Safe disposal of treated timber

Treated timber contains chemicals that can be harmful to the environment, your health or your children’s health. It should be safely disposed of, and never burnt or buried.

timber waste

Treated timber offcuts

  • Only put small amounts of treated timber offcuts in your regular rubbish bin.
  • Dispose of treated timber from larger household building or demolition jobs at a licenced landfill site.
  • Dispose of treated timber sawdust correctly: double-bag large amounts and take them to a licensed landfill site.

Find out more about safely disposing of building waste.

Contact your local council to find out about licensed landfills that will accept treated timber in your area.

You can leave treated timber out for council pick-ups, but try to put it out early on pick up day to reduce the chance of people taking it.

Do not

  • use treated timber sawdust or wood shavings for mulch, compost, or animal bedding
  • use leftover timber and offcuts to make animal housing
  • mix treated timber with other timber products for recycling – most treated timber cannot be recycled
  • leave CCA-treated timber where others may take it and use it for firewood – for example, on your nature strip

Burning treated timber releases toxic chemicals.

  • Never burn treated timber or treated timber waste in outdoor fires, stoves, fireplaces or in confined spaces. 
  • Never use it to cook food.

Treated timber ash

Ash from copper chrome arsenic (CCA) treated timber is toxic and may contain more than 10% of its weight as heavy metal residue, including arsenic.

Large amounts of toxic ash can be a big problem when properties are damaged by bushfires or other fires.

  • Wear personal protective equipment (PPE) to clean up the ash, double-bag it and take it to a licensed landfill site.
  • Do not bury it.

For more information, see the SafeWork NSW

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