Rubbish Bag Prices Rise to Reflect Increasing Landfill Costs

This morning, Hastings District Council voted to increase the price of rubbish bags to cover the increasing cost of rubbish disposal.

The price change is effective immediately.

The recommended retail price of small bags is now $1.30 and large bags will now cost $2 each.

Bags are mostly sold in packs of six – a bundle of small bags has gone from $6 to $7.80, large bags from $8.40 to $12.

Martin Jarvis, who manages rubbish disposal for HDC, says this is the first bag cost increase in two years despite the ever increasing cost of disposing of household rubbish.

Today’s increase also takes into account the Government waste levy of $10 per tonne, which will be introduced at the Omarunui Landfill in July.

“Every cent made from selling bags goes towards the cost of the bags themselves, collecting and disposing of them at the landfill.

“Landfill charges will go up 33 percent this year alone after the $10 Government levy takes effect, the previous year they went up nine percent. Landfill operation at Omarunui is a user-pays activity so HDC has to cover its costs.”