Your collection days

Our rubbish and recycling service operates five days a week. 

Download a leaflet explaining everything you need to know here. For answers to common questions, please check out our FAQs page. 

How does it work?

The district has been divided into 10 collection zones, each of them allocated a day. If you’re not sure which collection zone you’re in, please go to our Smart Maps system. Enter your address in the address bar in the top left of the page. Click the dot marking your property on the map. Then in the pop-out box, click the blue arrow on the top right of the box to get your collection area and then your collection day.

For most of the year, 'red' collections (rubbish and food waste) take place one week, alternating with 'yellow' collections (mixed recycling, glass and food waste) the next week.

For the east coast, Coromandel Town & Te Kōuma, and Coromandel Rural North standard 'red and yellow week' collections operate from early February to late December, then switch to a summer peak period from Christmas week until the end of Waitangi week, in order to cater for the influx of holiday visitors.

Thames Coast & Manaia, Thames Rural South and Thames & Surrounds continue with the alternating 'red and yellow week' collections all year round

Collection day calendars 2026

Check out your digital area calendar for a handy guide as to what bins to put out kerbside on what days.

• Coromandel Town, Coromandel Rural North, Te Kōuma
• Mercury Bay North
• Mercury Bay South
• Pāuanui
• Tairua
• Thames Coast and Manaia
• Thames & Thames South Rural
• Whangamatā North, Onemana, Ōpoutere
• Whangamatā South
• Whitianga

Printed calendars are available from Council offices, libraries, visitor information centres, rubbish and recycling transfer stations and some rubbish tag stockists.

Standard red week/ yellow week collections

Red week

Under the standard red and yellow week system, one week is a red week for the collection of general rubbish and food scraps. Please place the following bins on the kerbside.

Yellow week

The next week is a yellow week for the collection of mixed recycling, your glass crate and food scraps. Please place the following bins on the kerbside.

Please note that food scraps will be collected every week. 

Your standard collection days 

Further information

If you have questions, please contact us.