Most people don't spend much time thinking about their rubbish collection.

The bin goes out. It gets emptied. Life carries on.

For most people, it's simply part of everyday life. To us, it's a bit of a different story and this September, that story turns 20.

Back in 2006, Low Cost Bins started in Porirua with five staff, three trucks, zero customers and a simple idea: to make rubbish collection more affordable and easier to access.

At the time, flexible payment options weren't common in the industry. Low Cost Bins took a different approach, allowing customers to pay weekly or fortnightly by direct debit. It sounds straightforward now, but it gave households more control over their budgets and made an essential service easier to manage.

A lot has changed since then. The technology is different. The trucks are different. The service areas are bigger. What began as a small local operation has grown into a team of 119 people operating 72 trucks across the lower North Island. Today, Low Cost Bins forms part of New Zealand's largest 100% Kiwi-owned waste and recycling company.

Often people think business success is measured in numbers, but in truth the numbers only tell part of the story.

Behind every collection day are dedicated people who make it happen. The drivers and runners who head out before most people are awake. The customer service teams answering calls and helping solve problems. The mechanics keeping vehicles on the road. The operations teams planning routes and schedules. The many people working behind the scenes to make sure collections happen day after day for the customers who rely on them.

For twenty years, customers have invited Low Cost Bins onto their properties and business premises. Some have been with us for decades, others have joined more recently, but each has trusted us to get the job done. It's a trust we've never taken for granted.

This has also allowed us to give back to our local communities. Over the years, Low Cost Bins has supported local schools, charities, sports clubs and community organisations across the lower North Island. Our teams live and work in these communities, and we're proud to be able to give back to the people and places that support us.

Twenty years is a milestone worth celebrating. Thank you to the customers who chose Low Cost Bins in the early days and to those who still choose us today, and to the team whose hard work keeps things moving.

We're proud of how far Low Cost Bins has come, and grateful to everyone who has been part of the journey.