Have you got old poisons, pool chemicals or garden sprays lurking in your shed?

Registrations are now open for MyHazWaste, a free, organised drop-off day being held in Te Puke on Sunday, May 25, offering a safe way to dispose of household hazardous waste.

Organised by Western Bay of Plenty District Council in partnership with 3R Group and funded by the Waste Minimisation Levy, it will be the first in a line-up of regular pop-up collections planned throughout the rohe (district).

“Registered residents will be able to drop off household hazardous waste at a dedicated location for safe disposal,” Western Bay of Plenty District Council planning and behaviour change lead Ilze Kruis said.

“Proper disposal of hazardous waste is critical for protecting our environment by preventing harmful chemicals from leaching into our soil and waterways. This is a chance for people to clear out chemicals from under their kitchen sink and garden shed and have them safely and responsibly disposed of to reduce environmental harm.”

Kruis said from May 1, the district’s three recycling centres, at Athenree, Katikati and Te Puke, would no longer accept hazardous waste.

“This is due to increasing health and safety requirements, chemical handling training, high and unpredictable costs for the disposal of chemicals and internal resources required to undertake these hazardous waste collections,” she said.

People are invited to register for the Te Puke disposal drop-off before May 17. Those who register will be contacted before the day to confirm their dedicated time slot and the location details.

“I encourage people to register quickly because spots are limited. No unregistered waste will be accepted and walk-ups are not possible. This is because we need to know what’s coming in to ensure our contractor is prepared to safely handle the materials.”

3R Group’s ChemCollect service has been managing hazardous waste collections for businesses and organisations for over 13 years.

“All hazardous materials collected are sorted for their future disposal pathways. Most materials can be disposed of within New Zealand through certified disposal companies. Materials that can’t be managed nationally go offshore to be disposed of safely,” ChemCollect general manager Jason Richards said.

Household hazardous waste types accepted include cleaners, poisons, solvents, garden chemicals, some automotive wastes (brake fluid and antifreeze) and pool chemicals.

Commercial and agricultural waste types are not eligible.

To register and find out more about what is eligible for safe disposal, head to myhazwaste.kiwi/event/te-puke-2025/