Over 2000 public rubbish bins have been removed from Auckland's streets, parks and beaches as part of cost-cutting measures, Auckland Council has confirmed to 1News.
Another 500 are expected to be removed by the end of May.
A review last year identified that a large portion of the region's 10,000 bins are "underutilised", containing little to no rubbish when being emptied.
To contribute the Annual Budget savings target of $50 million, a rationalisation exercise aimed at reducing the overall number of bins in the region by 30% was initiated.
The move was expected to save $9.5m over the next eight financial years, yielding "significant savings for ratepayers".
2090 bins have been removed as part of the project, with the number of bins to be retained at 7406.
Auckland Council said it had removed bins from various locations around the city, including Newmarket, Northcote and the Te Atatū Peninsula.
"However, no rubbish bins have been removed from the Manurewa, Franklin, Papakura or Rodney local board areas as each of these four local boards chose to fund the retention of all public rubbish bins," said head of area operations parks and community facilities Julie Pickering.
The project has received criticism from many residents.
Shirley McNaught, 72, took waste management into her own hands earlier this year after all bins were removed from her local park.
"This is a lovely reserve and it needs to be treated with respect," she said.
"If people don't treat it nice, it's just going to go to rack and ruin."
Taking matters into her own hands, McNaught put out a bucket to collect rubbish, which was then upgraded to a repurposed food scrap bin and then again to a wheelie bin.
Bins were only slated for removal if they had historically low use and were in close proximity to other bins, said Auckland Council's general manager of parks and community facilities, Taryn Crewe.
"We don't envisage a material increase in loose litter as a consequence of removing the bins."
SHARE ME