Where can commercially compostable packaging and serviceware be processed in New Zealand?

Most compostable coffee cups and packaging can only be composted in commercial composting facilities. This is because the compost pile needs to reach a temperature of 55 degrees or higher to break down these items, which almost all home composting systems don’t achieve.

There are eight industrial facilities in New Zealand and three community facilities that currently accept compostable packaging. Compostable packaging is not accepted in council kerbside food waste collections or privately provided greenwaste collection bins. In most cases, a waste company must be used to collect and transport compostable packaging to a composting facility.

See below for a list of these facilities, the compostable packaging they accept, and the waste companies that can be used to deliver packaging to the facility. This list is accurate as of February 2019.

To find out why some facilities cannot accept compostable packaging and about different acceptance criterion among facilities please click here.

If you would like your facility to be listed, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Industrial Composting Facilities

Facility Name: Envirofert Limited

Region Served: Auckland & Waikato

Compostable packaging is accepted from approved commercial facilities who have presented proof of their packaging certification, with collections carried out by an Envirofert approved contractor. For more information click here.

Facility Name: Hampton Organics – Hampton PARRC

Region Served: Waikato

Hampton Organics will accept delivery of approved compostable packaging via approved waste companies only. For more information click here.

Facility Name: Palmerston North City Council (Awapuni Resource Recovery Park)

Region Served: Palmerston North

Palmerston North City Council (PNCC) accepts approved compostable packaging via its own food waste collection service and events recycling service only. For more information click here.

Facility Name: Revital

Regions Served: Central North Island including Waikato, Bay of Plenty and Taranaki

Revital has three facilities in the Central North Island who can accept delivery of certified compostable packaging. Acceptance is on a case by case basis as each facility can accept different quantities and different types of packaging. For more information click here.

Facility Name: Capital Compost – Wellington Southern Landfill

Region Served: Wellington

Capital Compost will accept delivery of approved compostable packaging via approved waste companies only. For more information click here.

Facility Name: Christchurch City Council Organics Processing Plant – Operated by Living Earth

Region Served: Christchurch

Plastic-free compostable serviceware (e.g. bagasse, card) that has been pre-approved by the site operator is accepted. This must be transported to the site via an approved waste collection provider and must have a pre-sort to remove contamination before reaching the site. No compostable packaging or food service waste can be placed in the Christchurch green kerbside collection bins. For more information click here.

Community Composting Facilities

Facility Name: The Compost Co.

Region Served: Restaurants and cafés on Waiheke Island

The Compost Co. provides a small-scale organic waste collection service for restaurants and cafés on Waiheke Island. They are currently at maximum capacity, but interested venues can go on a waiting list. For more information click here.

Facility Name: Xtreme Zero Waste

Region Served: Raglan

Xtreme Zero Waste have resource consent to trial small quantities of compostable packaging in their industrial scale Horizontal Composting Unit. This enables them to work with some local food outlets and community events. For more information click here.

Facility Name: Kaicycle

Region Served: Wellington

Kaicycle provides a small-scale organic waste collection service for local households and office spaces which produce up to 60 litres of compostable waste per week. They only accept approved compostable packaging from their customers; they do not accept deliveries from other waste companies or larger-scale organic waste producers. They generally do not accept event waste. For more information click here.

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