Anything that is flammable, corrosive, toxic, reacts with other materials or can pollute the environment is a hazardous material – and a household hazardous rubbish if it is no longer needed or wanted. This includes:
- Household chemicals such as cleaners, disinfectants, polishes and pool chemicals.
- Garden chemicals such as pesticides, herbicides and fertilisers.
- Automotive products such as waste oil, petrol, diesel and brake fluid.
- Fluorescent tubes, energy-saving light bulbs and ultraviolet light bulbs.
- All types of batteries (wet-cell batteries used in cars and boats as well as dry-cell batteries used for appliances and toys).
- Mobile phones.
The labeling on the product is often the best clue to whether something is hazardous – if it uses words such as “Warning”, “Danger”, “Caution”, “Poison” or “Do not dispose of with household rubbish” you can safely assume that you have hazardous rubbish in your home.
Disposal of Hazardous Rubbish
Hazardous rubbish can be dangerous at every stage of its 'life'. Hazardous materials stored at home can react with one another and cause a fire or toxic fumes. Children can easily poison themselves. A container may leak and contaminate the soil or groundwater. If hazardous rubbish is disposed of with the rest of the household rubbish or put out with the inorganic rubbish collection, the people who pick up the rubbish can be injured, sometimes severely. If hazardous rubbish ends up in the landfill it will pollute our environment.
For these reasons hazardous rubbish is collected by the HazMobile.
The HazMobile is a free mobile collection service for household hazardous waste, provided jointly by the councils of the Auckland Region. For more information visit
By using the HazMobile to dispose of your household hazardous waste, you are helping to protect our environment and the health of your family.
Much of the waste received by the HazMobile is recycled. Steel cans and many other containers are recycled; solvents are refined for reuse; batteries are recycled and oil is refined for use as fuel. Only wastes that cannot be recycled or reused are treated and safely disposed of.
HazMobile Collection Dates for Franklin
Collection Dates for 2010:
• Waiuku Resource Recovery Centre car park, Hosking Place:
Saturday 26 June, 10am till 2pm.
• Pukekohe Franklin District Council car park, Manukau Road:
Saturday 2 October 10am till 2pm.
The HazMobile will accept the following types of waste:
• Lead based paint, solvents and paint strippers
• Glues, wood preservatives, garden chemicals, pesticides, fertilisers
Petrol, oil and other car products
• Toilet and drain cleaners, kitchen and oven cleaners
• Pool chemicals, bleach and disinfectants, car batteries, household batteries
• Furniture and shoe polish, fluorescent tubes, gas cylinders
The HazMobile cannot accept:
Asbestos: please call the Auckland Regional Council on 09 3662000 or Franklin District Council 09 2371300.
Ammunition or other explosives: please call your nearest police station for further information.
Medical waste such as syringes: please ask your health professional for advice on how to dispose of these items safely.
For disposal of agricultural chemicals please call Enviroline on 0800 80 60 40 to organise a free collection date.
By using the HazMobile to dispose of your household hazardous waste, you are helping to protect our environment and the health of your family.
Asbestos: please call the Auckland Regional Council on 09 3662000 or Franklin District Council 09 2371300.
Ammunition or other explosives: please call your nearest police station for further information.
Medical waste such as syringes: please ask your health professional for advice on how to dispose of these items safely.
Commercial quantities can not be accepted, for information on appropriate commercial disposal facilities Ring ARC 09 366 2000 or Franklin District Council 09 2371300.
For disposal of agricultural chemicals please call the Auckland Regional Council Enviroline on 0800 80 60 40 to organise a free collection date.
Unwanted Paint
Water based paints are not toxic so aren’t collected as hazardous waste. Resene and Placemakers will accept most paint back at no charge. The HazMobile website lists shops where you can dispose of unwanted paint.
Alternatively you can let the paint dry out and then dispose of it safely in the kerbside rubbish collection. You can dry out paint by mixing it with sand, cement, sawdust, plaster or even kitty litter.
Please remember that flammable solvent-based paint must go to one of the drop-off points above, or the HazMobile for special treatment. Toxic paint such as lead-based or marine paints will still be accepted at the HazMobile.
Healthy Alternatives to Household Hazardous Waste
Assemble a natural cleaning kit for your home:
In the bathroom:
• All purpose cleaner – wipe surfaces with baking soda and a damp cloth
• Mirror cleaner – apply eucalyptus oil with a wad of newspaper to prevent mirrors fogging up
In the kitchen:
• Oven cleaner - three tablespoons of washing soda in one litre of warm water, spray on, wait 20 minutes and clean
• Silver cleaner – line a bowl with aluminium foil, fill with hot water and add a quarter of a cup of table salt, leave until tarnish disappears
In the living room:
• Air freshener – simmer vinegar or herb mixtures in water, try cinnamon or cloves
• Carpet stains – make a spray from one cup of borax and two cups of water, spray on and wipe off with a damp sponge
In the laundry:
• Bleach – use a cup of lemon juice in half a bucket of water and soak overnight
• Stains – use eucalyptus oil to remove stains before washing
e-Waste disposal – Electronic waste recycling
e-waste is the fastest growing type of waste in the world and is more toxic than normal household rubbish. Computers and other electronic devices can contain toxic heavy metals such as cadmium, lead and mercury. The plastic casing and wiring of computer equipment can also contain hazardous materials, such as brominated flame retardants.
Broken or out of date computers, phones, faxes or printers are accepted by a few companies for reuse or recycling. Click on the link below for their contact details.
• E-waste Recyclers (pdf, 20kb)
Disposing of mobile phones
Both Vodafone and Telecom offer mobile phone recycling schemes so disposing of old mobile phones, accessories and batteries is relatively simple.
Vodafone collection scheme:
Mobiles or accessories, like batteries and chargers, that collectively weigh less than 25kg can be dropped off at any Vodafone retail store or sent FREEPOST to: Freepost, Vodafone Handset Recycling Programme, Private Bag 92222, Auckland Mail Centre.
Telecom collection scheme:
Mobile phones and accessories can be disposed of in recycling bins at Telecom, Orb or Leading Edge stores. Telecom can also take back and recycle desk top phones.
Unwanted Tyres
Whole tyres cause problems in landfills because they are bulky, trap air, and move around. Tyres are often illegally dumped in waterways causing habitat damage and fostering a breading ground for mosquitoes. Tyres stockpiled above ground are a major fire risk. Tyre fires produce highly toxic gases and are hard to control.
Tyres can be reused and recycled in many ways including erosion control, rubber matting and arena surfaces, filters, road foundations, retaining walls, insulation and sound proofing by the following companies:
• J&J Laughton Tyre Shredding Services Ltd
15 Bancroft Crescent, Glendene, Auckland
Ph: 09 818 2156
tyre.shred@xtra.co.nz
www.tyreshred.co.nz
• Waste Tyre Solutions
PO Box 162, Paeroa, Hauraki District
Ph: 07 867 6757
info@wastetyres.co.nz
www.wastetyres.co.nz
Contact your local tyre recycling company for further information.