Refuse and Recycling Transfer Stations
We operate seven Refuse and Recycling Transfer Stations – at Thames, Coromandel Town, Matarangi, Whitianga, Tairua, Pāuanui and Whangamatā.
They're open to standard hours, seven days a week including most public holidays:
|
During daylight saving
29 September 2024 –
5 April 2025 |
Monday to Sunday, 8:30am - 5:30pm |
|
Outside of daylight saving
6 April 2025 –
27 September 2025 |
Monday to Sunday, 8:30am - 4:30pm |
| Closed |
Christmas Day, New Year's Day, Good Friday and until 1pm on Anzac day |
What materials do transfer stations accept?
The following household materials are accepted at your local Refuse and Recycling Transfer Station.
General rubbish
General household rubbish is accepted at all sites
- Unofficial bags of rubbish (60 litre) cost $5 to dispose of.
- Unofficial small bags of rubbish (20 litre) cost $2 to dispose of.
- No cost to dispose of rubbish in the old Council pre-paid blue bags.
- For other volumes of rubbish please see our fees and charges section.
Household recycling (clean and lids removed)
The following recycling materials are accepted at all sites at no charge.
Plastics containers 1, 2 & 5
Paper and cardboard
Aluminium cans and tin cans
Glass bottles and jars
Household soft plastics
Household quantities of clean soft plastics recycling are accepted at Whangamatā, Whitianga, Thames and Tairua Refuse and Recycling Transfer Stations at no charge.
Metal recycling
Domestic volumes of scrap metal, whiteware and car bodies are accepted at all transfer stations. Please see our fees and charges section.
Green waste
Unwanted plant material from gardens is called green waste. Our transfer stations accept some green waste. Please see our fees and charges section.
Some plant material is not accepted and is listed below:
Stringy plants (e.g. flax, cabbage trees, yukka, banana trees etc.)
Noxious plants or weeds (e.g. ragwort, ginger, box thorn, agapanthus, gorse etc.)
Fibrous plants/ trees (e.g. ponga trees, palms, ferns, bamboo etc.)
Oversize branches (greater than 150mm diameter and longer than 1200mm)
Green waste containing contaminates such as stones, concrete, bricks, plastic, weed matter or bark.
Tyres
Household quantities (maximum of five per customer visit) of tyres are accepted at all transfer stations. Please see our fees and charges section.
Hazardous waste
Household quantities (e.g. 20 litres of liquid or less, 5kg of powder or less) of items listed below are accepted at all sites at no charge.
Please hand these items in at the transfer station for appropriate disposal - do not place them in the general rubbish pit.
Garden herbicide and pesticides
Waste oil
Leftover paint and wood stain
Methylated spirits, turpentine, paint stripper
Pool chlorine
Household cleaning products
Household LPG cylinders and camping butane gas bottles
Fire extinguishers
Helium cylinders
Fluorescent tubes
Flares
Aerosol cans
Batteries:
- car
- dry cell
- general household
- power tool
- button cell.
Some hazardous waste materials are not accepted
Bulk volumes of liquids or powders
Radioactive wastes
Explosives
PCB wastes
Asbestos or products containing asbestos
Fuel
E-waste such as old computers, tablets and mobile phones. (Please contact the Seagull Centre about your e-waste)
Hazardous waste unlabelled (e.g. unknown hazardous waste classification)
Ammunition
Dive tanks/ pressurised air tanks
Medical waste
Other materials not accepted at any Refuse and Recycling Transfer Station
Clean fill or hard fill (clay, soil, rocks, brick, stones, concrete, gravel etc.)
Full trees
Tree branches longer than 1200mm
Tree branches thicker than 150mm
Tree stumps thicker than 150mm
Timber lengths longer than 1200mm
Offal / dead stock / or other animals
Fees and charges
Check out the fees and charges
Please note: The following RTS sites have weighbridges: Thames, Whitianga, Whangamatā and Tairua. These sites have no weighbridges: Coromandel Town, Matarangi and Pāuanui.
Our Refuse Transfer Stations don't take cash for payment, but welcome EFTPOS, debit and credit cards. Going cashless is helping us streamline our service and keep our team members and customers safe.
Locations