Recycle your aerosol cans in your yellow-lidded recycling bin.

Make sure your aerosol cans are completely empty before recycling. Do not pierce or crush them.

These can also be taken to a Community Recycling Centre or a Chemical CleanOut.

Recycle your aluminium cans in your yellow-lidded recycling bin.

Or take them to any Return and Earn facility to earn 10 cents per item.

Recycle your aluminium foil in your yellow-lidded recycling bin.

Scrunch loosely in a ball the size of your fist before recycling.

Asbestos should NOT be placed in any kerbside bin, public place bin or mixed with other wastes.

There are very specific requirements for the handling and disposal of asbestos due to the significant health risk to you, our community and the environment if not disposed of correctly.

Handling asbestos

Products containing asbestos generally do not pose a risk if they are in good condition and are undisturbed. It is when products and materials that contain asbestos are weathered, broken or punctured that harmful fibres can be released.

All homeowners and renovators should seek out accurate information before commencing any building or renovating around their home. We recommend the use of a licensed asbestos removal contractor for the removal of all asbestos-based building materials.

It is important to seek advice about correct identification, removal and handling of products containing asbestos. Special precautions should always be taken, even for minor renovation works that don't require Council approval.

Council recommends that you:

• treat all fibro sheets as if they contain asbestos unless tested
• use a licensed asbestos removal contractor to remove all materials containing asbestos

Removing asbestos

All building subject to development approval from Council requires a licensed contractor to remove asbestos.

The law requires a licensed asbestos removal contractor be used for:

• the removal of all friable asbestos products
• the removal of more than 10 square metres of bonded asbestos

Disposing of asbestos

Building products that contain asbestos are required to be disposed of at a licensed waste facility. The Awaba Waste Management Facility is our licensed facility.

The dumping of asbestos in any place that is not licensed to receive asbestos waste is an offence that carries a penalty of up to $5000.

Requirements for disposing of asbestos

• A minimum of 24 hours' notice must be given to the Supervisor of the Awaba Waste Management Facility on 4921 0778 prior to the disposal of all quantities of asbestos.
• At the time of booking, we will enter the details into the Facility's asbestos booking diary and advise you of the EPA's WasteLocate program.
• Asbestos material may be disposed at the Awaba Waste Management Facility between 8am-noon, Monday to Friday.
• Asbestos will not be accepted during wet weather.
• Asbestos must be wet to avoid the creation of dust and must be wrapped in heavy-duty plastic or other NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA), WorkCover or National Australia Testing Authority (NATA) approved wrapping system, such as Hazi Bags.
• It must be in manageable bundles that maintain their integrity during the unloading process.
• Before transporting asbestos waste (greater than 10 square metres or 100kg), each load needs to have a unique EPA consignment ID generated by logging into WasteLocate and following the on-screen prompts.
• We will inspect each load using CCTV located at the weighbridge. If a load does not visibly comply, it will be rejected.
• You will be required to scan the WasteLocate QR2id plate located adjacent to the inbound Gatehouse window (for asbestos loads greater than 100kg).
• We will check that the driver has scanned the QR2id plate. If the QR2id plate has not been scanned, we will record this against the transaction and advise the driver of the EPA's WasteLocate program by providing an EPA brochure.
• It is your responsibility to share your name and address with staff at the Facility, as well as nature of the load to ensure correct charges apply.
• It is your responsibility to unload your vehicle. It is not the responsibility of the Awaba Waste Management Facility staff to assist in the unloading of asbestos from any vehicle.
• If during the unloading, a load is deemed to not comply with Council's requirements, for example the wrapping has split or the material is not appropriately covered, then:
  • You must wet down and cover the asbestos with plastic to a degree that complies with Council's requirements.
  • If you are unprepared or unable to fulfil these requirements, the Facility Supervisor will decide on how to proceed with the asbestos disposal process. This may result in you being directed to remove the asbestos off-site.

Baby items such as clothes, toys and equipment can be given away to friends, sold online or donated to charity shops.

Latex and foil style party balloons can be recycled at Shindigs at Lambton or placed in the garbage bin. 

Do not put batteries in any of your bins at home. Batteries can cause fires in trucks and waste facilities. 

Handheld device batteries are usually rechargeable and are becoming increasingly common in household items.

They are the most important to recycle as they are the most flammable and are especially sensitive to heat or being crushed. 

The handheld devices and power tools may contain a variety of different battery types, which could include Nickel Cadmium (NiCD, NC), Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH, NM), and Lithium Ion (Li Ion) chemistries.

Remove the battery from the device and take them to the Community Recycling Centre, a Community Recycling Station, a Chemical CleanOut, or participating retailers such as Coles, Bunnings and Battery World.  Additional handheld and power tool battery recycling drop off locations can be found at B-cycle.

If the battery is embedded within a device then these can only be taken to a Community Recycling Centre and include items such as:

• Bluetooth speakers and headphones

• Electric toothbrushes

• E-scooters, e-bikes and hover boards

• Flashing/light up toys – particularly wands or other hard plastic products

• Personal care devices (eg. shavers)

• Powerpacks and portable charging devices

• Remote controlled and ride-on toys

• Vacuum cleaners (cordless hand-held and robotic)

• Vapes

• Wearable devices such as smart watches, trackers and medical aids

Council has partnered with Envirostream to recycle batteries collected at Council facilities. Envirostream’s battery recycling technology is able to recover around 95 per cent of the materials that make up a battery, with no incineration involved.  This includes plastic, nickel, steel and lithium that are given a new life.

Follow the link to learn more about how to take charge of your battery waste.

Car batteries don’t go in any of your bins at home.

Take these to the Community Recycling Centre, a Chemical CleanOut or a car battery retailer.

Do not put household batteries in any of your bins at home. Batteries can cause fires in trucks and waste facilities

Take them to the Community Recycling Centre, a Community Recycling Station, a Chemical CleanOut, Woolworths, Aldi, Bunnings or Officeworks for safe disposal. See B-cycle for other drop off points.

You can drop off household batteries and light globes, free of charge, at the following locations:

• Council's Administrative Building at Speers Point
• Council's Works Depot at Boolaroo
• Community Recycling Centre at the Awaba Waste Management Facility
• Toronto Library
• Morisset Library
• Charlestown Library
• Swansea Library
• Cardiff Library
• Belmont Library
• Landcare and Sustainable Living Centre
• Sugar Valley Library Museum
• Participating retailers such as ALDI, Bunnings, Woolworths, Coles and Battery World.

From 1 March 2023, fluoro tubes are no longer accepted at any library, the Works Depot or the Administrative building. 

These tubes present challenges with safe handling, transport and storage and can no longer be accepted at these locations.

However, after this time they can still be recycled at:

• Community Recycling Centre
• Chemical Cleanout

Automotive batteries can be disposed of at the Community Recycling Centre at the Awaba Waste Management Facility.

All light globes must be clean and unbroken.

Lithium-ion batteries

Lithium-ion batteries can now be recycled at the Community Recycling Centre at the Awaba Waste Management Facility as part of the Embedded Batteries Trial being undertaken by the NSW EPA.

These batteries are typically embedded in rechargeable devices and are flammable and potentially dangerous when exposed to heat or compression. Products with embedded batteries are considered problematic as they can be difficult to dispose of or recycle at their end of life due to the different components and materials that they’re made of.  All batteries, particularly lithium-ion batteries, should never be disposed of in your kerbside red, yellow or green bins as they contain chemical substances that can be harmful to human health and the environment

Common items you might have at home that may contain an embedded battery are:

• Bluetooth speakers and headphones
• Electric toothbrushes
• E-scooters, e-bikes and hover boards
• Flashing/light up toys – particularly wands or other hard plastic products
• Personal care devices (eg. shavers)
• Powerpacks and portable charging devices
• Remote controlled and ride-on toys
• Vacuum cleaners (cordless hand-held and robotic)
• Vapes
• Wearable devices such as smart watches, trackers and medical aids

Many products have removal batteries, so if the batteries can be easily removed, please only bring the loose batteries, making sure to tape over the terminals before dropping them off. 

Bunnings and Battery World stores also accept these batteries for recycling.

Follow the link to learn more about how to take charge of your battery waste.

Most beauty (cosmetics) packaging can be disposed of in the Council waste service yellow lid kerbside bin and also at some cosmetic stores:

• Check what can be recycled in your Council waste service - yellow lid kerbside recycling bin

• Find stores that accept cosmetic packaging for recycling at Free recycling programs TerraCycle

Pet charities and animal shelters such as the RSPCA or Council Works Depot animal holding facility accept bed linen, towels and blanket donations.

Some charity shops and homeless shelters may also accept clean ones too. 

Give A Sheet For The Planet (Blocktexx)

Sheridan Recycling Program (All stores - closest are Hornsby and Chatswood)

Bicycles can be given away to friends or sold online.

Alternatively, they can be placed out with your next bulky waste collection.

Empty medicinal blister packs (used to package tablets and capsules, such as paracetamol) can be dropped off at participating Pharmacycle collection points for recycling.

These are not recyclable and must be placed in the garbage bin.

Return any unwanted tablets to pharmacies.

Books can be given away to friends and family, sold online or donated to local organisations.

Books in poor condition can be recycled in your yellow-lidded recycling bin.

Reuse your plastic bread bag tags to seal hold other bags shut, or as guitar picks. 

Bread tags can be placed in the yellow-lidded recycling bin however they should not be loose:

• Plastic tags can be placed in a plastic container (such as a chewing gum tub) and recycled
• Cardboard bread tags can be placed securely in an envelope and recycled

Bubble wrap is classed as soft plastic and can be taken to Awaba Community Recycling Centre.

Woolworths has also recently introduced a soft plastics recycling trial in the following Lake Mac stores:

Cameron Park, Cardiff, Charlestown Square, Glendale, Mount Hutton.

It should not be placed in your yellow-lidded recycling bin.

Building material waste should not be placed in your household bins.

Dependent upon the waste, some construction materials can be taken to Concrush or AMS Recycling

Awaba Waste Management Facility accepts building materials (fees apply) or you can choose to hire a skip through a private contractor (fees apply)

Construction materials including asbestos, fibro sheets and planks, rubble and concrete are not accepted as part of the bulky waste collection

Asbestos can be taken to Awaba Waste Management Facility, however it must be pre-booked.

Click here to find out how to safely handle and dispose of asbestos. 

If items such as lounges or dining tables are in usable condition, considering selling them online, giving away to friends or family or listing for free on platforms such as Freecycle.

Alternatively, these items can be placed out with your next bulky waste collection.

Book a free collection through Matthews Metal Management.

Alternatively contact scrap metal merchants or auto wreckers.

Car bodies and car parts will not be collected as part of the bulky waste collection.

Recycle cardboard boxes and other cardboard such as paper towel rolls, greeting cards and cereal boxes in your yellow-lidded recycling bin. Flatten to make more room in your bin.

Excess cardboard can be taken to the Community Recycling Centre free of charge.

Make sure you remove all non-paper items like bubble wrap and plastic packaging.

Reuseable carpets and rugs can either be sold online or given away for free on sites such as Freecycle.

If they are not reusable, they can be placed out with your next bulky waste collection (maximum length of 1.5 metres).

Empty food and drink cartons can be recycled in your yellow-lidded recycling bin.

Some cartons are accepted in Return and Earn facilities.

Put cat litter in your garbage bin.

Reusable CDs, DVDs and Blu-Rays can be taken to a local charity shop.

You can also dispose of them at the Community Recycling Centre, or a Community Recycling Station.

CD, DVD and Blu-Ray covers can be recycled in your yellow-lidded recycling bin.

Household chemicals such as pesticides, fertilisers, pool chemicals and acids can be taken to a Chemical CleanOut free of charge.

Please ensure that lids are secure and have a label where possible.

Lake Mac residents will be able to safely dispose of problem household waste free of charge at the next Chemical CleanOut at Rathmines Boat Ramp, Rathmines.  

As with previous Chemical Cleanouts, visitors will be required to stay in their vehicles at all times while the operators remove the waste from car boots, trays or trailers.

Household quantities of the following household chemicals and items are permitted (up to a maximum of 20 litres or 20 kilograms of a single item), except paint. Up to 100 litres (in 20L containers) of paint accepted.

- Solvents and household cleaners
- Floor care products
- Ammonia-based cleaners
- Pesticides and herbicides
- Poisons
- Pool chemicals
- Hobby chemicals
- Motor fuels
- Fluorescent globes and tubes
- Acids and alkalis
- Smoke detectors
- Paint and paint-related products
- Gas bottles
- Fire extinguishers
- Car and household batteries
- Motor oils and cooking oils

For more information, including what waste can be disposed of at the Chemical CleanOut, visit epa.nsw.gov.au.

Follow the link to check when the next Chemical CleanOut is scheduled.

These are not classed as e-waste and must be placed in your garbage bin.

Real Christmas trees can be chopped up and put in the green waste bin or placed out with your next bulky waste collection.

Artificial Christmas trees - if reusable - can be donated to a charity shop, sold online or given away for free on sites such as Freecycle.

You can leave unwanted coat hangers at the shop when you make your new purchase.

Some charity shops may accept them and reuse them.

Coat hangers do not go in your recycling bin.

Reusable coffee cups can be taken to charity shops, given away or taken to your workplace kitchen.

Ceramic cups must not be placed in your yellow-lidded recycling bin.

Please put disposable coffee cups from high-street coffee shops in your garbage bin.

You can’t recycle coffee cups in your recycling bin. This is because they are often lined with plastic to help them hold liquid and stop the paper cup going soggy.

Compostable coffee cups can take years to break down and should not be placed in your green waste bin.

Choose to reuse - reduce waste and save some money by using your own reusable coffee cup.

These are types of food waste and can be put in your green waste bin.

Where possible remove tags, staples and string from tea bags.

Some coffee pod brands have their own recycling scheme, where they will collect used pods from your home or you can bring them to back to the shop where you purchased them from.

Some brands have partnered with Terracycle to recycle coffee pods and capsules. Check for a recycling drop off point near you.

If there isn’t a recycling scheme near you, please put coffee pods in your garbage bin.

Choose to reuse - Did you know you can buy reusable coffee pods?

Compostable or biodegradable packaging like cups, cutlery, straws go in your garbage bin.

Please do not put these sorts of compostable items in your green waste bin.

The contents of your green waste bin are processed into compost in 8-10 weeks.

Compostable packaging takes much longer to break down, sometimes it can take years.

This means that they won’t be composted at the same time as your food and garden waste.

However, you can compost your compostable packaging in a home compost bin.

Any electrical items large or small can be recycled at a Community Recycling Centre, some electrical retailers or placed out with your next bulky waste collection in the e-waste pile.

Before you throw away your tech, it’s worth searching online for repair shops to see if it can be fixed.

Free collections of e-waste can also be booked through Matthews Metal Management.

Do not put electrical items in any of your bins at home.

Construction and Demolition waste should not be placed in your household bins.

Dependent upon the waste, some construction materials can be taken to Concrush or AMS Recycling.

Awaba Waste Management Facility accepts construction materials (fees apply) or you can choose to hire a skip through a private contractor (fees apply)

Construction materials including asbestos, fibro sheets and planks, rubble and concrete are not accepted as part of the bulky waste collection

Asbestos can be taken to Awaba Waste Management Facility, however it must be pre-booked. Click here to fond out how to safely handle and dispose of asbestos.

You can take used cooking oil to a Community Recycling Centre or Chemical CleanOut

Alternatively, you can put small amounts of cooled used cooking oil into a bottle. Make sure the lid is on tight and put it in your garbage bin.

Take corks to The Makers Place at Teralba, where they are used for craft purposes. 

Alternatively offer them to preschools, schools or OOSH and childcare groups for use in arts and crafts activities.

Empty cosmetic jars (plastic and glass) can be recycled in your yellow-lidded recycling bin.

Remove plastic lids from glass jars and place both in your recycling bin.

Some cosmetic retailers including Priceline, Mecca and Sephora will take back used, empty cosmetics through Terracycle.

Cotton wool, makeup pads and wipes go in your garbage bin.

Please do not put these in the yellow-lidded or green waste bins.

Do not flush these down the toilet.

Place loose or in green bags in your green waste bin.

Plastic and glass drinks bottles go in your yellow-lidded recycling bin at home. You can also recycle other plastic bottles such as cleaning product bottles, trigger spray bottles, shampoo and shower gel bottles and milk bottles.

Remove all lids from plastic bottles and recycle those too.

Alternatively take most drinks bottles to a local Return and Earn facility.

Broken drinking glasses should be wrapped securely and placed into your general waste bin. They should not go in the yellow-lidded recycling bin.

This is because they are made out of toughened glass containing chemicals that can’t be recycled with your glass bottles and jars.

Donate drinking glasses that are still in a good condition.

Some charity shops and homeless shelters accept clean duvets and bedding.

You can also donate used bedding to some dog homes including Dog Rescue Newcastle or Council’s animal holding facility at the Works Depot, Boolaroo.

These should not be placed in any of your bins at home as the batteries can cause fires in trucks and waste facilities.

Vapes can be dropped off for free at the Awaba Community Recycling Centre for recycling.

Vapes can also be taken for free to Summerhill Waste Management Centre for recycling.

Do not put electrical or battery powered items in any of your bins at home.

Batteries can cause fires in trucks and waste facilities.

Electrical items can be recycled at a Community Recycling Centre, some electrical retailers or placed out with your next bulky waste collection in the e-waste pile.

Free collections of e-waste can also be booked through Matthews Metal Management.

Before you throw away your tech, it’s worth searching online for repair shops to see if it can be fixed.

Recycle these in your yellow-lidded recycling bin or give to someone that keeps chickens.

Place egg shells in the green waste bin.

Take engine oil to a Community Recycling Centre or a Chemical CleanOut.

Ensure the engine oil is stored in a sealed and labelled container.

Do not pour engine oil down the drain as this can cause significant environmental damage.

Place envelopes in the yellow-lidded recycling bin. Windowed envelopes are accepted.

eWaste can be disposed of through your bulky waste collection service or at the Community Recycling Centre at the Awaba Waste Management Facility.

It is important that eWaste is placed in a separate pile for bulk waste collection as this waste is picked up separately.

Some eWaste items contain lithium-ion batteries which should not be mixed in with general bulk waste as they can be flammable when mixed with other waste inside the compactor collection trucks. Examples of these items include battery powered handheld vacuum cleaners, mobile phones and battery powered tools.

eWaste includes:

• televisions (whole undamaged units only)
• computers, laptops, tablets and associated computer products
• printers and fax machines
• mobile phones and accessories
• CD and DVD discs
• stereos, video, DVD and Blu-ray players
• power tools
• portable household appliances including battery powered handheld vacuums
• ceiling fans
• all light fixtures and fittings (no glass lamp shades and covers)

Excluded items include:

• whitegoods including washing machines, fridges, ovens and clothes dryers
• vacuum cleaners (plug in vacuums only)
• household and car batteries
• VHS tapes
• damaged televisions and monitors (which are deemed to be hazardous), minimal damage is accepted but if it is crushed it will not be accepted
• fluoro tubes and globes

Please refer to Hunter Resource Recovery for full list of items accepted. 

Household batteries, CD and DVD's and mobile phones and accessories can also be recycled at Community Recycling Stations located at Council's Administration Building, Council's Works Depot, and Lake Mac Libraries Cardiff, Charlestown, Belmont, Morisset, Swansea, Toronto branches, Landcare and Sustainable Living Centre and Sugar Valley Library Museum.

Excess fabric can be donated to The Makers Place, Teralba or quilting and sewing groups. Consult Op Shops if they accept fabric, unused thread, buttons, zips, knitting needles, crochet hooks, cross stitch, patterns and other haberdashery for resale. 

Toronto and Belmont libraries accept donations of non-stretch cotton fabric, zips, buttons, fasteners and unused thread, at the discretion of library staff.

A few fabrics are suitable to compost at home if you are certain of their certified organic history.  Some certified organic fabrics could be composted in your back yard. For more info on composting old clothes visit Can I Compost Old Clothes? | Can I Compost This?

For inspiration on creative or social impact opportunities for textile waste, check out Purple Card Project and Upcycle Newcastle.

If the fabric is a finished garment or manchester, see also Textiles and clothing, Bedding and towels, Quilts, or Duvet and doonas for reuse and recycling options in the A-Z Waste and Recycling Guide.

Dispose of face masks in the garbage bin.

Fibre glass should not be placed in the garbage bin. Take to Awaba Waste Management Facility for disposal (fees apply).

It is not accepted as part of a next bulky waste collection.

You can take fire extinguishers from your home to a Community Recycling Centre, or a Chemical CleanOut. Please do not put them in any of your bins at home as they may explode if they are crushed. You can contact the company that you purchased the fire extinguisher from, they will usually take it back so that they can refill it for reuse.

In commercial premises, extinguishers usually need to be replaced after five years. To check if yours need replacing, check the date (not too old), gauge (not out of pressure) and that pins are in (not used, empty or partially empty).  Replace if rusty.

The steel is fully recyclable. Some extinguishers can be refilled at a fire equipment business, but this may cost more than a replacement extinguisher.

Recycle fire extinguishers for free at:

• Community Recycling Centre (Awaba)
• Chemical CleanOut 

BCF/Halon all yellow fire extinguishers

If you have any BCF/Halon fire extinguishers (the extinguisher is all yellow in colour), please hand these in to the NSW Fire Brigade. Do not use this extinguisher, as it contains chemicals that damage the ozone layer.  Hand the all-yellow BCF/Halon extinguishers in for free to:

NSW Fire Brigade stations (Arcadia Vale, Belmont, Cardiff, Holmesville, Morisset, Swansea, Teralba, Tingira Heights, Toronto) - free

Prevent waste

Dry Chemical Powder (ABE) fire extinguishers (red with a white band or label) should be turned upside down and shaken for 10 minutes every six months to ensure that the powder is free flowing when needed on a fire.

Put these in the green waste bin or home compost.

Fluorescent tubes can be taken to a Community Recycling Centre or Chemical CleanOut.

Do not put in any of your household bins.

Empty food and drink cartons can be recycled in your yellow-lidded recycling bin.

Some cartons are accepted in Return and Earn facilities.

Food netting can be recycled at the Community Recycling Centre as part of the soft plastics collection.

Metal clips and tags need to be removed.

These can be rinsed and recycled in the soft plastics recycling bins at the front of the following Woolworths stores:

Cameron Park, Cardiff, Charlestown Square, Glendale, Mount Hutton

They can also be recycled at the Community Recycling Centre as part of the soft plastics collection. However, foil/sliver soft plastics are not accepted at the CRC as these require separate processing than clear/coloured soft plastics.

Fridges and freezers in working condition can be sold, donated or given away for free using platforms such as Freecycle

Retailers may collect your unwanted white goods when they deliver your new one.

Your fridge or freezer can be placed out with your next bulky waste collection (door and shelves removed) or via a free booked collection from Matthews Metal Management.

You can donate useable furniture directly to a furniture reuse organisation or charity. Some offer a free collection service.

Or sell online or give away for free on platforms such as  Freecycle.

Only unusable furniture should be placed out for a bulky waste collection.

All garden waste can be put in your green waste bin.

This includes:

• Flowers and plants
• Leaves
• Grass cuttings
• Hedge clippings
• Twigs and small branches
• Common garden weeds

Please do not put soil in your green waste bin.

You can take gas bottles from your home to a Community Recycling Centre or a Chemical CleanOut.

Please do not put them in any of your bins at home as they may explode if they are crushed.

You can also use the Swap n Go facilities at some service stations and hardware stores, where the bottles will be tested and refilled for reuse.

You can recycle gas cylinders at the following locations:

• gas cylinder exchange points at your local service station
• Community Recycling Centre at the Awaba Waste Management Facility
• biannual Chemical CleanOut events

Your original supplier may also accept used gas cylinders.

 NO LPG cylinders from cars accepted

Paper gift wrap and tissue paper can be recycled in your yellow-lidded recycling with all bows, ribbon and plastics removed (dispose of these in the garbage bin).

Do not put cellophane or other plastic wrap and non-paper wrap in the recycling bin.

Window glass and mirrors can be taken to Awaba Management Facility for disposal (fees apply).

Window, crockery and mirror glass can’t be recycled in your yellow-lidded recycling bin.

This is because they are made of a toughened glass containing chemicals that can’t be recycled with your glass bottles and jars. These types of glass do not melt at the same temperature as bottles and jars. If these types of glass enter the glass recycling process, it can result in new containers being rejected.

Crockery glass can be disposed in your garbage bin.

Glass and mirrors are also not accepted as part of your bulky waste collection.

You can recycle glass bottles and jars (all colours) in your yellow-lidded recycling bin.

Some glass bottles can be returned to a Return and Earn facility for a 10 cent refund.

You can take light globes from your home to a Community Recycling Station, Community Recycling Centre or a Chemical CleanOut

Please do not put them in any of your bins at home as they contain toxic substances.

Place in the green waste bin.

All greetings cards can be recycled in the yellow lidded recycling bin.

This is classed as building materials and should be taken to Awaba Waste Management Facility (fees apply) or disposed of through commercial skip hire (fees apply).

Do not place gyprock out for a bulky waste collection.

Hard plastics such as broken garden furniture, broken toys and hard plastic storage containers cannot be recycled in your yellow-lidded recycling bin.

They should be placed on the kerb as part of your next bulky waste collection.

Or disposed of in the garbage bin.

Hazardous waste is any type of waste that can harm human health or the environment, or is difficult to handle.
Each of the items on the lists below are classed as hazardous waste.

You can take the following hazardous items from your home to a Community Recycling Centre (or see other detailed listings in this directory).

• TV and computer monitors
• Batteries
• E-waste
• Fridges and freezers
• Fluorescent light tubes
• Engine oil
• Lead acid (automotive) batteries

Free collections of e-waste can also be booked through Matthews Metal Management.

Asbestos is not accepted at our Community Recycling Centre. Asbestos must be taken to our licenced facility at Awaba Waste Management Facility through prior arrangement only.

What is hazardous waste?

• explosive, flammable, toxic or corrosive waste, such as petrol, diesel and alcohol
• oxidising agents and organic pesticides
• pharmaceuticals, poisons, clinical, cytotoxic and sharps waste
• chemical waste subject to control under the Environmentally Hazardous Chemicals Act 1985
• radioactive material
• contaminated soils such as acid sulphate soils
• liquid waste of any nature, whether contained or not, such as beer or dairy products
• any soluble acid or alkali acidic and basic compounds
• human tissue or body waste
• whole tyres, less than 1.2 metres in diameter
• any other material classified as unsuitable for disposal at a Solid Waste Landfill Class 1 Facility

Disposing of paint

• Paint can be disposed of in your household garbage bin, provided it has first been dried out. You can do this by pouring the paint onto kitty litter or newspaper.
• Dry, empty paint tins can be disposed of in your household recycling bin.
• Unwanted paint can also be disposed of, free of charge, at the Community Recycling Centre at the Awaba Waste Management Facility or at biannual Chemical CleanOut events.

Disposing of solvents, cleaners, pesticides and other hazardous waste

You can dispose of other hazardous material at biannual Chemical CleanOut events. Accepted waste includes:

• solvents and household cleaners
• floor care products
• ammonia-based cleaners
• fluorescent globes and tubes
• car batteries
• motor oils, fuels and fluids
• paint and paint-related products
• pesticides and herbicides
• poisons
• gas bottles
• fire extinguishers
• pool chemicals
• hobby chemicals
• acids and alkalis

Chemical CleanOut

CleanOut your household chemicals the right way. This free service is available to all Hunter residents.

Hearing aids may be collected for charity. Collection points may be found at:

• Doctors surgeries
• Hospital audiology departments
• Private hearing specialists
• Charity shops
• Organisations like The Lions Clubs

Donated hearing aids sometimes can be repaired and refurbished.

Do not put items with batteries in any of your bins at home as this may cause fires in trucks or waste facilities.

These can be placed in your green waste bin.

You can return used cartridges to the shop you purchased them from such as Officeworks or Cartridge World or most can be refilled.

They can also be taken to a Community Recycling Centre for recycling.

You can take irons to a Community Recycling Centre and put them in the e-waste container.

Free collections of e-waste can also be booked through Matthews Metal Management.

Do not put electrical items in any of your bins at home.

Consider passing on jewellery to friends or family.

Precious jewellery can also be sold back to gold and silver merchants.

Jewellery and watches are accepted by many charity shops.

Junk mail can be recycled in your yellow-lidded recycling bin.

Junk mail items includes:

• Newspapers and magazines
• Telephone directories & catalogues
• Envelopes
• Takeaway menus and leaflets

Please remove all plastic wrapping and elastic bands.

You can take kettles to a Community Recycling Centre and put them in the e-waste container or place out with your next bulky waste collection in the e-waste pile.

Free collections of e-waste can also be booked through Matthews Metal Management.

Do not put electrical items in any of your bins at home.

Clean aluminium foil and foil trays can be recycled in your yellow-lidded recycling bin.

Foil should be scrunched into a ball.

This does not include plastic foil items such as chip packets or pet food pouches. These items can look like aluminium foil but are actually made from metallised plastic film. You can put these in your garbage bin.

To find out if an item is foil or metallised plastic film, do the scrunch test. Simply scrunch the item in your hand – if it stays ‘scrunched’ it is foil and can be recycled. If it springs back it is probably metallised plastic film and can’t be recycled.

Lamps in working condition can be sold, donated or given away for free using platforms such as Freecycle.

You can also take lamps to a Community Recycling Centre and put them in the e-waste container without the shade.

Free collections of e-waste can also be booked through Matthews Metal Management.

Do not put electrical items in any of your bins at home.

Laptops can be recycled at a Community Recycling Centre, some electrical retailers or placed out with your next bulky waste collection in the e-waste pile.

Free collections of e-waste can also be booked through Matthews Metal Management.

Before you throw away your tech, it’s worth searching online for repair shops to see if it can be fixed.

Do not put electrical items in your bins at home.

Leaves can be placed in your green waste bin.

Lids can be recycled in your yellow-lidded recycling bin. Remove them from the jar or bottle and recycle separately.

Lithium-ion batteries are often found in rechargeable devices such as power tools, mobile phones, e-scooters and laptops. When exposed to heat or compression they can easily ignite.

Do NOT put these in any of your bins at home. These batteries can cause fires in collection trucks and at waste facilities.

Recycle them at a Community Recycling Centre, a Chemical CleanOut and retail outlets such as hardware stores and battery retailers.

Did you know that batteries can be dangerous when disposed of in your household kerbside bins?

Batteries can cause fires when mixed with garbage, recyclables and bulk waste, particularly when they're compressed or exposed to heat.

Across Australia, hundreds of fires occur in garbage trucks and waste facilities, compromising service and putting people at risk of injury. 

How to recycle your used batteries

1. Collect your used batteries.
2. Identify and separate your batteries, such as non-rechargeable alkaline batteries from rechargeable lithium-ion batteries.
3. Tape the terminals of your batteries.
4. Find your nearest drop-off point.
5. Drop off your used batteries.
6. Feel good for responsibly recycling your battery waste.  

Frequently asked questions

Battery drop-off points

Please recycle your used batteries at designated drop-off locations, including the Awaba Community Recycling Centre or participating retailers like ALDI, Bunnings, Coles, Woolworths, Council’s administration building and Battery World.

There are over 30 drop-off points across the city, including Council facilities and businesses. Use the handy map below to find a drop-off point that's convenient for you.

If you are taking your batteries to a non-Council facility, please call them to check drop-off arrangements.

Thank you for helping protect our environment, the community and Council staff. 

For drop-off points outside of the Lake Macquarie LGA, visit B-cycle.

News and media

• Battery fires charge positive Council campaign (Lake Macquarie City Council)
• Take charge of your lithium-ion battery waste (Lake Macquarie City Council)
• Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) has reported 180 lithium-ion battery fires this year (2022) compared to just 16 in 2021 (Southern Highland News)
• Surge in battery fires prompts warning (Waste Management Review)
• In Australia, more than 450 fires have been linked to lithium-ion batteries over the past 18 months (ABC Gold Coast)
• In 2017, there were about 9,000 e-bikes sold in Australia, compared with more than 75,000 last year (ABC)
• Injury stemming from a lithium-ion battery was a relatively rare occurrence in 2019 – when we saw only a total of 13 such injuries – in 2021, we experienced 79 (ABC)
• Australia 'not prepared' for fire risk of lithium-ion batteries used in e-scooters, bikes, cars, say firefighters (ABC)

Magazines and catalogues can be recycled in your yellow-lidded recycling bin (remove all plastic wrapping) including:

• Magazines and catalogues
• Newspapers
• Books
• Envelopes
• Junk mail such as takeaway menus

Choose to reuse Share your magazines with your friends and family so they get used more than once before being recycled.

Makeup pads, wipes and cotton wool go in your garbage bin.

Pleasedo not put these in the yellow-lidded or green waste bins, even if they are labelled compostable.

You can donate your mattress to some charities if it’s in a reusable condition.

Often, retailers will collect your unwanted mattress when they deliver your new one (please note that some retailers may charge for collection).

Mattresses can also be placed out with your next bulky waste collection, or they can be taken directly to Awaba Waste Management Facility using a bulky waste drop off voucher. Otherwise, fees will apply.

Mattresses are notoriously difficult to recycle, as they are created using a range of materials including metal coils, cotton and wool fibres, springs, foam and other textiles.

Council has partnered with a local company to try and recycle as much mattress content as possible.

There are four ways to recycle a mattress in Lake Macquarie:

• Book a pick-up service from your home with Soft Landing Mattress Recycling by phoning 1800 763 852 (a handling fee applies)
• Drop off your mattress at the Awaba Waste Management Facility (a handling fee of $34 applies in addition to the mixed waste fee)
• Request a drop-off voucher to dispose of your mattress and other waste at the Awaba Waste Management Facility (up to 250kg of accepted items)
• Include mattresses in your next bulky waste collection booking to have them collected from the kerb. Book your bulky waste collection here Book your bulky waste service

   

Medicines and tablets are classed as hazardous waste so can’t go in your bins at home.

Return any unwanted tablets to pharmacies.

The empty plastic packaging and blister packs go in your garbage bin.

The empty glass or plastic bottles go in your yellow-lidded recycling bin.

The cardboard boxes go in your yellow-lidded recycling bin.

Metals can be disposed of by the following means:

• Scrap metal recyclers
• Matthews Metal Management - free collections (P: 4933 0033 W: matthewsmm.com.au)
• Bulk waste collection (P: 4921 0333 W: my.lakemac.com.au)

Microwaves in good working condition can be sold, donated or given away for free using platforms such as Freecycle.

You can also take microwaves to a Community Recycling Centre and put them in the e-waste container or place out with your next bulky waste collection in the e-waste pile.

Free collections of e-waste can also be booked through Matthews Metal Management.

Do not put electrical items in your bins at home.

You can recycle plastic and glass milk bottles in your yellow-lidded recycling bin.

Please remove all lids from plastic bottles before putting them in your recycling bin.

You can donate or sell mirrors in good condition.

Broken mirrors should be placed in your garbage bin or taken to Awaba Waste Management Facility for disposal (fees apply).

Mirrors should not be placed in your yellow-lidded recycling bin or your bulky waste collection.

Mobile phones can be recycled at a Community Recycling Centre, a Community Recycling Station, or at a Mobile Muster drop off point.

Free collections of e-waste can also be booked through Matthews Metal Management.

Do not put electrical or battery powered items in any of your bins at home.

Choose to reuse - Before you throw away your tech, it’s worth searching online for repair shops to see if it can be fixed.

You can drop off mobile phones, batteries and accessories at the following locations:

• Council's Administration Building at Speers Point
• Council's Works Depot at Boolaroo
• Toronto Library
• Morisset Library
• Swansea Library
• Cardiff Library
• Belmont Library
• Charlestown Library
• Landcare and Sustainable Living Centre
• Sugar Valley Library Museum, Cameron Park

Old mobile phones and accessories are recycled through the Mobile Muster program.

Household cordless phones and accessories to be disposed of via e-waste or bulk waste collection

Motor oil can be disposed of by the following means:

• Community Recycling Centre*
• Supercheap Auto stores at Bennetts Green and Kotara (W: supercheapauto.com.au)
• Chemical CleanOut (P: 131 555 W: cleanout.com.au)

Disposable nappies and sanitary products cannot be recycled or composted, please put them in your garbage bin.

Please do not put nappies and sanitary products in your recycling or green waste bin (even if they are labelled compostable).

There are a number of reusable options available for both sanitary products and cloth nappies.

You can dispose of sharps waste, including needles, syringes, lancets and other injection equipment, at a number of chemists and pharmacies 

Do not dispose of sharps in any of your household bins.

You can dispose of sharps waste, including needles, syringes, lancets and other injection equipment, at a number of chemists and pharmacies in Lake Macquarie as below:

24-hour drop-off facilities are located at:

• Belmont Hospital
• Westlakes Community Health Centre (Toronto Polyclinic)

Sharps waste should never be disposed of in your household garbage or recycling bin or flushed down toilets or drains.

Sharps containers

You can purchase 1.4L or 3.1L medical sharps containers from selected pharmacies and our Customer Service Centre. For more information about this service, call us on 4921 0333 or email [email protected].

Reporting discarded sharps waste

You can report needles found in public places to the NSW Health Needle Clean-up Hotline on 1800 633 353.

All newspapers can be recycled in yellow-lidded recycling bin.

This includes:

• Magazines and catalogues
• Books
• Envelopes and mail
• Junk mail

Please remove any plastic wrapping and elastic first.

You can dispose of household quantities of used motor oil, cooking oil, petroleum-based and synthetic oils (including sump, differential, gear box, transmission and power steering oil), free of charge, at the following locations:

• Community Recycling Centre at the Awaba Waste Management Facility. 
• Biannual Chemical CleanOut events
• Supercheap Auto stores (motor oil only)

Ovens in good working condition can be sold, donated or given away for free using online platforms such as Freecycle.

Ovens can also be placed out as part of your next bulky waste collection or book a free collection through Matthews Metal Management.

Often, shops will collect your unwanted electrical or gas appliances when they deliver your new one (please note that some retailers may charge to collect electrical items).

Do not put electrical items in your bins at home.

You can take paint for safe disposal to a Community Recycling Centre or a Chemical CleanOut or you could donate leftover paint to a local reuse scheme.

Paint must not be poured down the drain.

Paint tins that are dry and empty can be placed in your yellow-lidded recycling bin.

Most types of paper can be recycled in your yellow-lidded recycling bin. This includes:

• Paper
• Shredded paper (must be contained within a cardboard box or large paper envelope)
• Magazines and catalogues
• Newspapers
• Books
• Envelopes and mail
• Junk mail
• Greetings cards and wrapping paper

Used paper towel can go in your green waste bin. Do not put it in the recycling bin.

Put the cardboard tube from kitchen and toilet rolls in your yellow-lidded recycling bin.

Perfume bottles must go in the garbage bin.

Pet bedding such as straw or shavings can go in the green waste bin.

Pet bedding such as pillows and beds can either be donated to dog shelters such as Dog Rescue Newcastle or Council animal holding facilities. Otherwise, it must go in the garbage bin.

All cat waste and all cat litter must go in the garbage bin.

Dog poo can be placed in the green waste bin either loose or in compostable bags or in the garbage bin.

Other animal waste such as guinea pigs, chickens etc can go in the green waste bin.

Take petrol to a Chemical CleanOut.

Ensure the petrol is stored in a sealed and labelled container.

Do not pour petrol down the drain as this can cause significant environmental damage.

Pet charities and animal shelters such as the RSPCA or Council Works Depot animal holding facility may accept pillow donations.

Or put in the garbage bin or as part of your next bulky waste collection.

Empty, clean pizza boxes can be recycled in your yellow-lidded recycling bin, but if overly stained or greasy dispose of in the garbage bin.

Just make sure there is no leftover pizza still in the box.

Tip: If the bottom of the box is greasy but the top is ok, you can rip the top off and recycle it then throw the greasy bottom in your red lidded garbage bin.

Plastic bags can be recycled in the soft plastics recycling bins at the front of the following Lake Mac Woolworths stores:

Cameron Park, Cardiff, Charlestown Square, Glendale, Mount Hutton

Take clear/coloured soft plastics to the Community Recycling Centre. Foil/metallised plastics are not accepted at the CRC ass these require separate processing than clear/coloured soft plastics.

Woolworths has recently introduced a soft plastics recycling trial in the following Lake Mac stores:

Cameron Park, Cardiff, Charlestown Square, Glendale, Mount Hutton.

Council also accepts household quantities of soft plastics for recycling at the Awaba Community Recycling Centre (CRC).  

To learn more about what else you can recycle at the CRC, visit Community Recycling Centre.

Accepted items

All items must be empty and dry. Household quantities only.

Most non-foil plastics are accepted, including:

• Biscuit outer wrappers
• Bread bags (without the tie)
• Bubble wrap (cut into A3 size pieces if large)
• Cereal box liners
• Cling film (GLAD, Coles home brand and Woolworths Essentials Home only)
• Confectionery packets and bags (non-foil based)
• Courier satchels (all plastic)
• Chocolate and muesli bar wrappers (non-foil based)
• Fresh produce bags
• Frozen food bags
• Netting bags (citrus, onions, avocados, with clips removed)
• Newspaper and magazine wrap
• Pasta bags
• Plastic and woven food bags (cut into A3 size pieces if large)
• Plastic wrapping from grocery items (such as nappies and toilet paper)
• Reusable shopping/grocery bags
• Plastic and woven rice bags (cut into A3 size pieces if large)
• Rice, pasta, noodles and other packaging
• Shopping bags from retailers
• Snap lock bags 
• Squeeze pouches with lid on (such as yogurt and baby food)

Frequently asked questions

Household yellow recycling bin

P: 1800 838 884 W: hrr.com.au

Plastic wrap (excluding compostable wrap or biodegradable wrap) can be recycled in the soft plastics recycling bins at the front of the following Lake Mac Woolworths stores:

Cameron Park, Cardiff, Charlestown Square, Glendale, Mount Hutton

It can also be taken to the Awaba Community Recycling Centre to be recycled as part of the soft plastics recycling program.

Polystyrene can be taken to the Community Recycling Centre for recycling. It must be clean and free of glue or tape.

Polystyrene beads from bean bags, polystyrene loose fill packaging and spa covers are not accepted. Put these in a strong plastic bag, expel the air and seal. Place the bag in your red lidded garbage bin.

You can dispose of polystyrene, free of charge, at the Community Recycling Centre at the Awaba Waste Management Facility.

Polystyrene must be clean and white in colour, free of plastics, sticky tape, glue and other materials.

Polystyrene beads from bean bags and polystyrene loose fill packaging are not accepted. Put these in a strong plastic bag, expel the air and seal. Place the bag in your red lidded garbage bin.

You can donate useable pots and pans to friends, family or charity shops.

They can also be sold online or given away for free on online platforms such as Freecycle.

Steel and aluminium pots and pans (no plastic handles), baking trays and dishes can be recycled in your yellow-lidded recycling bin.

Reusable pottery and ceramics can be donated to family, friends or charity shops, or even taken to your workplace kitchen for reuse.

If the pottery is broken, it must be placed in the garbage bin.

You can return used cartridges to the shop you purchased them from such as Officeworks or Cartridge World or most can be refilled.

They can be also be taken to a Community Recycling Centre for recycling.

You can currently recycle used printer cartridges at the following Council library locations:

• Toronto Library
• Swansea Library
• Cardiff Library
• Charlestown Library

Due to ongoing contamination in the collection boxes, this service will be phased out by 1 March 2023.

You will still be able to take cartridges to:

• Officeworks
• Cartridge World
• Community Recycling Centre

Printer cartridges are recycled through the Cartridges 4 Plant Ark program.

Printers can be disposed of by the following means:

• Community Recycling Centre*
• Officeworks (W: officeworks.com.au)
• Harvey Norman, Bennetts Green

Some charity shops and homeless shelters accept clean quilts and bedding.

You can also donate used bedding to some dog homes including Dog Rescue Newcastle or Council’s animal holding facility at the Works Depot, Boolaroo.

Most food waste can go in your green waste bin.

Freeze seafood shells and bones and place in the bin the day before collection.

Lions Recycle for Sight Australia and Toronto Library accept reading glasses for recycling.

Dependent upon the waste, some construction materials can be taken to Concrush or AMS Recycling.

Awaba Waste Management Facility accepts construction materials (fees apply) or you can choose to hire a skip through a private contractor (fees apply).

Rubble and hardcore is classed as building waste and should not be placed in any of your kerbside bins. It is also not accepted as part of a bulky waste collection. 

Reusable carpets and rugs can either be sold online or given away for free on sites such as Freecycle.

If they are not reusable, they can be placed out with your next bulky waste collection (maximum length of 1.5 metres).

You can take scrap metal to a scrap metal recyclers, or put it out with your next bulky waste collection.

Alternatively, book a free scrap metal collection through Matthews Metal Management.

Please do not place in any of your household bins.

Sewing machines in good working condition can be sold, donated or given away for free using online platforms such as Freecycle.

You can also take sewing machines to a Community Recycling Centre and put them in the e-waste container.

Sewing machines can also be placed out as part of your next bulky waste collection in the e-waste pile.

Do not put electrical items in your bins at home.

Shampoo and shower gel bottles go in your yellow-lidded recycling bin.

You can dispose of sharps waste, including needles, syringes, lancets and other injection equipment, at a number of chemists and pharmacies. 

Do not dispose of sharps in any of your household bins.

You can dispose of sharps waste, including needles, syringes, lancets and other injection equipment, at a number of chemists and pharmacies in Lake Macquarie as below:

24-hour drop-off facilities are located at:

• Belmont Hospital
• Westlakes Community Health Centre (Toronto Polyclinic)

Sharps waste should never be disposed of in your household garbage or recycling bin or flushed down toilets or drains.

Sharps containers

You can purchase 1.4L or 3.1L medical sharps containers from selected pharmacies and our Customer Service Centre. For more information about this service, call us on 4921 0333 or email [email protected].

Reporting discarded sharps waste

You can report needles found in public places to the NSW Health Needle Clean-up Hotline on 1800 633 353.

If shoes are in good reuseable condition they can be sold, donated to charity shops, or given away for free using online platforms such as Freecycle.

Sports shoes including joggers, football boots, golf shoes and thongs can be recycled through some sporting shops using the Tread Lightly recycling program.

Most types of paper can be recycled in your yellow-lidded recycling bin. 

Shredded paper (must be contained within a cardboard box or large paper envelope) in the bin.

You can dispose of smoke detectors at the Community Recycling Centre, a Chemical CleanOut, or a Community Recycling Station.

Do not dispose of these in any of your household bins. The contain batteries and small amounts of radiation.

You can recycle smoke detectors at the following locations:

• Council's Administration Building, Speers Point
• Council's Works Depot, Boolaroo
• Community Recycling Centre at the Awaba Waste Management Facility
• Cardiff Library
• Charlestown Library
• Morisset Library
• Swansea Library
• Toronto Library
• Landcare and Sustainable Living Centre
• Sugar Valley Library Museum

You can donate useable sofas directly to a furniture reuse organisation or charity. Some offer a free collection service.

Or sell online or give away for free on platforms such as  Freecycle.

Only unusable furniture should be placed out for a bulky waste collection.

Woolworths has recently introduced a soft plastics recycling trial in the following Lake Mac stores:

Cameron Park, Cardiff, Charlestown Square, Glendale, Mount Hutton.

Council also accepts household quantities of soft plastics for recycling at the Awaba Community Recycling Centre (CRC).  

To learn more about what else you can recycle at the CRC, visit Community Recycling Centre.

Accepted items

All items must be empty and dry. Household quantities only.

Most non-foil plastics are accepted, including:

• Biscuit outer wrappers
• Bread bags (without the tie)
• Bubble wrap (cut into A3 size pieces if large)
• Cereal box liners
• Cling film (GLAD, Coles home brand and Woolworths Essentials Home only)
• Confectionery packets and bags (non-foil based)
• Courier satchels (all plastic)
• Chocolate and muesli bar wrappers (non-foil based)
• Fresh produce bags
• Frozen food bags
• Netting bags (citrus, onions, avocados, with clips removed)
• Newspaper and magazine wrap
• Pasta bags
• Plastic and woven food bags (cut into A3 size pieces if large)
• Plastic wrapping from grocery items (such as nappies and toilet paper)
• Reusable shopping/grocery bags
• Plastic and woven rice bags (cut into A3 size pieces if large)
• Rice, pasta, noodles and other packaging
• Shopping bags from retailers
• Snap lock bags 
• Squeeze pouches with lid on (such as yogurt and baby food)

Frequently asked questions

Soil can be given away or sold as fill if it is clean through online platforms such as Freecycle.

Soil can’t go in your green waste bin as it will affect the quality of the compost produced.

This is because soil is a mineral and may also contain other potentially toxic elements like heavy metals.

If shoes are in good reuseable condition they can be sold, donated to charity shops, or given away for free using online platforms such as Freecycle.

Sports shoes including joggers, football boots, golf shoes and thongs can be recycled through some sports using the Tread Lightly recycling program.

Plastic or compostable straws must be disposed of in the garbage bin.

Tip: Buy a reusable straw you can wash instead of single use straws.

Tablets in good working condition can be sold, donated or given away for free using online platforms such as Freecycle.

You can also take tablets to a Community Recycling Centre and put them in the e-waste container.

Tablets can also be placed out in the e-waste pile as part of your next bulky waste collection.

Free collections of e-waste can also be booked through Matthews Metal Management

Before you throw away your tech, it’s worth searching online for repair shops to see if it can be fixed.

Do not put electrical items in your bins at home.

These are types of food waste and can be put in your green waste bin. Where possible remove tags, staples and string from tea bags.

TVs can be recycled at a Community Recycling Centre, at some electrical retailers or placed out with your next bulky waste collection (broken screens not accepted).

Free collections of e-waste can also be booked through Matthews Metal Management.

Before you throw away your tech, it’s worth searching online for repair shops to see if it can be fixed.

Do not put electrical items in your bins at home.

Empty food and drink cartons can be recycled in your yellow-lidded recycling bin.

Some cartons are accepted in Return and Earn facilities.

Textiles in good condition can be reused, sold, passed onto friends and relatives or taken to charity shops.

Small amounts of tiles can be placed in your garbage bin.

Building materials can be disposed of at Awaba Waste Management Facility (fees apply).

These wastes will not be collected as part of your bulky waste collection.

Tissues must go in the garbage bin.

If reusable, consider selling, donating to a local Men's Shed or giving tools away through for free using online platforms such as Freecycle.

Handheld electric tools can be recycled through the Community Recycling Centre.

Plastic toothpaste tubes go in your garbage bin.

Pet charities and animal shelters such as the RSPCA or Council Works Depot animal holding facility accept towels, bed linen and blanket donations.

Some charity shops and homeless shelters may also accept clean ones too.

Big W Toys for Joy

W: bigw.com.au/toys-for-joy

You can donate toys and games in good condition to charity shops, family or friends.

Participating Big W stores take back toys as part of their Toys for Joy Program.

You can trade or sell computer and console games at some gaming stores.

Plastic toys can’t be recycled in your yellow-lidded recycling bin.

Concrush in Teralba (concrush.com.au) can accept clean natural tree branches, trunks and stumps without soil.

In your green waste bulky waste collection, root balls, stumps, and any tree branches or trunks that are longer than 1.5 metres or have a diameter thickness greater than 13 centimetres will not be collected.

All garden waste can be put in your green waste bin.

This includes:

• Twigs and small branches
• Flowers and plants
• Leaves
• Grass cuttings
• Hedge clippings
• Common garden weeds

Please do not put soil in your green waste bin.

Tyres can be taken to C&R Recycling at Cameron Park (fees may apply).

Ray Johnsons Scrap Tyre Disposals Cooranbong can pick up tyres from your place to recycle them (charges apply).

Tyres should not be placed in the garbage bin and will not be collected as part of the bulky waste collection.

These should not be placed in any of your bins as the batteries can cause fires in trucks and waste facilities.

Vapes can be dropped off for free at the Awaba Community Recycling Centre for recycling.

Vapes can also be taken for free to Summerhill Waste Management Centre for recycling.

These cannot be recycled and should be placed in your garbage bin.

Small amounts of vinyl flooring can be placed in your garbage bin.

Otherwise dispose of at Awaba Waste Management Facility (fees apply).

Vinyl and linoleum flooring is not accepted as part of the bulky waste collection.

Washing machines in good working condition can be sold, donated or given away for free using online platforms such as Freecycle. 

Washing machines and dryers an also be placed out as part of your next bulky waste collection or book a free collection through Matthews Metal Management.

Often, shops will collect your unwanted electrical appliances when they deliver your new one (please note that some retailers may charge to collect electrical items).

Common household weeds can be placed in your green waste bin.

Invasive weeds such as Lantana and Asparagus Fern should be placed in a black plastic bag and baked in the sun. Then wrap securely and place in the garbage bin.

Wet wipes, cotton wool, and makeup pads go in your garbage bin.

Please do not put these in the yellow-lidded or green waste bins or flush down the toilet even they are labelled compostable or flushable.

Whitegoods in good working condition can be sold, donated or given away for free using online platforms such as Freecycle.

Whitegoods can also be placed out as part of your next bulky waste collection or book a free collection through Matthews Metal Management.

Often, shops will collect your unwanted electrical or gas appliances when they deliver your new one (please note that some retailers may charge to collect electrical items).

Windows and window glass in good order can be sold or given away for free.

Small amounts of broken window glass can go in the garbage bin or can be disposed of at Awaba Waste Management Facility (fees apply).

Window glass is not the same as beverage and container glass and cannot be placed in your yellow-lidded recycling bin.

Glass wine bottles can be recycled in your yellow-lidded recycling bin.

Remove lids and place separately in the bin.

Corks must go in the garbage bin or take them to The Makers Place at Teralba. They are used for craft purposes.  Alternatively offer them to preschools, schools or OOSH and childcare groups for use in arts and crafts activities.

Donate wool to charity shops, schools or community groups.

X-rays contain small amounts of silver and can be recycled through a Community Recycling Centre

You can recycle X-rays at the following location:

• Community Recycling Centre at the Awaba Waste Management Facility

Yoghurt pots can be recycled in your yellow-lidded recycling bin.

Ensure they are empty and lid is removed and disposed of in the garbage bin if it is plastic.

Yoghurt pouches (lids removed) can be rinsed and recycled in the soft plastics recycling bins at the front of the following Lake Mac Woolworths stores:

Cameron Park, Cardiff, Charlestown Square, Glendale, Mount Hutton

Or non- foil pouches can be taken to the Community Recycling Centre as part of the soft plastics collection.

These cannot be recycled in the yellow-lidded recycling bin.