Hazardous items should never be placed in your kerbside bins, instead you can drop them for free at any of our EcoDrop Resource Recovery Centres. Items include gas bottles and canisters, all batteries, fire extinguishers, chemicals, paints and solvents.

Christchurch City Council has created a process for safely disposing of EC Rainbow Sand and Creatistics – Coloured Sand products, which have been recalled due to potential asbestos contamination.

Advice for domestic residences

From Wednesday 18 November, you can drop off magic sand free of charge to any of the Council's three EcoDrop Resource Recovery Centres (RRCs) (external link)with no charge to the resident. Find out more(external link).

It’s important not to place these magic sand products in kerbside bins, or as general waste at our transfer stations. This would create potential risk to the public, as well as collection and processing staff.

What you need to do:

  1. Place sand in a container or bag following Health NZ guidelines or collect approved bags and an instruction sheet [PDF, 158 KB] from any EcoDrop RRC.
  2. To be accepted at the RRC, the sand must be in the provided heavy-duty bags, sealed and double-bagged – even if already in a sealed container. This is to avoid exposing our staff to unnecessary risk and we must take all practicable steps to protect them.
  3. Label each bag with your address and a description of the contents (if applicable). This is mandatory.

Please note: Residents on Banks Peninsula will need to take the sand to a city EcoDrop, as Barrys Bay is unable to collect asbestos material.

Advice for workplaces

The Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment (MBIE) website includes guidance for your business(external link).

Please note that this process is subject to change if MBIE gives new advice.

All gas bottles, gas canisters and batteries

These items pose a significant threat to the safety of our teams and members of the public when disposed of in a kerbside wheelie bin. 

Please do the right thing and take them to your nearest EcoDrop Resource Recovery Centre(external link) for free, where they can be disposed of safely. 

The EcoDrop Resource Recovery Centres(external link) accept the following items:

  • LPG gas bottles, helium gas bottles, butane camping gas canisters CO2 cylinders, nitrous oxide canisters and aerosol cans
  • All vehicle batteries, household batteries, power-tool batteries
  • Fire extinguishers
  • Used engine oil, unwanted cooking oil
  • Liquid chemicals
  • Dry chemicals
  • Household cleaners
  • Paints and associated painting solvents
  • Fireworks
  • Refrigerators and freezers
  • Garden pesticides and agrichemicals
  • Cooking oil

Open 7 days, 7am to 4.30pm:

Domestic quantities only.

For more information go to the EcoCentral website(external link).

Batteries contain numerous components that are bad for the environment. If put in wheelie bins, batteries can potentially harm staff and members of the public.

Collecting batteries before they deteriorate means they can be recycled appropriately, saving valuable components for reuse and reducing the risk to people and the environment.

Find a battery recycling station(external link). 

  1. Soak - Completely submerge fireworks in a bucket of water. Allow to soak overnight.
  2. Wrap - Double wrap the soaked fireworks in plastic wrap or plastic bags so they do not dry out.
  3. Dispose - Place wrapped bags in the red bin.

Alternatively, you can drop these off at an EcoDrop Resource Recovery Centre(external link).