Household recycling

Recycling starts at home. Learn how to prevent food waste and recycle in unexpected ways, and explore the convenient services available for disposing of problem wastes like paint cans, batteries, and fluoro lights.

Prevent waste

Preventing waste in the first place is the best environmental outcome. For helpful tips and information

What can I recycle?

In NSW, local councils run kerbside recycling collection services for households. The materials collected vary from council to council.

To find out what you can place in your kerbside recycling bin, and when it is collected, contact your local council.

Recycling for food and garden organics

The EPA’s $100 million organics program, funded through the waste levy, aims to get food and garden waste out of landfill and put to better use. The program includes support for councils to introduce or improve green lid bin services for their residents, so more people have access to opportunities for recycling.

Drop-off centres for common household problem wastes

Household problem wastes are potentially harmful household products. They include cleaning products, paints, pool chemicals, garden products and hobby chemicals.

Leftover or unwanted materials like these require special treatment and processing and cannot be placed in your bins.

The best way to dispose of old or unwanted problem wastes and chemicals is at a Chemical CleanOut event or Community Recycling Centre.

NSW householders can use these two convenient collection systems to safely dispose of household problem wastes, free of charge.

  • Community Recycling Centres are permanent drop-off facilities, open year round. Use them to safely dispose of selected common household problem wastes such as paint, gas bottles, fire extinguishers, motor and cooking oils, car and household batteries, fluorescent tubes and globes, and smoke detectors.
  • Household Chemical CleanOutis a mobile collection service. Use it to safely dispose of a range of household chemical products, including household cleaners, pool and hobby chemicals and pesticides. CleanOut events are held at various locations in NSW on specified dates throughout the year.

Return old and unwanted medicines

Return old and unwanted medicines to any pharmacy for free, safe disposal. For more information

Other recycling services

Check to find out where you can take recyclable items that aren’t collected by your local council kerbside collection service.

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