Council Service Delivery Group Manager Neil McCann says the Council has reviewed its Bin It Right rubbish and recycling handbook to help residents understand the new changes, and will be delivering the booklets to every household in the kerbside collection zone.

"Keep an eye out in your mailbox for the updated book.It will have important information to help you use the service correctly. We're also including a sticker for you to put on your yellow bin lid which will show you what can and can't go in recycling."

To identify the grade of plastic, look for the small recycling triangle imprinted on the product. If it doesn't have a triangle, it goes in the rubbish. Some soft plastics may be marked one, two or five, but they can't go in recycling either - only hard, rigid plastics that hold their shape can.

"Only look for the recycling triangle on hard plastics from your kitchen, bathroom and laundry such as ice cream containers, meat trays, milk bottles and detergent bottles," Mr McCann advises.​

Soft plastics (which must go in the rubbish) include bread bags, frozen vegetable bags, cling wrap, plastic wrapping and packaging, pet food bags and chip packets.

Paper, metal tins, aluminium cans and cardboard will continue to go in recycling.

Recyclables need to be clean before they can go in the yellow bin, and residents are being reminded to rinse out any containers or tins that have held food or liquid. All recycling must also be put in the bin loose, not bagged.

More information about the changes to recycling can be found on the Council website binitright.nz.​