihī Beach, Athenree and Bowentown are well loved holiday hot spots, but with more people comes more waste.

“Heading to the beach in summer is a classic Kiwi tradition, and we’re lucky to have some special holiday hotspots like Waihī Beach, Athenree and Bowentown in our rohe. But as the town’s population grows with holiday makers each summer, so does the amount of waste we have to deal with.

“We’re standing by our commitment to help our communities reduce the amount of they send to landfill – and extending it to our visitors too - by putting on extra kerbside collections to ensure that you’re supported to care for our environment.”

Overflowing bins aren’t a good look for anyone, as large volumes of waste can attract pests, begin to smell or blow away into the environment. So please take advantage of these extra collections and share the summer schedule with any guests who are coming to stay.

While you’re at it – this is a good opportunity to kōrero with guests about our unique pay-as-you-throw (PAYT) tag system. Red rubbish bins won’t be emptied without the pre-purchased PAYT tags attached correctly through the black and red loops.

Tony says, “It’s a great system that rewards people for reducing waste to landfill –but our visitors may not be familiar with the rules. To help you out, we’ve developed a downloadable reminder that you can put on your fridge, and let guests know what they need to do and when.

“We’re happy we can offer these extra services to our community and hope they help you to have a relaxing holiday.”

Need a reminder? Download a flyer for your fridge.

Keen to save paper?

Download the Antenno app instead. We’ll send you notifications on Sunday and Thursday nights to remind you to put the bins out westernbay.govt.nz/antenno

You can purchase PAYT tags from:

• Waihī Beach Dairy, 211 Seaforth Road, Waihī Beach
• Four Square Waihī Beach, 33 Wilson Road, Waihī Beach
• New World Waihī, 35 Kenny Street, Waihi
• Waihī Beach Library and Service Centre, 106 Beach Road, Waihī Beach (closed from 11am Friday 23 December. Normal hours resume 9 January 2023).

Tony’s tips for smooth kerbside collections

• Don’t overfill the blue glass crate, level with the top lip is full. Overfilled crates won’t be collected.
• Place your bins on the kerb by 7am and in an easily accessible place.
• PAYT tags must be attached correctly to your red rubbish bin. Make sure it’s looped through the red and black handles.
• Bins need to be at least 30cm apart and make sure the food scraps bin is visible from the road for the driver to see.

If you still have more recycling than will fit in your bins, you can drop off extras at the Athenree Recycling Centre. Check the holidays opening hours at westernbay.govt.nz/summerinfo

More info at kerbsidecollective.co.nz