FAQs - What Goes Where

Some smoke alarms have a very small quantity of a low level radioactive material in them, however, they are specifically allowed to be landfilled without any special handling if part of general household refuse.

If you have large commercial quantities then you may need a special waste permit, in this instance please contact Council on (06) 366 0999 or email us enquiries@horowhenua.govt.nz

Information for the correct disposal of hazardous chemicals can be found on our Hazardous Substances What goes where page.

Horowhenua District Council will only accept small quantities of lead paint at its transfer stations. For larger quantities, contact the Levin Transfer Station/Midwest on 06 367 2915

How do I dispose of lead paint flakes?

Households stripping lead paint off homes should gather all flakes into a bag while surface stripping (to avoid double handling) and advise the Levin Transfer Station upon disposal.

Did you know?

Lead paint deposited in the general waste stream should be avoided because of the hazardous or toxic nature of these Lead substances. Lead paint when exposed to leachate inside the landfill environment generates lead oxide/s and is identified as a prohibited. Keeping Lead bagged in a sturdy plastic container (Barrel/Drum) will hold its shape and stability over years. The GPS mapping-in of a Lead paint filled drum provides to Council an ability to relocate its placement for safety and auditing purposes in future years.

Other paint can be taken to the Resene Paint Shop, 94 Cambridge Street for recycling. This is free for Resene brand paints, while other brands incur a small charge.

Council operates a rubbish and recycling disposal service for residents through a kerbside collection service, in addition to the Shannon Transfer Station and Foxton Resource Recovery Park.

Recycling facilities are also available at the Levin Transfer Station, Foxton Resource Recovery Park, Shannon Transfer Station, Tokomaru, Waitārere Beach and Opiki. Seasonal/Summer facilities also operate at Foxton Beach and Waikawa Beach.

For further information including fees can be found on the Rubbish and Recycling Fees and Charges page.

Alternatively you may wish to speak to the Customer Service Team on (06) 366 0999 or email us enquiries@horowhenua.govt.nz or over the counter at any of our customer services centres.

It is not necessary to remove general labels such as on soft drink bottles, wine bottles, jam jars etc.

The main labels we would want people to remove are the full cover sleeve labels that you would find on items such as shampoo bottles, iced coffee bottles etc.

The reason for this is that the full cover sleeve obscures the type of plastic used underneath and makes it difficult for those on the sorting line to identify the type of material. Most of these types of labels should have a perforated line to help make removal easier. 

The Resene Paint Shop at 94 Cambridge Street, Levin accepts Resene Paint for free, other brands incur a small charge. The paint taken is mixed and re-gifted to community groups.

The Horowhenua Community Paint Exchange is located at the Foxton Resource Recovery Park, only containers containing reusable paint will be accepted free of charge.

Empty paint containers can be disposed of as general waste at the transfer stations.

Council rubbish bags can be purchased from Council’s service centres in Levin, Foxton and Shannon as well as supermarkets, four squares, and some local stores. Be sure to ask for these at the checkout.

Please check our What goes where page for a list of items that can be recycled through the kerbside service. 

Please use one of the recycling stations throughout the district for excess recyclable material. Recycling station sites and addresses can be found on our Recycling Stations page.