Napier residents who cut down their wheelie bin use by composting and recycling could see their rates bill cut down too.

The Less Waste Incentive is open to all Napier property owners who receive the council wheelie bin service.

It allows a rates discount for households that put their bins out for collection 26 times or fewer each year.

The Less Waste Incentive is open to all Napier property owners who receive the council wheelie bin service. Photo / Florence Charvin

Stefni Wilson, Napier City Council’s waste minimisation lead, said the incentive was designed to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill.

“It’s amazing what a big difference small steps can make in reducing the amount of waste going to landfill. Activities like composting, buying from bulk bins, and recycling make it much easier to put wheelie bins out less often.”

The RFID tag on a wheelie bin records how many times it is put out between June 1 one year and May 31 the next.

Households that record 26 times or fewer over that period will receive a 25% discount on the refuse collection portion of their rates bill.

The discount will be applied to the following year’s rates bill, from July 1.

“We’re aiming to make this as easy as possible. Once signed up, that’s it. Every year, the discount will be applied if the household achieves this target and if it’s the same ratepayer who owns the property,” Wilson said.

In Napier, plastic types 1, 2 and 5 can be recycled. These are high-value plastics, such as milk bottles and soft drink bottles, which can be easily recycled and turned into other useful products.

Plastic types 3, 4, 6 and 7 are low-value plastics that are often contaminated and are more difficult to recycle and make new products. These plastics should be reused or put into the rubbish bin.

Napier residents must sign up for the next financial year by September 30 at napier.govt.nz using the keyword search #lesswasteincentive.