Food scraps collection trial

Update: food scraps bins will be collected as per normal on Easter Friday 

Whanganui District Council is running a kerbside food scraps collection trial with 400 households across different areas of Whanganui from February to May 2024. The trial is funded by the Ministry for the Environment (via the Waste Levy), so it will have no impact on rates.

Why are we doing this?

The purpose of the trial to learn how a kerbside food scraps collection could work in Whanganui – and to hear insights from the participating households. This will help us prepare for a wider roll-out of the service to the community in 2025.

Why food waste is a big problem

As well as costing us all money, wasting food is really bad for the planet.

Food waste is the single biggest contributor of climate change emissions in New Zealand’s waste sector. In low oxygen environments, like landfills, food scraps break down into methane – which is a potent greenhouse gas.

By stopping food scraps from going to landfill, we can help reduce climate change while creating high quality compost for our gardens and farms.

For more information on food waste, and tips to reduce it, click here

Information for trial participants

If you’re one of the 400 households selected to take part in the trial, you will have recently received a letter from council to let you know.  By now you’ll also have received your two food scraps bins along with an information booklet explaining how to use the bins, what you can and can’t put in them, and what your collection day will be.

The first collection date for Tuesday households will be Tuesday 13 February.

The first collection date for Friday households will be Friday 16 February.

View the food scraps trial info booklet here(PDF, 2MB)

Complete our food scraps surveys go in the draw to win prizes!

Council will be surveying participants before and after the trial - to gain insights about how you currently deal with food scraps and hear how the system we're trialling has worked for your household. To fill out the first survey, click here

If you complete both the pre-trial and post-trial survey, your household will go in the draw to win one of five $100 supermarket vouchers!

If you have any questions, feel free to drop us an email: wasteteam@whanganui.govt.nz