Official rubbish bagRubbish · every week
Yes
- Rubbish in official council bags only
- Cooled ashes
- Sharp objects and broken glass wrapped in newspaper
No
- Unofficial bags
- Hazardous waste
- Bags over 10kg
Older green council bags are still collected.
Palmerston North Rubbish & Recycling
Bin collection days for every Palmerston North suburb, what goes in each bin, and where to drop off everything else.
Palmerston North collects official red rubbish bags every week, and recycling on the same day, with the wheelie bin and glass crate taking turns. Here is how to find your collection day, what goes in each bin, and where to take everything else.
Have your bins out by 7.30am on collection day. A few streets differ from the rest of their suburb, so check your exact address with the council’s lookup.
Collection dayMondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFriday
Tap your suburb to see its days.
Which bin does it go in?
Orange-lid recycling binRecycling · every 2 weeks
Yes
- Clean paper and cardboard
- Magazines, newspapers, letters and envelopes
- Clean pizza boxes and egg trays
- Clean steel and aluminium tins and cans
- Plastic bottles and containers 1, 2 and 5, rinsed
No
- Lids and bottle tops
- Soft plastics and plastic bags
- Plastics 3, 4, 6, 7
- Polystyrene and aerosols
- Food and garden waste
- Anything bagged
The lid must close.
Blue glass crateGlass · every 2 weeks
Yes
- Empty glass bottles and jars that held food or drink
No
- Broken glass
- Mirrors and window glass
- Light bulbs
- Pyrex, china and ceramics
- Drinking glasses
- Perfume and cosmetic bottles
Place glass in loosely and don't overfill. Some older crates are a different colour.
Public holidays
Collections run every weekday except Good Friday and Christmas Day. If your day falls on one of those, it is collected the following Saturday.
Coming up: Christmas Day is Friday 25 December, so Friday collections move to Saturday 26 December. New Year's Day, Friday 1 January, is collected as normal.
Drop-off points
Ferguson Street Recycling Centre
545 to 573 Ferguson Street, Palmerston North
Monday to Friday 7.30am to 4.30pm; Saturday 8am to 4.30pm; Sunday and public holidays 10am to 3pm
Recycling (free)E-wasteBatteriesSoft plasticsPolystyreneMotor and cooking oilDirectionsAwapuni Resource Recovery Park
Tip Road, Palmerston North
Monday to Saturday 7.30am to 4.30pm; Sunday and public holidays 12pm to 4pm
RecyclingGreen waste (fee)TyresUntreated woodDirectionsAshhurst Transfer Station
Mulgrave Street, Ashhurst
Tuesday 1pm to 3pm; Saturday 10am to 4pm (closed Good Friday and Christmas Day)
RubbishRecyclingGreen wasteDirectionsEnviro NZ Transfer Station
31 Matthews Ave, Palmerston North
Rubbish (fee)Council rubbish bags (free)DirectionsEvery suburb’s collection day
| Suburb | Collection day |
|---|---|
| Aokautere | Friday |
| Awapuni | Thursday or Wednesday (depends on street) |
| Bunnythorpe | Monday |
| Cloverlea | Wednesday |
| Fitzherbert | Friday |
| Highbury | Wednesday |
| Hokowhitu | Friday |
| Kairanga | Wednesday |
| Kelvin Grove | Tuesday |
| Linton | Thursday |
| Longburn | Wednesday |
| Milson | Monday |
| Palmerston North | Monday |
| Roslyn | Tuesday |
| Takaro | Wednesday |
| Terrace End | Friday |
| Turitea | Friday or Thursday (depends on street) |
| West End | Thursday |
| Westbrook | Wednesday |
| Whakarongo | Tuesday |
Good to know
Where do I buy rubbish bags?
Large 60L bags are sold at the council, Countdown, Pak'nSave, some New World and Four Square stores, Mitre 10 Mega and Winchester Store. Small 40L bags are sold only at the council and Mitre 10 Mega.
How much rubbish can I put out?
As many official bags as you like, up to 10kg each. Put them out on the morning of collection, not the night before.
Can I change my recycling bin size?
Yes. The standard bin is 240 litres, and an 80 litre bin is available on request. You can also ask for an extra glass crate.
Bin rules and drop-off points from the Palmerston North City Council website. Collection areas from Palmerston North City Council mapping data. Checked 22 October 2026.