Recycling
- giving waste a second chance!
Kerbside recycling
Kerbside recycling in the Coromandel is managed by Thames-Coromandel District Council (TCDC). For details on what can go in your recycling bin, collection schedules, and best practices, check out the official TCDC resources—find the links here!
Wondering what to do with those hard-to-recycle items?
The Seagull Centre helps keep tricky waste out of landfill by accepting items like e-waste, batteries, and more.
Ink cartridges
Nearly every printer that comes into the Seagull Centre for recycling has an ink cartridge. The Seagull Centre has joined the Brother Ink Recycling programme to make sure all ink is correctly disposed of, and cartridges are refilled or recycled.
The Seagull Centre is NOT a drop off location for ink cartridge recycling.
e-Waste
In general nearly all electronic items consist of parts that can be recycled. Some products contain potentially toxic elements that could harm the environment if not disposed of or processed properly.
We accept most electronic items for FREE. However there are some items that due to the costs involved in the recycling process, we need to charge a small fee.
The electronic items we accept we sort into different categories:
Items we can potentially sell - we test these to ensure they work and are safe
Items that may need further testing and/or repair
Items that cannot sold – we dismantle these and recover the recyclable parts
Items we can’t dismantle – we aggregate and send away for recycling
e-Waste Fees
TV - CRT and Plasma ……………………..……….. $30
TV LCD ………………………………………………………. $15
Mobile Phones …………………..Gold Coin Donation
Computer Monitor - CRT + LCD …….………. $15
Printers .…………………………………………………….. $10
Fridge Freezers ..……………………………………….. $10
Washing machines, Dryers, Dishwashers, Ovens-Stoves…………………………..………………… $5
UPS Batteries ..……………………………………….…. $5
Vehicle Batteries ….………….. Gold Coin Donation
Recycling Batteries
We collect ALL types of batteries at our drop-off centres in Thames, Pauanui and Tairua and through our partners Wahi Tukurua in Whitianga and the Whangamata Resouce Recovery Centre.
To support recycling costs, we kindly ask for a koha when dropping off batteries.
How to Drop Off Your Batteries:
Tape exposed battery terminals (including button and power tool batteries) using clear sticky tape, non-conductive electrical tape, or duct tape - but keep the battery label visible.
With 95% of a battery being recyclable, proper recycling reduces the need for mining. In 2023 alone, 180,000 metric tons of lithium and 1.5 billion metric tons of iron ore were extracted globally.
Under the guidance of Phoenix Recycling Group, our team carefully sorts batteries to ensure the best recycling rates. Once sorted, they are transported to Auckland by Steve from Metal Recoveries, our local scrap metal expert.
New Zealand has only a handful of certified battery recycling centres and exporters, with Phoenix Recycling Group being one of them. Learn more about their work here.
We’re proud to say that in 2024, we cleared our backlog and sent a ton of batteries for responsible recycling—helping to protect our environment, one battery at a time!
Food and Beverage Carton Recycling
The Seagull Centre is proud to partner with Tetrapak and saveBOARD to provide FREE collection points for food and beverage cartons.
The Food and Beverage Carton Recycling Scheme accepts all clean food and beverage cartons (such as juice, stock, long-life milk and alternative milk cartons).
We accept:
Clean cartons: Cut flat, washed, dry
All collected food and beverage cartons are taken to saveBOARD in Hamilton where they are made into a GIB alternative call saveBOARD - https://www.saveboard.nz/
The Seagull Centre has saveBOARD on display behind the main counter as well as on the walls in Robins’ Room (Education Centre).
We have two collection bins at the Seagull Centre in Thames (one on the ramp by the main shop & one in the wooden shed by the drop off bay), as well as collection points located at the Whangamata Information Centre, Seagull Centre Pauanui, Seagull Centre Tairua, and Hula Café Whitianga.
In 2024 a total of 360KGS of food and beverage cartons were recycled.
Polystyrene Recycling
We’re proud to partner with Expol and Mitre 10, Thames to provide a FREE collection point for domestic polystyrene.
Where to drop off your Polystyrene
We have a large wooden shed dedicated to polystyrene at our drop-off centre, please ask staff for assistance on arrival.
What We Accept:
Household quantities only – Up to 2 full rubbish bags
Clean polystyrene only – No dirt, food waste, stickers, or tape
Since the partnership began in November 2023 customers throughout Thames – East Coromandel – Hauraki area have collected 200 CUBIC METRES of clean polystyrene for recycling.
For commercial polystyrene recycling, please contact Expol directly.
Soft Plastics Recycling
The Packaging Forum’s soft plastics recycling scheme is available FREE at the Seagull Centre in collaboration with Thames Coromandel District Council
What We Accept:
Clean, empty and dry soft plastics
The soft plastics are shipped to Future Post in Auckland and are made into plastic fence posts (check out the sample in store), vegetable gardens and parking bumbers. We have three collection bins at the Seagull Centre in Thames (one on the ramp by the main shop & two next to the wooden shed by the drop off bay). For more information check out https://www.recycling.kiwi.nz/
Each day we send ONE wheelie bin for recycling - that’s 365 bins a year!
Plastic bottle top Recycling
The Seagull Centre has been collecting plastic bottle tops for Critical Design FREE of charge since November 2023.
Critical Design is a New Zealand company using 100% recycled plastic to make plastic panels called ‘Cleanstone’.
What We Accept:
Clean bottle tops: Washed, no liners (the inside bits of the lid), no metal
Colour sorted
Due to the colour sensitivity of the cleanstone panels all lids must be colour sorted. You will find our eight collection draws located in the main shop at the Seagull Centre Thames. Drop offs are accepted at Seagull Centre Pauanui and Seagull Centre Tairua (please separate colours into different bags).
We have four cleanstone table tops located in Robins’ Room (Education Centre).
Over the past 12months we have collected over 30 WINE BOXES of plastic lids.
