Hazardous Waste

Hazardous wastes are unwanted chemicals or materials which have dangerous properties such as corrosiveness, explosiveness, flammability, toxicity, ecotoxicity or capacity to oxidise.

Examples of potentially hazardous waste include:

• Used oil
• Electroplating sludge
• Unwanted agricultural chemicals
• Used solvents and cleaning fluids
• Used medical instruments.

The Council provides Waimakariri residents a free disposal service for domestic quantities of household hazardous wastes at the drop-off facilities at our transfer stations. Examples of household hazardous wastes that we can accept at the drop-offs are:

• Paint, solvents and paint strippers
• Wood preservatives
• Glues
• Garden chemicals
• Pesticides
• Fertilisers
• Petrol, oil and other car products
• Gas cylinders
• Long-life or energy-efficient light bulbs
• Toilet and drain cleaners
• Kitchen and oven cleaners
• Pool chemicals
• Bleach and disinfectants
• Batteries (especially rechargeable ones)
• Furniture and shoe polish
• Car batteries
• Fire extinguishers.

These household hazardous wastes (HHW) will be accepted free of charge from Waimakariri District residents, but we will accept only domestic quantities - up to 20 litres or 20 kg of any one waste type, and no containers (bottles, drums, boxes or bags) larger than 20 litres or 20 kg.

It is important that you ensure the hazardous waste containers are sound and do not leak while they are stored and transported. If the containers are in poor condition, put containers with solid HHW into a heavy-duty plastic bag and securely tie the bag closed. Place bottles or other containers for liquid HHW in separate buckets with lids. Please do not store or place different types of HHW in the same bucket.

When bringing in HHW to the transfer station:

• Please label the contents clearly if you know what the contents are and the original label is unclear
• Make sure that lids fit the containers tightly
• Transport the containers upright and secured in the boot to that they can’t tip over and leak (for example, place the containers in a cardboard box or plastic tray)
• Place any unsound containers in a heavy-duty plastic bag or bucket (as described above) when they are to be transported to the transfer station, to prevent leaks in the car.

Hazardous Waste Not Accepted at Drop-off Facility 

We will not accept the following at a Household Hazardous Waste Drop-off Facility:

• Asbestos - this can only be disposed of under manifest at the Eco Central EcoDepot in Bromley. Please contact Eco Central Ltd on (03) 941 7513 for more details.
• Ammunition or other explosives - if you have such items please contact your nearest Police Station for advice.
• AgChems or farm hazardous waste (i.e. more than 20 kg or 20 litres of any waste AgChem) - for disposal of agricultural chemicals, please contact AgRecovery or a hazardous waste treatment company. (Visit the AgChem website for details of what products can be accepted, which companies support the AgRecovery Programme, and details on how to register for the programme.)
• Empty agricultural chemical containers - please dispose of these at an AgRecovery site or another appropriate facility.
• Commercial hazardous waste (i.e. more than 20 kg or 20 litres of any one waste) - please contact a hazardous waste treatment company to arrange disposal of commercial quantities of hazardous waste.
• Medical waste such as syringes - please ask your doctor or other health professional for advice.
• Medicines - all unused or old medicines can be taken to any pharmacy in the District throughout the year, for free.

Red-zoned Properties

Please dispose of all hazardous waste before leaving your red zone property.

Hazardous waste can be disposed of for free at the Southbrook Resource Recovery Park.

If residents are physically unable to dispose of the waste themselves (e.g. elderly, disabled) they are advised to pack the waste in a box or other container, label it clearly and leave it in a safe, cool, dry and well ventilated place on their property. Let the Council know what you have and where you have left it so that we can arrange for its removal.

Disposing of Hazardous Waste in a Rural Area

If you live on a rural property and find a large quantity of agricultural chemicals when you're cleaning out a shed, please don't take them to the Council's household hazardous waste drop-off facility. Contact AgRecovery or another certified waste treatment company.

The Agrecovery Rural Recycling Programme provides New Zealand’s primary sector with responsible and sustainable systems for the recovery and recycling of persistent 'on-farm' waste products.

Established in 2005, Agrecovery is a not-for-profit charitable trust put together by primary sector stakeholders.  Its nationwide services are available for farmers, growers, contractors, sports turf managers, vet clinics and others within the New Zealand primary sector.

The aim of the programme is to provide a sustainable solution to help manage the sector’s impact on the environment and to meet increasing customer demands for best environmental practice.

For detailed information about how Agrecovery can help you deal with persistent waste on your farm or property, please visit www.agrecovery.co.nz.

Please leave the transportation and disposal of bulk Agrichemical wastes to the experts. Please note that the AgChem Collection has been carried out annually since 2004, and all rural property owners across the entire District have had the opportunity to participate in this free collection. The last Council-funded collection of stockpiled AgChems in the District was held in 2009.