Refuse and Recycling Transfer Stations

We operate seven Refuse and Recycling Transfer Stations – at Thames, Coromandel Town, Matarangi, Whitianga, Tairua, Pāuanui and Whangamatā.

They're open to standard hours, seven days a week including most public holidays:

During daylight saving

24 September 2023 - 7 April 2024

Monday to Sunday, 8:30am - 5:30pm
Outside of daylight saving Monday to Sunday, 8:30am - 4:30pm
Closed Christmas Day, New Year's Day, Good Friday and until 1pm on Anzac day

What materials do transfer stations accept?

The following household materials are accepted at your local Refuse and Recycling Transfer Station.

black tick.png General rubbish
No cost for rubbish in the old Council pre-paid blue bags. Unofficial bags of rubbish (60 litre capacity) cost $5 to dispose of. Unofficial bags of rubbish 20 litre in size cost $2 to dispose of.  

black tick.png Recycling (clean)

black tick.png Plastics containers 1, 2 & 5 (lids removed)
black tick.png Paper and cardboard
black tick.png Aluminium cans and tin cans
black tick.png Glass bottles and jars (lids removed)
black tick.png Soft plastics (clean)
black tick.png Domestic volumes of soft plastics recycling is available at Whangamatā, Whitianga, Thames and Tairua Refuse and Recycling Transfer Stations. 

black tick.png Scrap metal & whiteware

black tick.png Car bodies and tyres

black tick.png Green waste

black tick.png Plant material from gardens

black tick.png General plant material from your garden is accepted.

However, plant material listed below is not accepted:

Cross symbol.png Stringy plants, noxious plants or weeds, and oversize branches (greater than 150mm diameter) e.g. ponga trees, agapanthus, flax, bamboo, ginger plant, gorse cuttings, box thorn, cabbage trees, yucca, ragwort, noxious weeds
Cross symbol.png Green waste containing contaminates such as stones, concrete, plastic, weed matting or ornamental bark

Note that rejected green waste is charged at general waste rates and unloaded into general waste areas.

black tick.png Hazardous waste materials

Household quantities (e.g. 20 litres of liquid or less, 5kg of powder or less) are accepted.

Please hand these items in at the transfer station for appropriate disposal - do not place them in the general rubbish pit.

black tick.png Aerosol cans
black tick.png Car batteries
black tick.png Dry cell batteries
black tick.png General household batteries
black tick.png Power tool batteries
black tick.png Button cell batteries
black tick.png Fire extinguishers
black tick.png Fluorescent tubes/energy-saving bulbs
black tick.png Used engine oils
black tick.png LPG bottles
black tick.png Old flares/EPIRBs
black tick.png Hazardous/chemical waste in domestic quantities, garden pesticides etc.
black tick.png Paint

Cross symbol.png Materials not accepted

Cross symbol.png Clean fill, hard fill, trees, stumps etc.
Cross symbol.png Offal, dead stock / large animals
Cross symbol.png Bulk liquids
Cross symbol.png Radioactive wastes
Cross symbol.png Explosives
Cross symbol.png PCB wastes
Cross symbol.png Asbestos or products containing asbestos
Cross symbol.png Fuel, more than 2 litres
Cross symbol.png Timber lengths of 1.2 metres and over
Cross symbol.png E-waste such as old computers, tablets and mobile phones. (The Seagull Centre in Thames will take these for a koha to help cover the cost of recycling them) 

For other items, such as old electronic goods, check out local resource recovery centres.

Fees and charges

Check out the fees and charges

Please note: The following RTS sites have weighbridges: Thames, Whitianga, Whangamatā and Tairua. These sites have no weighbridges: Coromandel Town, Matarangi and Pāuanui.

There is no charge for rubbish in the old Council pre-paid blue bags. Unofficial bags of rubbish (60-litre capacity) cost $5 to dispose of. Unofficial bags of rubbish 20-litre in size cost $2 to dispose of.

Our Refuse Transfer Stations don't take cash for payment, but welcome EFTPOS, debit and credit cards. Going cashless is helping us streamline our service and keep our team members and customers safe. 

Locations

Thames

Thames Refuse and Recycling Transfer Station

102 Burke Street, Thames

Phone: 07 868 9637


Coromandel Town

Coromandel Town Refuse and Recycling Transfer Station

525 Hauraki Road, Coromandel Town

Phone: 07 866 7616


Matarangi

Matarangi Refuse and Recycling Transfer Station

101 Matarangi Drive, Matarangi

Phone: 07 866 5427 


Whitianga

Whitianga Refuse and Recycling Transfer Station

237 South Highway, Whitianga

Phone: 07 866 2954


Tairua

Tairua Refuse and Recycling Transfer Station

3 Red Bridge Road, Tairua

Phone: 07 864 7639


Pāuanui

Pāuanui Refuse and Recycling Transfer Station

887 Hikuai Settlement Road, Pāuanui

Phone: 07 864 7949 


Whangamatā

Whangamatā Refuse and Recycling Transfer Station

2755 SH25 Waihi-Whangamatā, Whangamatā

Phone: 07 865 9723