Residents can now dispose of all their rubbish, recycling and glass in the kerbside service, but all items are being treated as rubbish and will not be recycled during the lockdown.

All items can be mixed into either the red or yellow wheelie bins, but not in the green glass crate, as the crate can't be handled during the lockdown due to COVID-19 risks.

The decision to treat everything as rubbish has been made as all recycling sorting facilities have had to close during the lockdown.

Additionally, with reduced availability of services and more people at home each day, the Council had discovered that the recycling it was receiving was increasingly contaminated with unsanitary items like nappies, tissues, food waste and unwashed containers. In that state, none of the recycling could be stored at the Ashburton Resource Recovery Park and recycled at a later date.

Ashburton District Mayor Neil Brown said if they wished to, residents were welcome to hold onto their glass and recycling during the lockdown to be picked up later.

"If people can or do want their glass and recycling to be recycled, they can hold off putting it out until we start up the recycling service again."​

​​​​​Kerbside collection during lockdown

• ​The red and yellow wheelie bins are being collected as per their normal schedule
• All contents are being treated as rubbish
• Rubbish, recycling and glass can be put into either the red or yellow bin for collection
• The green glass crate is not being collected

​​​Ashburton Resource Recovery park during lockdown

• ​​​​Is open to all residents who DO NOT receive the kerbside collection service
• Open from 1-5pm, Monday to Friday
• Residents can drop off bagged rubbish, recycling and glass. All recycling will be treated as rubbish and sent to landfill
• Only cars and utes will be accepted. No trucks or trailers.​