Most compostable coffee cups and packaging can only be composted in commercial composting facilities. This is because the compost pile needs to reach a temperature of 55 degrees or higher to break down these items, which almost all home composting systems don’t achieve.
There are nine industrial facilities in New Zealand and three community facilities that currently accept compostable packaging. Compostable packaging is not accepted in council kerbside food waste collections or privately provided greenwaste collection bins. In most cases, a waste company must be used to collect and transport compostable packaging to a composting facility.
See below for a list of these facilities, the compostable packaging they accept, and the waste companies that can be used to deliver packaging to the facility. This list is accurate as of May 2019.
To find out why some facilities cannot accept compostable packaging and about different acceptance criterion among facilities please click here.
If you would like your facility to be listed, please email [email protected]
Region Served: Greater Auckland Metropolitan Area
Little & Brave will accept all ‘Little & Brave’ compostable products including bags, wipes and nappies. They will also accept certified commercially compostable bags and gloves. For more information click here.
Region Served: Auckland & Waikato
Compostable packaging is accepted from approved commercial facilities who have presented proof of their packaging certification, with collections carried out by an Envirofert approved contractor. For more information click here.
Region Served: Waikato
Hampton Organics will accept delivery of approved compostable packaging via approved waste companies only. For more information click here.
Region Served: Palmerston North
Palmerston North City Council (PNCC) accepts approved compostable packaging via its own food waste collection service and events recycling service only. For more information click here.
Regions Served: Central North Island including Waikato, Bay of Plenty and Taranaki
Revital has three facilities in the Central North Island who can accept delivery of certified compostable packaging. Acceptance is on a case by case basis as each facility can accept different quantities and different types of packaging. For more information click here.
Region Served: Wellington
Capital Compost will accept delivery of approved compostable packaging via approved waste companies only. For more information click here.
Region Served: Christchurch
Plastic-free compostable serviceware (e.g. bagasse, card) that has been pre-approved by the site operator is accepted. This must be transported to the site via an approved waste collection provider and must have a pre-sort to remove contamination before reaching the site. No compostable packaging or food service waste can be placed in the Christchurch green kerbside collection bins. For more information click here.
Region Served: Timaru District
Timaru Eco Compost will accept delivery of approved compostable packaging via the kerbside organics bin collection and approved waste companies only. For more information click here.
Region Served: Restaurants and cafés on Waiheke Island
The Compost Co. provides a small-scale organic waste collection service for restaurants and cafés on Waiheke Island. They are currently at maximum capacity, but interested venues can go on a waiting list. For more information click here.
Region Served: Raglan
Xtreme Zero Waste have resource consent to trial small quantities of compostable packaging in their industrial scale Horizontal Composting Unit. This enables them to work with some local food outlets and community events. For more information click here.
Region Served: Wellington
Kaicycle provides a small-scale organic waste collection service for local households and office spaces which produce up to 60 litres of compostable waste per week. They only accept approved compostable packaging from their customers; they do not accept deliveries from other waste companies or larger-scale organic waste producers. They generally do not accept event waste. For more information click here.