Matamata-Piako District Council has had a long running commitment to recycling and was the second Council in New Zealand to adopt kerbside recycling.

Each refuse rated property is issued with a green MPDC recycling bin, which should be placed on the kerb, beside your rubbish bag by 7.30am. Recycling is picked up on the same day as your refuse bag. Replacement green bins can be purchased from Council for $15.

What can and can’t be recycled?

You can recycle all paper, card, tins, glass (except blue bottles) and anything marked with the recycling grades 1-7 using kerbside recycling. Paper and card should be seperated from other recyclables and placed alongside your bin in a plastic bag or tied with string.

Do not recycle - Polystyrene (e.g.packaging, meat trays), plastic bottle tops, containers used for motor oils, herbicide or other poisons, plates, cups,mirrors,light bulbs or broken glass bottles, waxed cartons, foil lined cartons or tissues, oil soaked or food contaminated cardboard, containers greater than 4 litres, plastic wrap, shrink wrap and silage wrap, plastic bags, aerosols, plant pots and seed containers.

Recylcing Pastics

The chart below shows what plastics can be recycled, common examples, and what the things you recycling might end up as.

Symbol	Plastic Type	Common Uses	Possible End Use
	PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate)	Soft drink and water bottles, salad domes, biscuit trays, salad dressing and peanut butter containers	Pillow and sleeping bag filling, clothing, soft drink bottles, carpet
	PE-HD (High Density Polyethylene)	milk bottles, ice cream containers, juice bottles, shampoo, detergent bottles, buckets, milk crates	Recycling bins, compost bins, buckets, detergent containers, posts, fencing, pipe
	PVC-U (Unplasticised Polyvinyl Chloride	Cosmetic containers, blister packs, bottles	Flooring, film and sheets, cables, speed bumps, packaging, binders, mud flaps and mats
	PE-LD (Low density Polyethylene	squeeze bottles	Rubbish bin liners, pallet sheets
	PP (Polypropylene)	ice cream tubs, potato chip bags, straws, microwavable dishes,  lunch boxes	Pegs, bins, pipes, pallet sheets, oil funnels, car battery cases, trays
	PS (Polystyrene) Note: this refers to a type of plastic, not the packaging material/	CD cases, plastic cutlery, imitation 'crystal glassware', low cost brittle toys, video cases	Coat-hangers, coasters, whiteware, components, stationery trays and accessories
	Other - letters below the symbol indicate the ISO code for the plastic type	packaging, squeezable bottle	Car parts, concrete aggregate, plastic timber

Please note that class 6 ‘Polystyrene’ refers to a type of plastic, not the white packaging material most people know as polystyrene. This is not recyclable.

For more information contact Customer Services on 0800 746 467.