Some council services will be unavailable over the Christmas and New Year break.
Check if you need to apply or order before Friday 19 December 2025.
If you want to get rid of things around your house, we recommend recycling or donating.
We can lower the amount of waste that goes to landfill by:
To find out what you can and cannot put in your regular recycling collection, visit What you can put in your recycling.
To find out how you can get rid of other items, visit How to get rid of unwanted items.
Before you buy electronics, check if the company offers an end-of-life recycling service. Some manufacturers may take their products back for recycling, especially electronic waste like TVs, computers and mobile phones.
Donate your unwanted furniture and goods.
If donating to a charity store, your items must be in a sellable condition. Check with staff before dropping items off so that they do not have to pay to send your waste to landfill.
Some places provide or accept donated materials that can be reused for arts or DIY projects.
The West Auckland Resource Centre (WARC) is a volunteer-run charitable trust that provides recycled materials to educational and community groups and the general public.
WARC provides many materials, including:
They ask for a cash donation for resources you take.
For more information, visit the West Auckland Resource Centre.
WARC is only open during the school term and closed on school holidays and public holiday weekends.
Opening hours (during the school term only):
2 Seabrook Avenue, behind New Lynn School.
You can bring fabric and other materials for reuse to the North Shore Resource Centre.
They encourage people to reuse and recycle arts and crafts supplies, fabric and loose parts. These can be used by education providers and the general public.
The centre accepts donations of materials including:
They ask for a cash donation for materials you take.
For more information, visit North Shore Resource Centre.
The resource centre is also open during school holidays, except for the Christmas/New Year school break.