Weighing in on changes to Paeroa Refuse Transfer Station
Last month, the team rolling out the new kerbside collection service visited Waste Management’s Refuse Transfer Station in Hamilton to learn all about the latest technology they use for weighbridges. It was an excellent opportunity to see the new technology in action. This is because Council is installing two new weighbridges at the Paeroa Refuse Transfer Station, and at the same time, updating the payment system to the new contactless technology from ATRAX.
The current weighbridge in Paeroa will be moved to the Waihī Transfer Station. There are some logistics to sort out but we expect to have it installed by the end of 2023.
First drop off reusables and recycling
Lighten your load by stopping off at the Hauraki Repair and Reuse Centre first to drop off anything that can be resold, repaired or repurposed. Address 1 Grey Street, Paeroa, opening hours: 10am - 4:30pm, Thursday - Sunday.
Next stop, drop off any recycling at the Paeroa Refuse Transfer Station (that’s free) before going to the weigh bridge on site.
Weigh in and weigh out
With two weighbridges, your vehicle is weighed as you go in and as you go out, using vehicle number plate recognition to match the car to the load. You pay for the difference in weight*, based on what type of rubbish you select on the touch screen keypad at the first weighbridge.
Here’s how the weighbridge contactless payment system works:
Going in
- One vehicle only on the weighbridge at a time.
- Drive up to the sign in touch screen. Make sure you’re up close, trucks have a high up option, and there’s a call button for help.
- Confirm your vehicle registration details (enter manually if incorrect).
- Swipe your Eftpos or credit card to continue – no payment taken yet
- Then select your individual items or rubbish option*
- Move forward only when the boom lifts.
- Drop off your load - if you have a mixed load*, you'll need to go over the weighbridges more than once.
*Tyres, car bodies, gas bottles and paint are heavy and charged per item not by weight, so select them first on the touch screen, drop them off, pay for them at the second weighbridge. Each item has a different disposal charge, so you'll need to select the item (ie tyres), drop them off, pay for them at the exit weighbridge and then repeat the process for other items or rubbish.
If you have rubbish or green waste still to dispose of, go back over the 'in' weigh bridge, select the right option from the screen and proceed onto the site when the boom lifts. Rubbish and green waste have different disposal charges by weight, so need to be paid for and dropped off separately. This means you'll go over the weighbridges more than once if you have a mixed load.
Going out
- Drive onto the weighbridge (remember one vehicle at a time).
- Confirm your vehicle registration.
- Pay by Eftpos or credit card – continue with your payment.
- Payment is paperless, for a receipt, take a photo of the payment confirmation screen.
- Drive off when the boom lifts.
- Return to the 'In' weighbridge if you have more than one type of rubbish to dispose of.
What are the rubbish options?
On the touch screen, you'll be able to choose from individual items (like vehicle tyres; gas bottles and paint), general rubbish or green waste. For individual items, you select the item first, as well as the quantity ie 4 tyres; 1 gas bottle, drive onto the site, drop them off, proceed to the Exit weighbridge and pay.
If you still have rubbish and green waste to dispose of, you'll need to go back to the 'In' weighbridge, select general rubbish only, drop it off, pay for it at the 'Exit' weighbridge and then return to the 'In' weighbridge and do the same process for greenwaste.
Why can't everything be weighed at once?
Items like tyres are very heavy and paying by weight would be very expensive, which is why it's best to pay per item. General rubbish and green waste also have different disposal charges, so need to be weighed and paid for separately. We'll have staff on site to help if there's any confusion over how to use the touch screen or what option to select.