From 1 February 2024, territorial authorities are required to standardise the materials they accept in council-managed kerbside recycling, food scraps, and food organics and garden organics collections. The new requirements were published in the New Zealand Gazette on 13 September 2023. Read the full gazette notice.
This guidance document provides further detail and examples of the kerbside standard materials to support territorial authorities, brands, retailers and manufacturers to implement and communicate the new requirements.
The guidance was updated in 2026 to include information on trialling the collection of a non-standard material in kerbside recycling.
See the Trialling collection of a non-standard material in kerbside recycling: Planning template
If you have questions about the kerbside standard materials requirements, please email transformingrecycling@mfe.govt.nz.
From 1 February 2024, territorial authorities are required to standardise the materials they accept in council-managed kerbside recycling, food scraps, and food organics and garden organics collections. The new requirements were published in the New Zealand Gazette on 13 September 2023. Read the full gazette notice.
This guidance document provides further detail and examples of the kerbside standard materials to support territorial authorities, brands, retailers and manufacturers to implement and communicate the new requirements.
The guidance was updated in 2026 to include information on trialling the collection of a non-standard material in kerbside recycling.
See the Trialling collection of a non-standard material in kerbside recycling: Planning template
If you have questions about the kerbside standard materials requirements, please email transformingrecycling@mfe.govt.nz.