Five new kerbside collection trucks are being test driven for the Central Otago District Council (CODC).

Seeing the trucks arrive after so much planning has been a great sight, solid waste team leader Lauren Hunter said.

“They look sharp, and they are a key component to delivering our ratepayers an excellent kerbside collection service which aligns with the new New Zealand Waste Strategy, as well as facilitating the reduction in the amount of waste our district sends to landfill.”

The five Mercedes-Benz trucks, complete with signage of the council’s new four-bin configuration, have been out on the road for test drives, so that they are ready and running when the new kerbside collection starts on July 1.

All the kerbside trucks will be able to collect organics (food scraps and green waste), mixed recycling, glass recycling and general household rubbish, collecting up to eight tonnes of material at any time.

Four of the trucks will be out on the road during scheduled collection weeks, with the fifth on standby in case of breakdowns and for glass collection (which will be collected every four weeks). 

The trucks are left-hand drive to give drivers a better line of sight with the bins, and are equipped with onboard cameras to allow drivers to check for contamination and to ensure the correct bins are presented properly for collection and placed out on time.

Nearly a year ago, the council named Enviro NZ as the new contractor that would be delivering its new waste and recycling services. The company recently rebranded from Enviro Waste to Enviro NZ.

The operation of transfer stations, kerbside collections, and the servicing of drop-off containers for rural recycling and waste will be contracted to Enviro NZ from 1 July 2023.

Find more information about the new kerbside collection service here.