Waste A-Z

Use this guide to work out what to do with items once you've finished with them.

 A I B I C I D I E I F I G I H I I I J I K I L I M I N I O I P I Q I R I S I T I U I V I W I X I Y I Z 

A

N

Aerosol cans

RB

Nappies: disposable used

WB

Aluminium cans

RB

Nappies: disposable unused

FB

Aluminium foil (scrunch into loose ball)

RB

Nappies: clean cloth

FB

Animal waste: from rabbits, guinea pigs, chickens etc

CBW

Needles

CC

Animal waste: dogs, cats etc

WB

Newspapers

CBW

RB

Asbestos (must be disposed of by specialists)

SR

O

B

Office paper: unused

KS

GC

Baby capsules (cannot be accepted at opshops for safety reasons)

HW

TS

Office stationery

GC

Batteries: household and car. Note: household batteries (but not car batteries) can be dropped off at any Aldi or Officeworks store.

PDOS

Oils: motor

TS

SR

Beanbags (do not put beans into recycling. Small amounts can be useful for home composting or adding to potting mixes)

RS

OS

TS

Oils: other than motor oil. Small amounts of cooking oil may be buried

SR

Bicycle parts

RS

SM

Ovens

TS

SR

Bike (motorbike) parts

SM

SR

P

Bottles: glass, plastic

RB

Paint

KS

CG

PDOS

Biscuit trays

RB

Paint tins: dried out paint

PDOS

Books

KS

RS

OS

RB

Paint tins: empty

RB

Boxes: commercial moving boxes in reusable condition

RS

RB

Pallets

SR

HW

TS

Boxes: unwaxed cardboard

RB

Paper towel roll

RB

Boxes: waxed cardboard

WB

TS

Pavers, bricks: unbroken

RS

TS

Branches and logs (accepted in green bin up to 10cm wide and 30cm long)

WB

HW

TS

Pesticides

DYH

Bricks, rubble

TS

Pet accessories: leads, bowls, clean toys

AW

RS

OS

Bubble wrap

SUP

WB

Pet food tins: empty and rinsed

RB

Building materials: reusable

RS

Pet food: wet, dry

AW

Building materials: waste

TS

Pet dryfood bags (thick plastic)

SUP

WB

C

Pharmaceuticals

RUM

Cans: aluminium and steel

RB

Phonebooks

RB

Car parts

SM

SR

Phones: mobiles

CCL

Cardboard

RB

TS

Phones: fixed

RS

TS

Carpet, rugs

RS

OS

TS

Picture frames

KS

RS

OS

WB

Cartridges, ink printers (drop off at Australia Post, Officeworks, Good Guys, JB Hi Fi, Harvey Norman)

RE

Pizza boxes (scrape off food scraps)

RB

Cassette tapes

SR

WB

Plant offcuts

CBW

GB

CDs and cases

GG

RS

OS

Plant pots

CG

RS

RB

TS

Cellophane (never in your recycling bin)

SUP

WB

Plasterboard

WB

TS

Ceramics: broken

WB

TS

Plastic bags (never in your recycling bin)

SUP

WB

Ceramics: unbroken

RS

OS

Plastic containers

RB

Chemicals

DYH

Plastic cutlery (unrecognisable by machinery at the recycling facility)

WB

Chemical drums (DrumMUSTER.org.au)

SR

Plastic strapping

WB

Chip packets

SUP

Plastic wrappers (never in your recycling bin)

SUP

WB

Cigarette butts

TC

WB

Plastics- large items: e.g. laundry basket

RS

OS

TS

Cling wrap: food wrap, shrink wrap (never in your recycling bin)

SUP

WB

Poisons

DYH

Clothing

RS

OS

TS

WB

Polystyrene

WB

TS

Coat hangers: wire, plastic

RS

OS

WB

Postage stamp: new or used

GC

Coffee Pods (collect into a plastic container as pods are too small to recycle individually)

TC

WB

Post packs, also known as mailing satchels: paper/padded, plastic

TC

WB

Computers: recent model, working

LS

RS

SR

Punnets: berry etc.

RB

Computers: older model, not working (free to drop off)

TS

Pyrex ovenware: broken

WB

Concrete

TS

Pyrex ovenware: intact

RS

OS

Corks (no longer collected by Girl Guides, MND or the zoo.  Small amounts can be useful shredded for home composting or adding to potting mixes)

CBW

WB

R

Cosmetic packaging e.g. foundation palette, lipstick/mascara tube

TC

Rags: clean

SE

WB

TS

Cotton ear buds, cotton wool

WB

Rags: dirty

WB

Crockery: broken

WB

TS

Rubber

SR

WB

Crockery: unbroken

RS

OS

S

Cutlery: plastic/bamboo/corn starch

WB

Sauce squeeze bottles: tomatoe etc (empty)

RB

Cutlery: metal

RS

OS

Scrap metal

SR

Cylinders: car, trade e.g. acetylene, oxygen. Contact manufacturer for return

SR

Seedling punnets

CG

KS

RB

D

Shoes (in good condition)

KK

RS

OS

Detergent bottles: empty

RB

Shoes (in unwearable condition)

WB

Doors: all types in reusable condition

RS

Smoke alarms

PDOS

WB

Doors: damaged

TS

Spectacles

LC

DVDs and cases

GC

RS

OS

Stoves (free to drop off)

SR

TS

E

Styrofoam / polystyrene (never in your recycling bin)

UN

WB

TS

Egg cartons

KS

RB

Strapping (never in your recycling bin)

WB

Electrical & electronic items: working

RS

Straw

CBW

GB

Electrical & electronic waste; "e-waste" (free to drop off)

TS

Straws: drinking

WB

Envelopes: paper with or without windows

RB

Surfboard, snowboard, wakeboard

RS

F

Syringes

CC

Fertilisers

DYH

T

Fibreglass sheeting, polycarbonate sheeting

RS

TS

Takeaway containers

RB

Fire extinguishers

PDOS

Tea bags

CBW

Fluorescent tubes/globes

PDOS

Televisions - free to drop off

TS

Fly spray cans: empty

RB

Textiles (cloth)

KS

RS

OS

Foam boxes (never in your recycling bin, even if the box has a code or recycling symbol)

CG

KS

TS

Tiles: roof, wall, floor: broken

TS

Foam fruit and meat trays (never in your recycling bin, even if the tray has a code or recycling symbol)

WB

Tiles: roof, wall, floor: unbroken

RS

Food: fresh produce in-date (ask Council for details of food charities)

FB

Timber

RS

TS

Food waste

CBW

WB

Tissues and paper towel (never in your recycling bin)

WB

Fridges, freezers (see also 'Whitegoods')

KK

TS

SM

Toilet paper and foodwrap inner rolls

KS

CBW

RB

Fruit and vegetable scraps

CBW

WB

Toner cartridges: Australia Post, Officeworks, Good Guys, JB Hi Fi, Harvey Norman

RE

Furniture

KK

RS

OS

Toothbrushes: manual and toothpaste tubes: empty

TC

WB

G

Toys

RS

OS

Garden waste: leaves, grass, branches

CBW

GB

TS

Tree prunings

GB

TS

Gas bottles: BBQ cylinders up to 9kg

PDOS

Twine/string (never in your recycling bin)

WB

Glass: broken windows (tape, wrap and label)

WB

TS

Tyres (accepted by some retailers when buying replacement tyres)

RE

TS

Glasses: spectacles

LC

U

Glasses: sunglasses

OS

WB

Umbrellas - intact

RS

OS

Glassware: broken (tape, wrap and label)

HW

WB

TS

Umbrellas - broken

WB

Glassware: unbroken, clean (tape, wrap and label)

RS

OS

WB

Underlay: can be used to top worm farms or can be recycled for flooring

SR

TS

Golf Clubs

RS

V

Guttering lengths

RS

TS

SM

Vacuum cleaner dust

CBW

WB

H

Vegetable and fruit scraps

CBW

Hair: human min 35cm long, undyed, non-grey (donate to make wigs for sick children)

VC

Vehicle parts: car, motorbike, truck

SR

SM

Hair: offcuts and shedded hair

CBW

WB

Vehicles: cars, vans, trucks, motorcycles, scooters, caravans, buses, tractors, jet skis, boats on trailers

KUC

SM

Helmets (cannot be accepted at opshops for safety reasons)

WB

TS

Video tapes (VHS, Beta etc.): commercial recordings

RS

OS

WB

Herbicides, also known as "weed killers"

DYH

Video tapes (VHS, Beta etc.): home recordings

SR

WB

Hot water bottles (no leaks)

RS

OS

WB

Vinyl material

KS

WB

TS

Hot water units

SM

HW

TS

Vinyl records

KS

RS

OS

Hypodermic needles, also known as "sharps"

CC

W

I

Washing machines: free to drop off

KK

SR

TS

Ice cream containers and lids

KS

RB

Waxed boxes and waxed cooking paper

WB

Ink cartridges: Australia Post, Officeworks, Good Guys, JB Hi Fi, Harvey Norman

RE

Weeds

GB

TS

J

Whitegoods (washing machines, fridges, freezers, stoves/ovens, microwave ovens: also known as e-waste): free to drop off

TS

SM

KK

Jars with or without lids

KS

RB

Window glass (taped, wrapped & labelled for safety)

WB

HW

TS

Juice cartons

RB

Wine bottles

RB

Junk mail (ask Council for a free "no Junk Mail" sticker for your letterbox)

RB

Wood

RS

TS

K

Wrapping paper

RB

Kitty litter

WB

X

L

X-rays (refer to recyclingnearyou.com.au for specialist recycling options)

SR

Leaves

GB

Y

Light bulbs: incandescent globe

WB

Yoghurt containers

RB

Light bulbs: compact, tubes and LED

PDOS

Z

M

Zincalume, Colorbond etc flashing and gutters

RS

TS

Magazines

KS

RS

OS

RB

Mailing satchels, also known as post packs: paper/padded, plastic

TC

WB

Margarine tubs (empty)

RB

Mattresses

HW

TS

Meat Scraps

WB

Meat trays: foam (never in your recycling bin, even if the tray has a code on its base)

Meat trays: plastic

RB

Medicine bottles: empty

RB

Medicines: keep them out of waterways and landfill

RUM

Milk cartons

RB

Milk containers (plastic)

RB

Mirrors: broken (tape, wrap and label)

WB

TS

Mirrors: intact (tape, wrap and label)

RS

OS

Motor oil

TS