Where does our trash go? (Update April 2026)
Do you know where your trash goes after your bin is collected in Taranaki?
Find out below where your recycling, glass, food waste and rubbish go!
Where our Recycling goes?
From your Recyling bin to…
All the kerbside recycling collected in Taranaki is sorted here, at the MRF facility, located next to the Junction Zero Waste Hub on Colson Road (Ngāmotu - New Plymouth). You can book a tour for free here.
Items recovered during the sorting will be sent to different locations:
Aluminium and steel cans are sent overseas and will be recycled there.
Paper and cardboard used to be sent to Hawke’s Bay or Auckland, but are now sent overseas to be recycled.
About 50% of our Plastics #1 (PET) are sent to Wellington and turned into plastic pellets to make new, lower-quality plastic products.
About 50% of our Plastics #2 (HDPE) & #5 (PP) are sent to Palmerston North & Auckland.
The other 50% of Plastics #1, #2 and #5 are sent overseas (Australia and Malaysia), following demand from these countries.
They are recycled into lower-quality items like bins, pipes and construction products.
⚠️ It is important to understand that recycling uses a lot of energy and resources (from collection, transport, sorting and processing) and that only a small quantity of all the plastic used is recycled (approximately 10%). ⚠️
Plastic is usually only recycled once or twice into a lower-quality product. It is then not recyclable anymore and will be sent to landfill.
Recycling plastic is not a “closed infinite loop” and is not sustainable. ⚠️
We should all aim to reduce the best we can our use of plastic and disposable items in general.
Where our Food Scraps goes?
Where do our Food Scraps go?
The Food Scraps* collected on the kerbside in Taranaki are sent about 300km north, in the Waikato region.
* Kai only in your Food Scraps kerbside, no packaging (even compostable).
It is turned into nutrient-rich compost.
The home compostable items collected during local events (our Zero Waste Event team and volunteers are often involved in making sure the right “home compostable” items go to the right green bin! If you want to help, you can sign up here!) are also sent North to Waikato and turned into biogas and fertiliser.
⚠️ This process also uses energy and resources (collection, transport, and processing). Use a compost bin at home if you can! You can then easily make and use some great “free” compost or fertiliser! Learn more about composting here.
➰ Our new Green Loop project offers a local solution for businesses & organisations: we are collecting local food waste and turning it into nutrient-dense compost to enrich the soil here, in Taranaki. 📍 Visit www.greenloop.org.nz to learn more and get in touch with our team!
Where our Glass goes?
Where does our Glass go?
Our glass is collected and sorted in Taranaki (usually when it is picked up on the kerbside).
It is then sent to Auckland and turned into new bottles and jars.
⚠️ Remember not to put any broken glass or lids in your glass crate.
Where our Landfill goes?
Where does our landfill go?
Our landfill collected in Taranaki is transported to Marton (35km southeast of Whanganui, 200km from Ngāmotu - New Plymouth).
It is then buried in the ground, causing a lot of issues:
Greenhouse Gas Emissions (Methane)
Land & Water Contamination (toxins & leachate)
Coastal Erosion & Flooding (landfills are vulnerable to extreme weather events)
Air Pollution (Methane, but also other toxic gases and odours)
Use of Land (and reduced land value)
Loss of Valuable Materials (we sent a lot of reusable, compostable and recyclable items to the landfill)
⚠️ That is why we should all do our very best to reduce the waste we put in our “red bin” and send to the landfill.
What can we do BETTER?
What can we do to do better?
💭 Rethink the way we live, design and build products
⏬ Reduce the packaging we buy every day (reusable containers for takeaways, buy in bulk...)
🔁 Reuse what we can instead of throwing it away.
🌱 Compost at home our food, green waste, paper, cardboard... And keep it locally (Green Loop).
♻️ Dispose of all our rubbish properly, sorting glass, recycling and food scraps (& home compostable items)
Read more:
Book a FREE tour of the MRF Recycling facility here
Learn more about composting: contact our programme manager here
Curious about our Zero Waste programme? Find more info here!
You will also find lots of information about reducing, reusing and recycling rubbish here
Alternative Recycling at the Junction (recycling wall, battery recycling and Tetrapak recycling)
If you want more information about recycling and rubbish, you can also visit the website of your City Council:
for New Plymouth and North Taranaki (NPDC): www.npdc.govt.nz/zero-waste
for Hāwera and South Taranaki (STDC): www.southtaranaki.com/rubbish-and-recycling
for Stratford: www.stratford.govt.nz
