Collection days
The Buller District is divided into three zones for recycling and refuse. Residents in zone one receive kerbside collection of rubbish and recycling. There is no kerbside collection in zones two and three.
Zone one covers Westport, the areas from Westport to the Mōkihinui Bridge, Westport to Punakaiki, Westport to Reefton including Blacks Point, and Reefton to Ikamatua.
Each eligible property has a 45 litre crate for glass recycling and a 240 litre wheelie bin for all other recycling. They are collected fortnightly. Refuse is collected weekly.
In zone one refuse and recycling are collected by Smart Environmental Limited, which also operates the Westport and Reefton Transfer Stations on behalf of Council.
For queries in relation to the transfer stations, contact Smart Environmental Limited, or phone 03 789 6427. Any other enquiries should go to Buller District Council.
If you want to check which zone you are in you can check out our refuse and recycling zones page.
Collection days (zone one)
Is your property in zone one and eligible for recycling collection? You can find out below when your recycling will be picked up.
- Use our recycling calendar and this interactive map to find out what day and week to put your glass crate and wheelie bin on the street
Remember your refuse is collected weekly on the same day.
What information do I find on my bin?
Your wheelie bin has a label on the side like the image below. This label displays your:
- Bin number (bins are registered to the address not people)
- Street name
- Property number
- Day and week (week one or two) for collection.
Things to know:
- Check out the bin placement guide to make sure you use your recycling bins correctly.
- You can get Council refuse bags at a number of locations in Buller
- You can request a recycling bin online
- The recycling calendar can be collected from Council offices in Westport or Reefton, or sign up to our Connect newsletter which includes waste and recycling information.
Why are there CCTV cameras on the recycling truck?
In Buller, on average 37% of recycling is contaminated. This means in each 10 kg of recyclable material collected during kerbside collection, 3.7 kg is contaminated and goes to landfill.
In order to improve the quality of collected recycling the Buller, Smart Environmental Limited’s kerbside collection truck are fitted with CCTV cameras and an interactive monitor in the driver’s cabin. The cameras are installed in different locations on the truck. They enable the driver to scan, log and view the quality of the recycling as it is coming on board the truck.
The system is used for waste collection and monitoring of properties with kerbside collection. Those properties are located in Buller’s waste collection zone one, which is Westport to the Mōkihinui Bridge, Westport to Punakaiki, Westport to Reefton including Blacks Point, and Reefton to Ikamatua.
