Putting Bins out for Collection

Kerbside Collection Guide

For more information our booklet 'Your guide to Central Otago's new kerbside collection' can be found online HERE

Bin Placement

• Put your bin out by 7am on your collection day.
• Rural collections may happen earlier, so bins should be out before 7am.
• Place your bin close to the kerb or roadside.
• Leave about half a metre of space from other bins, fences, poles, trees, or letterboxes.
• Make sure the handles face the road or pavement.
• Keep the bin clear of parked vehicles and other obstructions.
• Do not overfill your bin. The lid must be fully closed.
• Maximum weights apply:
  140L bins: up to 30 kg
  240L bins: up to 50 kg
• Extra items placed on top of or beside the bin will not be collected.
• If you are putting out more than one bin, place the smallest bin closest to the kerb.
• Your bin is allocated to your property and must stay with the property, even if you move.

If you have difficulty placing your bin at the kerbside, live in units or flats with limited space, or have other special circumstances, please contact the Council on (03) 440 0056 for advice.

Stolen, Missing or Damaged Bins

If your bin is damaged, missing, or stolen, please contact the Council on (03) 440 0056 or complete the online form HERE

Costs may apply if a bin is lost or damaged due to negligence.

Before contacting Council, please:

• Check with your neighbours, as the bin may have been moved or mistaken for another property’s bin
• Look around your immediate area

Missed or Partially Emptied Bins

Missed Bins

If your bin has not been collected, please leave it out until the end of the day, as collection vehicles can sometimes run late.

Before reporting a missed bin, please check:

• The bin was not overweight (maximum 30 kg for 140L bins and 50 kg for 240L bins)
• The bin did not contain prohibited materials
• Weather conditions, such as ice or snow, did not affect collection
• There were no public holiday changes (these are shown on your collection calendar)

If none of these apply, please report the missed collection to Council within 24 hours.

What happens next

• The collection route or vehicle footage may be reviewed.
• If the bin was correctly presented at the kerbside, a return collection may be arranged.
• If the bin was not out at the time of collection, or was overweight, a return collection will not be provided.
• While Council aims to collect missed bins on the same day, some may be collected the following day.

Please leave your bin at the kerbside and have it out by 7am.

Partially Emptied Bins

Collection vehicles are unable to return to empty bins that have been partially collected.

If you report a partially emptied bin, your request will be reviewed by the Waste team. The team may review collection footage and will contact you to discuss the available options.

Common reasons bins may not empty fully

• Long items jammed across the bin (for example, garden prunings)
• Grass clippings or similar material packed tightly
• Polystyrene, paper, or cardboard pressed down inside the bin
• Frozen or very wet material in cold weather

Before your next collection, please loosen compacted material and make sure items are not wedged inside the bin. This helps the contents empty fully when collected.