Rubbish and recycling fees and charges
Current fees and charges for Council rubbish and recycling services, including e-waste, green waste, event recycling and transfer station charges, but excluding commercial services.
All fees and charges include GST. Effective 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026.
To keep our services running smoothly, some fees and charges will increase from 1 July this year.
Council approved most fees and charges for the 2026–27 financial year at its meeting on 11 February 2026.
A council report presented to elected members outlined all the proposed changes to fees and charges across council services. The report included recommended adjustments to reflect the cost of delivering services.
Elected members approved all of the proposed changes, with two exceptions:
- The proposed charge for caregivers accompanying children under five at council swimming pools was not approved. This will remain free of charge.
- Proposed changes to Environmental Health Services fees and charges (in terms of regulation 7 of the Health (Registration of Premises) Regulations 1996) were not approved. These remain unchanged.
Excerpt from Council report: Fees & Charges 2026-27
We are currently consulting on proposed changes to trade waste, planning, and miscellaneous service fees, which are not yet finalised.
Read more about the consultations
Rubbish bags
Maximum price:
- Large rubbish bag (60l): $3.80, $19 for 5-pack
- Small rubbish bag (40l): $2.80, $14 for 5-pack
Ferguson Street Recycling Centre charges
Compost
Bags of compost are available for purchase at Ferguson Street: $7 per bag
Batteries
Recycling household batteries free, including laptop batteries. Maximum quantities apply. For more information see pncc.govt.nz/batteryrecycling
Car seats
$5 per seat
E-waste recycling fees
| TVs and computers |
Charge per item |
| Desktop computers/servers (complete tower only) |
Free |
Small computer items
(e.g. speakers, keyboards, docking stations, hubs, modems, switches, routers) |
$2 |
| Copier toners |
$4/kg |
| UPS - Uninterruptible Power Supplies |
$5 |
| Laptop and tablets |
$5 |
| Computer monitors |
$10 |
| Printers/scanners/fax machines |
$15 |
| Televisions |
$20 |
| Photocopiers |
$50 |
Consumer electronics
|
|
| Mobile phones/GPS/digital cameras/mice |
Free |
| Stereos/car stereos/gaming consoles |
$2 |
| Miscellaneous |
$2/kg |
| DVD/VCR/CD players |
$5 |
Household appliances
|
|
Small appliances
(e.g. heaters, fans, toasters, kettles, blenders, alarm clocks) |
$2 |
Medium appliances
(e.g. vacuum cleaners, microwaves) |
$5 |
Large appliances
(e.g. fridges, freezers, washing machines, dryers, dishwashers) |
$25 |
Other
|
|
Batteries
(quantities up to 2kg) |
Free |
Bulk batteries
(quantities over 2kg) |
$5/kg |
| Compact fluorescent lightbulbs |
$1.50 |
Ashhurst Transfer Station charges
General rubbish and green waste fees
| Load size |
General rubbish |
Green waste |
| Palmerston North City Council rubbish bag (40l or 60l) |
no charge |
n/a |
| 60l rubbish bag (same size as large Council bag) |
$5 |
$5 |
| Car boot |
$55 |
$10 |
| Station wagon, SUV, hatchback, double-cab ute |
$70 |
$20 |
| Van or single-cab ute |
$80 |
$25 |
Trailer – up to 8.5' x 4.5'
(maximum load height 50cm) |
$110 |
$25 |
Trailer – up to 8.5' x 4.5'
(load height 50cm to 150cm) |
$155 |
$35 |
Trailer – over 8.5' x 4.5'
(maximum load height 50cm) |
$140 |
$35 |
Trailer – over 8.5' x 4.5'
(load height 50cm to 150cm) |
$195 |
$65 |
Note, in addition to trailer charges, an extra vehicle charge will apply if there is also rubbish or green waste inside the vehicle or boot.
Awapuni Resource Recovery Park charges
Green waste charges
| Car |
$7 |
| Trailer |
$20 |
| Van or ute |
$20 |
| Van or ute plus trailer |
$40 |
| Trade bulk (per tonne) |
$POA |
Tyre recycling charges
Most tyres can now be recycled for free.
| Tyres from motorised vehicles |
free |
| Tyres from non-motorised vehicles |
$4 each |
Compost charges
| 30 litre bag |
$7 |
| Small trailer – half a cubic metre |
$50 |
| Medium – one to three cubic metres |
$80/m3 |
| Bulk – four or more cubic metres |
$70/m3 |
You can also buy 30-litre bags of compost at Ferguson Street Recycling Centre: $7 per bag
Mulch charges
| 30 litre bag |
$5 |
| Small trailer – half a cubic metre |
$25 |
| Medium – one to three cubic metres |
$40/m3 |
| Bulk – four or more cubic metres |
$30/m3 |
Events recycling charges
Self service
Provision of up to 2 recycling stations (8 bins: 2 each waste, recycling, glass and organics).
Service includes the use of the community event recycling trailer, bins, event recycling lids, signs and bin liners.
| Bins to be returned empty |
No charge |
| Bins to be returned with the correctly sorted contents |
$75 |
Subject to hire agreement.
Palmerston North City Council-serviced event
Provision of up to 4 recycling stations (16 bins: 4 each waste, recycling, glass and organics)
Service includes the events recycling trailer, bins, event recycling bin lids, signs and bin liners.
| Bins to contain correctly sorted contents |
$290 |
Subject to hire agreement.
Additional charges
Each additional bag (above acceptable levels provided in the hire agreement) of waste or contaminated recycling may be charged per 240l bag.
Delivery, collection and disposal of 660l bin (for Palmerston North City Council-serviced events).