Western Bay of Plenty District Council says people get a little too creative for its pay-as-you-throw (PAYT) rubbish collection scheme, with more reused and altered tags turning up on red rubbish bins across the District.
Council is reminding residents that using a fake tag could result in a $200 infringement fine.
Between October 2025 and April 2026, the Council says 195,500 PAYT tags were sold, and 216,165 rubbish bins were collected – that’s 20,665 more collections than tags sold.
While the difference cannot be directly attributed to fraudulent tags, Council says its contractors are identifying more reused and altered tags.
Fraudulent tags can take several forms. Versions that Council is seeing more of include tags that have been taped or stapled back together after use, photocopied, or recreated using similar coloured materials.
Council’s General Manager Infrastructure, Brad Singh says the PAYT system is an important part of the kerbside service, encouraging households to reduce waste while paying for the rubbish they put out.
“The idea behind PAYT is simple – the more waste you produce, the more you pay to dispose of it. It gives households a financial incentive to reduce what goes into the red bin and make use of recycling and food scraps services,” said Mr Singh.
“We know the vast majority of people are doing the right thing, but using a fraudulent tag means someone is getting a rubbish collection without paying for it.”
The District’s kerbside service was introduced in 2021, and has a target of diverting around 1,800 tonnes of material from landfill each year.
Mr Singh says one of the key benefits of PAYT is that the cost of collecting and disposing of rubbish is paid for by the people using the service, rather than through general rates.
“PAYT is a fully user-pays service – it isn’t funded through rates – so every red-bin collection needs to have a genuine tag. When people use fake tags, everyone else ends up carrying the cost, which isn’t fair on those doing the right thing,” he said.
“We’re increasing our monitoring, and people should be aware that if a fraudulent tag is found, the address will be issued with an infringement.”
PAYT tags currently have a recommended retail price (RRP) of $5.20. They can be purchased from supermarkets and other participating retailers, as well as Council libraries and service centres. Council sells tags at the RRP, while other retailers can set their own prices.
For the cost of a $5.20 tag, you can avoid a potential $200 fine and help keep the PAYT system fair for everyone, the Council said in a statement.
See kerbsidecollective.co.nz/PAYT for further details on PAYT tags and where to purchase.
