Food Scraps Collection

Collecting food scraps for good

Aucklanders now have a whole new way to turn their rukenga kai (food scraps) into something good.

Starting in April, west Auckland residents were the first in Tāmaki Makaurau to make better use of their food scraps by placing them in no-fuss kitchen caddies and kerbside bins, ready for collection.

It’s a simple process. You’ll place your food scraps into your kitchen caddy on a daily basis, then tip them into the green bin when that’s full. Like your other bins, your green 23 litre bin will be picked up each week from the street. Your rukenga kai will be turned into clean energy and fertiliser at a special plant in the Waikato, for the growing of more kai.

Key members of our team

Our amazing public engagement team are regularly seen out and about at events and around streets all over Tāmaki Makaurau. Leading the team are (from left) Suzanne Kendrick, Wei Pudney and Hye Jung Kim.

We’re working in neighbourhoods right through 2023 to help people get the best out of their food scraps collection service so please don’t hesitate to ask if you have questions.

Let’s support the collection

This is an essential new service designed to drastically reduce more than 110kg of food waste going to landfill from each Aucklander, every year. It’s part of council’s zero waste strategy and, as an organisation that is always passionate about protecting our whenua, EcoMatters is thrilled to partner on this great cause.

Most people do care about our environment but many haven’t been able to compost – if this is you, know that by simply using the rukenga kai service each week, you’ll be on your way to helping remove some 125,000 tonnes of carbon emissions from the atmosphere each year.

If you already compost or Bokashi then this is a smart addition to the good mahi you’re doing for Tāmaki Makaurau. If you support our Love Food Hate Waste principles you’ll find this fits right into that ethos too.

COLLECTION START DATES

Use Auckland Council’s address search tool to find out when your bin is scheduled for delivery and when collections will start in your area. You can even sign up to be kept updated directly, once you’ve entered your address.

THE DETAILS

Auckland Council is diverting thousands of tonnes of rukenga kai away from landfill and into something good every year.

Download our Frequently Asked Questions here.

You can find out more from council’s website right here and if you’re really keen to get waste-wise, you can access a free, user friendly e-learning course too.

share the news with a grant

We’re looking for community groups and ambassadors to spread the word. Through our Food Scraps Support grant, we can send someone along to your get-together to speak and teach, totally free of charge. Or, we can fund a food scraps hui of your own design. Check out our regional grant options right here.

complement with compost

For those who can, composting is a great way to increase your positive impact on our whenua. There are food scraps that can’t go into your compost and, now, you’ll be able to put them into your food scraps bin for collection on bin day.

reducing emissions

While there are dedicated food trucks doing the street collection in Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland Council will not be putting any additional trucks on the road to carry food scraps to the plant in Reparoa, Waikato. Our rukenga kai will be collected by trucks that are already in Auckland and ready to return to the Waikato ,where the conversion to clean energy and fertiliser begins.

extra resources

Lost some of your welcome pack items or just want an extra copy? No problem. Simply download them from the links below.

Download the welcome pack brochure

Download the welcome pack fridge flyer

Download the ‘how to’ poster