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Alert

Hāwera Kerbside Collection Day Changes

From Thursday 1 October 2026, some Hāwera residents who usually have their kerbside bins emptied on a Wednesday will move to a Thursday collection day as part of an adjustment to Council's collection routes. Click here for more details.

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Taranaki Milk Top Challenge

Milk Top Collection Competition 2026 - get your collection on!

South Taranaki district schools are taking part in the regional Taranaki Milk Top Challenge to recycle milk and cream bottle lids. The competition is running through Term 2 and 3 in 2026.

Milk bottle tops can't go in your home recycling bin. In fact, they're one of the most common contaminants in our kerbside recycling. The good news is, milk tops can be recycled and reused in Taranaki if you collect them separately and take them to a participating school.

The last competition was won by Huiakama School - Stratford District.

The challenge

Milk bottles are in almost every Taranaki home – but the lids are a big recycling problem. Small caps can’t be recycled through kerbside bins and leaving them on bottles can contaminate recycling and send it to landfill.

We’re encouraging households to separate bottles and lids to help keep recycling clean and out of landfill. Get the whole household involved, and drop them off to support your local school. Every lid counts!

Prizes

There are 3 prizes up for grabs for participating South Taranaki schools (most tops collected per student):

  • 1st place: $1,000
  • 2nd place: $750
  • 3rd place: $500

Support your local school, reduce contamination, and help keep recycling out of landfill!

For more information, contact the STDC Environment and Sustainability team by email or phone 0800 111 323.

We’re collecting:

  • Standard plastic tops from dairy milk and cream bottles (1–3L)
  • Plastic tops from alternative milks in plastic bottles

Not accepted:

  • Boxed/liquid paperboard milk lids

  • Rawhitiroa School
  • St Joseph’s School, Ōpunakē
  • Normanby School
  • Te Paepae o Aotea
  • Manaia School
  • Ōpunakē Primary School
  • Hāwera Christian School
  • Eltham Primary School
  • Pātea Area School
  • Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Tamaronga
  • Whenuakura School
  • Matapu School
  • Kaponga School
  • Turuturu School
  • St Joseph's School
  • Te Kura o Ngā Ruahine Rangi
  • Waverley Primary School
  • Kakaramea School
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