The Lincoln Street Refuse Transfer Station and Hamilton Organic Centre will increase their fees in July, following an increase in Government waste disposal levies.

The Waste Levy – government charges for waste disposal, rises each year, and this year will cost $30 per 1000kg from 1 July. Another contributing factor to the levy increase is the Emissions Trading Scheme, an initiative by the New Zealand Government to help meet our emissions reduction targets.

The Refuse Transfer Station (RTS) and the city’s kerbside collections are both operated by Hamilton City Council’s rubbish and recycling contractor EnviroWaste.

Council’s Rubbish and Recycling Transitional Manager, Trent Fowles, said he’s happy with the way residents have adopted the new kerbside bins, and recycling opportunities at the RTS.

“Up to 400 vehicles are going through the RTS each day. Fees enable rubbish to be transported and disposed of at the Hampton Downs landfill, greenwaste to be turned in to compost, e-waste to be separated, the re-use store to operate, and recycling to be collected and sent for sorting,” said Fowles.

“On average, each month we have diverted more than 4000kgs of food waste and 7000kgs of recycling from landfill through our kerbside services. COVID-19 and nationwide driver shortages have had an impact on the collections, but we are coming out the other side of that now.”

Fees are now based on weight of the refuse and no longer by vehicle size. This helps Government to accurately record what is being disposed at refuse transfer stations across the country.

“It also streamlines the process, makes charging easier, and means less waiting around in queues,” said Fowles.

“What’s encouraging is our research shows the fees at the RTS are still lower than other comparable cities in New Zealand and we are pleased our contractor is working hard to keep these charges as reasonable as possible,” said Fowles.

“Just like residents need to meet monthly expenses, so does an RTS or the service simply can’t be provided. Price increases enable us to meet the waste levies and keep the facility open so our community can continue to help fight the landfill.

“A refuse transfer station is such a valuable asset for any community, but also a costly one to run.”

Fowles said the RTS isn’t just for big ticket items. Its services include free battery disposal, including those from cars, scooters, and e-bikes as well as small household batteries. E-waste (such as TV’s, computer monitors and printers), recycling (including glass, clean plastics 1-2 and 5, aluminium, and tins) and whiteware (such as washing machines, fridges, and dryers) are all also free.

If people have a mixture of waste to dispose of, including the free items, they can use the recycling lane to dispose of these goods before going over the weigh bridge. Alternatively, customers can do an additional trip over the weigh bridge.

Reduced rates have been applied for items such as green waste, treated and untreated wood, concrete and cleanfill (soil), to support the separation and reuse of these materials.

Users of the Hamilton Organic Centre (HOC) will also see a small fee increase, ensuring the facility can remain operational as its running costs also continue to rise. Unlike the change at the RTS, prices at the HOC will remain by vehicle size. Find our more information on the HOC price increase.

The gate fees at both the RTS and the Hamilton Organic Centre fund the staffing and operation of both sites.

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