What Can You Recycle in New Zealand? 2026 Guide. Part 1 (At the Kerbside)
Recycling in New Zealand used to be pretty confusing.
Depending on where you lived, something accepted in one council area might not have been accepted in another. Add recycling symbols, plastic numbers, different coloured bins and plenty of well-meaning advice from the internet, and it is no wonder people got confused.
The good news is that kerbside recycling is now much more consistent across Aotearoa.
Since 1 February 2024, councils have been required to follow a standard list of materials for household kerbside recycling. The Ministry for the Environment updated its guidance again in September 2026.
This is Part 1 of our What Can You Recycle in New Zealand? series, and we're starting with the stuff that can go into your household kerbside recycling collection (Whether you have a wheelie bin, or a crate!)
Note: We'll cover things like soft plastics, batteries, e-waste, specialist drop-off schemes and other harder-to-recycle items in a seperate blog coming soon, because just because something can't go in your kerbside bin doesn't necessarily mean it can't be recycled.
So, what can actually go in?
The quick answer
For standard council kerbside recycling in New Zealand, the main accepted materials are:
Glass bottles and jars
Paper and cardboard
Plastic bottles, trays and containers numbered 1, 2 or 5
Aluminium and steel tins and cans
That's it.
It might sound like a fairly short list, but there are a few important details hiding behind it.
The type of item matters. The size matters. Food contamination matters. And having a recycling symbol stamped onto something does not automatically mean it belongs in your kerbside recycling.
Let's break it down properly.
Oh also, you might be wondering what makes me so qualified to talk about this? To put it simply, I've been in the trenches talking waste and recycling for near-on two decades - and I'm not afraid to get dirty, to get the answers.
1. Plastic bottles, trays and containers numbered 1, 2 and 5
You can put empty, clean rigid plastic bottles, trays and containers marked 1, 2 or 5 into standard kerbside recycling.
So what is typically made out of these "numbers"?
Plastic #1 – PET
Often used for things like:
Water bottles
Soft drink bottles
Fruit punnets
Some clear food trays
Plastic #2 – HDPE
Often used for:
Milk bottles
Detergent bottles
Shampoo bottles
Some household containers
Plastic #5 – PP
Often used for:
Yoghurt containers
Ice cream containers
Takeaway containers
Some food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical containers
Look for the little triangle-shaped plastic identification symbol, usually on the bottom of the container.
But here's the important bit
A number 1, 2 or 5 does not mean every object made from that plastic belongs in your kerbside bin.
The standard applies to plastic bottles, trays and containers. Another way to look at it, is it is usually going to be packaging from your kitchen, bathroom, or laundry
So, for example, a plastic toy stamped number 5 doesn't automatically become kerbside recycling just because it is made from polypropylene.
Size also matters.
The standard kerbside system is designed for containers within certain dimensions. Items that are too small can fall through sorting machinery, while very large containers can create problems during collection and processing.
What about plastics 3, 4, 6 and 7?
They don't belong in standard household kerbside recycling.
That doesn't necessarily mean those materials can never be recycled. It simply means they are not part of New Zealand's standard kerbside collection system. Some may have specialist recycling or drop-off options.
We'll cover plastic numbers properly in another guide soon. In the meantime, check out my rundown on Plastic Recycling in NZ here.
2. Glass bottles and jars
Glass recycling is fairly simple.
You can recycle empty, clean and unbroken glass bottles and jars.
That includes:
Clear bottles and jars
Green bottles and jars
Brown bottles and jars
Blue bottles and jars
IMPORTANT: Food jars should have the remaining food removed before recycling.
But not all glass is the same
This catches a lot of people out.
A drinking glass might look similar to a glass bottle, but they aren't necessarily made to the same specifications and can behave differently when processed.
Things that should not go into household glass recycling include:
Drinking glasses
Window glass
Mirrors
Pyrex and other heat-resistant glass
Crockery
Light bulbs
Glass mugs
Plates
Vases
Cosmetic glass in some cases
Broken glass
The national guidance specifically limits kerbside glass to container glass bottles and jars.
Broken glass also creates a health and safety risk for collection and processing staff. (Yes, there is a variety of ways that glass is collected at the kerbside in NZ. But if you have a seperate crate for glass, broken glass is a no no).
What happens to recycled glass?
This is one of our favourite recycling stories because we've actually followed the process ourselves in this video here.
Container glass collected for recycling can be sorted by colour, cleaned and crushed into a material called cullet. That cullet can then be used to manufacture new glass products, including new bottles.
3. Aluminium and steel tins and cans
Ordinary household food and drink cans can go into kerbside recycling.
That includes things such as:
Soft drink cans
Beer cans
Tinned tomatoes
Baked bean tins
Pet food cans
Other standard food tins and cans
Make sure they're empty before they go in.
Aluminium and steel are then separated during processing and can be sent on for recycling into new products.
What about the lid from a tin?
Metal lids behave differently from small loose plastic lids.
If you have completely removed a small metal lid and throw it loose into recycling, its small size can make it harder to recover.
Where possible, leaving the metal lid attached to the tin but pushed safely inside can help it stay with the larger item.
What doesn't belong with tins and cans?
Standard kerbside recycling does not mean “all metal”.
Items such as these don't belong in the standard household recycling collection:
Aerosol cans
Paint cans
Pots and pans
Aluminium foil
Loose metal bottle caps
Cutlery
Scrap metal
Other random metal objects
Some of those items may absolutely have recycling options elsewhere. They just don't belong in your kerbside recycling bin.
And that's an important distinction we'll keep coming back to throughout this series:
Not accepted at kerbside does not necessarily mean not recyclable.
We actually did a video on how Scrap Metal is recycled, it's fascinating, check it out here.
4. Paper and cardboard
Most ordinary clean paper and cardboard can go into recycling.
That includes:
Cardboard boxes
Newspapers
Magazines
Office paper
Envelopes
Greeting cards without glitter or incompatible coatings
Pizza boxes once the actual food has been removed
And yes, a little grease on a pizza box is okay
This one causes far more debate than it needs to.
You do not need to cut every slightly greasy mark out of a pizza box.
New Zealand's national guidance specifically notes that pizza boxes can be recycled once food scraps are removed, and that grease stains are okay.
So:
Half-eaten crust? Remove it.
Big lump of cheese stuck to the box? Remove it.
Slight oily stain on the cardboard? Don't panic.
What paper shouldn't go in?
Some things that look like paper are actually made from several materials or have coatings that interfere with recycling.
Things that don't belong in standard kerbside paper recycling include:
Shredded paper
Foil-lined paper or cardboard
Plastic-lined paper
Receipts
Boarding passes
Glitter-covered cards
Heavily food-contaminated cardboard
Paper products with incompatible compostable coatings or linings
The more complicated the material becomes, the harder it is to recycle through a paper recycling process.
So, you're probably wondering...
Do you need to wash your recycling?
This is one of the questions we get asked most.
And no, you do not need to scrub/wash your recycling until it looks like it has been prepared for surgery. But a quick rinse is needed!
The goal is to remove food and liquid that could contaminate other materials.
So:
If your milk bottle is already empty and basically clean, great.
If your yoghurt container still has a decent amount of yoghurt sitting in it, scrape or rinse it out.
If your baked bean tin still contains baked beans, empty it first.
And if you're asking "Who's paying my water bill?" I've heard that more times that you could possibly imagine. And guess what, you can use leftover dishwashing water rather than running litres of fresh water just to wash recycling!
Think:
Empty and reasonably clean.
Not:
Sterilised within an inch of its life.
What about lids?
Plastic lids are one of the biggest sources of confusion.
For standard household kerbside recycling, remove loose plastic lids and caps from bottles
and containers.
Why?
Because they're small, light and behave very differently in a sorting facility from the larger bottle or container they came from.
That doesn't necessarily mean the lid itself has no recycling option.
There are specialist caps and lids collection programmes operating in parts of New Zealand, which we'll cover in another article.
What about soft plastics?
Soft plastics do not go into your normal household kerbside recycling.
We're talking about things such as:
Bread bags
Chip packets
Frozen food bags
Courier bags
Plastic wrapping
Cereal liners
Bubble wrap
Some confectionery wrappers
However, many soft plastics can be collected separately through New Zealand's Soft Plastics Recycling Scheme at participating stores.
The scheme requires packaging to be empty, clean and dry. Compostable and biodegradable bags are not accepted.
An easy rule of thumb is the scrunch test.
If the plastic packaging scrunches up in your hand and doesn't simply spring back into shape, it may be suitable for the specialist soft-plastics scheme.
But remember:
Soft plastic recycling is a separate drop-off programme. It does not belong in your household kerbside recycling bin.
We'll cover this properly in Part 2: Beyond the Kerbside.
What about aerosol cans?
This surprises plenty of people.
Aerosol cans are not part of New Zealand's standard household kerbside recycling materials, even though the container itself may be made from metal.
There may be specialist recycling or council drop-off options for aerosols where you live.
Again:
Not kerbside does not automatically mean landfill.
Check your local council or specialist collection options first.
What about aluminium foil?
Aluminium cans?
Yes.
Aluminium foil?
Not through the standard kerbside recycling system.
This is another good example of why simply asking:
“Is this material recyclable?”
doesn't always give you the right answer.
Two things can both be made from aluminium but still need completely different collection and processing systems.
What does the recycling symbol actually mean?
Here's another big misconception.
The recycling triangle or plastic identification number on packaging does not mean your council will recycle it.
On plastics, the number tells you what type of plastic resin the item is predominantly made from.
It isn't a magical:
PLEASE PUT ME IN THE RECYCLING BIN
stamp.
For kerbside recycling in New Zealand, you still need to check:
Is it an accepted type of item?
Is it made from an accepted material?
Is it the right size?
Is it empty and reasonably clean?
If the answer is no, don't “wishcycle” it and hope for the best.
What is wishcycling?
Wishcycling is putting something into recycling because you hope it might be recyclable rather than because you know it is accepted.
It usually comes from a good place.
People don't want to throw something away, so they think:
“Surely they'll sort it out.”
Unfortunately, the people and machines at recycling facilities can't magically create a recycling market for something that isn't accepted by the system.
Unwanted items can:
Contaminate recyclable material
Get caught in machinery
Slow down sorting
Create health and safety issues
Increase processing costs
End up being removed and disposed of anyway
The best recycling isn't about putting more stuff in your recycling bin.
It's about putting the right stuff in.
Does recycling actually get recycled in New Zealand?
Yes, a significant amount of material collected through New Zealand's recycling systems genuinely does go on to be recycled.
But that doesn't mean every item people put into a recycling bin gets recycled.
And that distinction matters.
We've spent years visiting recycling facilities, speaking with processors and following materials through the system because one of the most common comments we hear is:
“It all goes to landfill anyway.”
It doesn't.
But contamination, incorrect materials, poor-quality recycling and lack of viable markets can all affect what ultimately happens to an item.
That's why learning what actually belongs in the system is important.
Before you throw it away, check the next option
Kerbside recycling is only one part of New Zealand's waste and recycling system.
There are also schemes and services for things like:
Soft plastics
Batteries
E-waste
Caps and lids
Scrap metal
Clothing and textiles
Selected packaging
Hazardous household waste
Product stewardship schemes
So if something doesn't belong in your recycling bin, don't automatically assume the rubbish bin is the only option.
Check first.
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