Rubbish sticker and tag increases from today

From today, 1 July, the pre-paid price of rubbish stickers and wheelie bin tags have increased for the whole district except for Raglan, which has separate waste services and pricing.  

From today each rubbish bag will cost $3 and each wheelie bin will cost $6 to collect. The stickers are increasing from $1.50 to $3 and wheelie bin tags are increasing from $3 to $6.  

Residents can use up their old stock by doubling-up the stickers on each bag and on wheelie bins – use two $1.50 (2 x $1.50) blue stickers on each bag and two $3 (2 x $6) yellow tags on each bin.  

New stickers in new colours will be available at retailers and council offices in August. The new rubbish bag stickers will be pink; residents will need to use one $3 pink sticker per rubbish bag. The new wheelie bin tags will be green; residents will need to use one $6 tag. 

Why has the price increased?

This is the first user-pay increase for seven years. Since 2018, the cost of waste management has increased significantly. The government increased the waste disposal levy for household waste from $10 per tonne - set in 2009 - to $60 per tonne in July 2024. Add inflation, contractor, petrol and freight increases and it all adds up to a significant increase to deliver waste services to our communities.

Waste minimisation

We are encouraging ratepayers to recycle everything they can and to compost food and green waste to reduce the overall amount of rubbish, which will also reduce the number of stickers and tags needed. We know from audits, on average, the weight of rubbish contains 14% of recyclable materials and 46% of food and organic waste.   

We are committed to waste minimisation and recycling. Join one of council’s waste minimisation events to help reduce waste from your household. Coming up on 24 June is Mainstream Green’s Zero Waste learning online.

• You can purchase the stickers from supermarkets, Waikato District Council offices and libraries and some convenience stores. Search stockists.
• Residents are not paying double, only 40% is funded / paid via rates, the rest, 60% is collected through stickers and tags.
• Residents can continue using blue stickers and yellow tags until they are finished. They just need to use two of each to meet the price increase.
• Dumping rubbish is not free, it costs everyone, including the environment. Practice waste minimisation to reduce the cost of rubbish collection for households. Please report it via the Antenno app or call Council 0800 492 452.

FAQs

What’s changing?

From Tuesday, 1 July, the price for kerbside rubbish collection is doubling for the whole district except Raglan that has separate rubbish collection and different charges.

This means that rubbish bag stickers per bag will increase from $1.50 to $3 and wheelie bin tags (for Tuakau only) will be increasing from $3 to $6 per bin. The pre-paid stickers and tags are called user-pay and contribute 60% to the overall cost of waste management.

From Tuesday, 1 July, residents need to double-up on stickers and tags and use two blue stickers per rubbish bag and two yellow tags per wheelie bin to ensure their rubbish is collected.

Why is the price increasing?

The cost of waste services has increased significantly since the last user-pay increase in 2018. In July 2024, the government increased the waste disposal levy for household waste from $10 per tonne - set in 2009 - to $60 per tonne. Add inflation, contractor increases, petrol and freight increases and it all adds up to a significant increase in waste management.

For user-pay to contribute to the true costs of the services, from 1 July 2025 the sticker price per rubbish bag will be raised from $1.50 per bag to $3.00 and tags will increase from $3.00 or $6.00 per tag. User-pays covers about 60% of waste service for council, and the rest of the 40% is covered in targeted “rubbish and recycling” in your rates bill.

Can I stock up?

No, stocking up is not recommended as the stickers and tags are changing. You can use up your current blue rubbish bag stickers or yellow wheelie bin tags during July and August. But residents will require two stickers per bag/ tags per wheelie bin from 1 July to 1 September if using the old stickers, so there is no benefit to stocking up on old stickers.  

When will the new stickers / tags be available?

The new stickers and tags will be available from council offices and retailers from August onwards. The pre-paid stickers and tags will have new colours to differentiate them from the old stock - $3 for pink rubbish bag stickers and $6 for green wheelie bin stickers.

Residents are welcome to use their old stock until it's finished. Please remember that from 1 July 2025, you'll need two $1.50 blue stickers per rubbish bag and two yellow $3 wheelie bin tags. When your old stock is finished, the new stickers and tags will be available from council offices and retailers. 

Why are stickers / tags different prices between shops?

We set a Recommended Retail Price (PPR), and we provide a 5% discount on the sale price for retailers to cover credit card or administration fees. Once a shop has purchased stickers or tags, unfortunately we no longer have control over the price. Most retailers including supermarkets, Waikato District Council offices and libraries sell stickers and tags with no add ons.

I can’t afford the price increase

We’re encouraging residents to look at what they are putting in their rubbish to decrease how much goes to landfill and therefore reduce the price for households. We know from audits that on average 14% kerbside rubbish is recyclable, and 46% of the weight of kerbside rubbish is food or garden waste. This is a great opportunity to create a compost bin. Let’s recycle everything we can, compost food scraps and garden trimmings, reduce food waste and avoid products with packaging.

Do I pay twice for my rubbish? 

No, you are not paying twice. Our rubbish services are paid for by a mixed funding model, with some of the costs being paid for by a targeted rate called “rubbish and recycling” on your rates invoice. With the remainder of the costs being paid for with the income from the pre-paid stickers and tags sales. The two payments together pay for the full cost of the rubbish service.

If the pre-paid stickers / tags are increasing, does that mean I pay less rates?

No, unfortunately increasing the user-pay proportion this much doesn't cover the full cost of the service, but it helps. The targeted rate is going up, but by less than it would have had to go up if the sticker price remained the same.

Why doesn’t council offer food scrap collections

Due to the impact of the 2025 rates, Councillors decided not to consult on food scrap collections to keep costs down. We remain committed to waste minimization and to educating our communities on reducing food waste and keeping organic waste out of landfills. We are encouraging residents to start their own composting. Please let your local Councillor know if you are keen on kerbside food scraps collection.

Will rubbish collection prices increase again?

It’s possible, we won’t know this until the next Long Term Plan in 2027.

Why is the public not being consulted on the price increases?

The user-pay price increases are a financial and contract management decision that is supported by Elected Members.

Will we see increased illegal dumping?

It’s possible, and we’re asking the community to help us if you see this. Please report it via the Antenno app or call Council 0800 492 452.

What about recycling costs?

Recycling is fully funded by the “rubbish and recycling” targeted rate for eligible households in your rates.

I still feel like I’m paying double

The Waikato District Council uses a dual funding model for waste services. We do this because of the predominately rural demographics of our population / area we service, and to give households greater control over the rubbish they create and send to landfill, and therefore the number of stickers or tags they need.

Unlike Hamilton and Auckland, we don’t fund 100% of waste services through rates. At WDC, 40% is funded via targeted rates, this includes funding for recycling services, and the rest – 60% - is funded via user-pay pre-paid stickers and tags that everyone contributes to, including renters. By doing it this way, it’s more equitable for all, meaning a smaller household is not subsidising a large household or farm. A smaller household just pays for what they use.

What do I do with extra stickers / tags

Residents are welcome to continue using the old stock but from today, Tuesday, 1 July, the price of rubbish collection has increased to $3 per rubbish bag, and $6 per wheelie bin (Tuakau only). This means that from today, residents need to meet that value by using 2 x $1.50 blue stickers or 2 x $3 yellow tags. Residents can double-up for as long as their old stock lasts. New stickers and new tags will be available from retailers next month. The next few months will be a transitional period, where residents use up the old stickers and tags before the new stock is introduced / on the market.

Easy to illegal dump rubbish, what does council do about it?

We are very much against illegally dumping rubbish and burning or burying rubbish.

Illegal dumping:

This is not free, residents who illegally dump rubbish leave the rest of the district to pick up the tab. Rubbish that is illegally dumped and reported or found, is collected by council. Last year, 26 tonnes of illegal waste was collected and taken to transfer stations. WDC pays for the cost to dump the rubbish, which includes washing machines, TVs, mattresses, food and farm waste, rubbish bags filled with nappies and recycling. Ultimately, this costs the ratepayer in the end, so people who illegally dump are letting everyone down. We are encouraging residents to report illegal dumping via our app Antenno, raising a service request online or calling WDC on 0800 492 452.

Burning / burying rubbish

We are very much against burning or burying rubbish – this causes horrific environmental consequences, as well as harm to human health. Using unconsented landfills causes leaching into the ground and waterways. We are encouraging residents to look at what they’re throwing away.

• Recycle! Recycling services are included for most of the district; residents need to recycle properly. We know from audits, that on average 14% of every rubbish bag sent to landfill contains recycling.
• Compost! Composting food scraps, farm waste and garden waste – all organic materials will massively reduce the weight of rubbish sent to landfill. We know from audits, that on average 46% of the weight of rubbish bags sent to landfills contains organic waste. Not only does this cost residents via stickers and tags, it creates methane, a greenhouse gas, it also encourages animals to open bags to get to the food. Remove all food from rubbish bags to stop this from happening.

Recycling tips