A-Z: What goes where?

Before disposing of an unwanted item, consider selling, giving away or donating

Op Shop can help you find your nearest donation location

Check the following charities to find out what you can donate:

Council bins

Red bin – Garbage
Yellow bin – Recycling
Green bin – Food organics garden organics (FOGO)
Burgundy bin – Food organics garden organics (FOGO)

Both green and burgundy bins are collected by the FOGO truck for apartment blocks. Burgundy lid bins will be swapped for green lids in the future.

Unsure how to dispose of an item? Type your item or material into the search bar below:

Item	Which bin or service?	Advice and suggestions
A
Aerosol cans	Household chemical and e-waste drop-off Community Recycling Centre Yellow bin (can emptied)	Unemptied cans: Household chemical and e-waste drop-off, Community Recycling Centre Terracycle collection
Air conditioner	Council clean up service - metal and whitegoods	Portable only. For other types of air conditioners search Business Recycling Website
Air freshener	Red bin	This includes cans, spray bottles, plug-in and refills. Check Terracycle, some brands may have recycling programs for their products.
Aluminium	Yellow bin (Cans, containers, trays, clean foil) Yellow bin (clean foil - collect and scrunch to tennis-ball size) Red bin (dirty foil)	Drink containers can be recycled at a Return and Earn recycling station
Animal waste	Red bin	Animal waste is not allowed in the green (FOGO) bin. Find out more
Asbestos	Visit the EPA website to find facilities that accept household asbestos.
B
Barbecues	Council clean up service - metal and whitegoods.	Remove the gas bottle/cylinder, they cannot be collected in a clean up. See 'gas bottle' for disposal options
Batteries Do not place batteries in your garbage bin. This is hazardous and can cause fires.	Community Recycling Centre Household chemical and e-waste drop-off	Includes single-use, rechargeable, and car batteries Drop-off at B-cycle For mobile phone batteries check MobileMuster Book a RecycleSmart collection Officeworks offers battery drop-off points For more options visit Recycling Near You
Beauty products	Red bin	Terracycle - Beauty product recycling Marrickville Metro has partnered with Terracycle - drop off your beauty products at the Metro Recycling Wall RecycleSmart collect empty cosmetic packaging
Bicycles and bicycle parts	Council clean up service - metal and whitegoods	Revolve Recycling The Bower Check Bicycle NSW
Biopak packaging (coffee cups, takeaway containers)	Red bin	In line with EPA guidelines, we do not accept compostable packaging in our FOGO stream, even if the packaging has the seedling logo. This is to ensure the highest quality output is produced from the processing facility that will go onto farmlands. Try using a reusable coffee cup instead! All cafes accept them, and some may provide a discount for keep cup usage. Alternatively, some shopping centres, petrol stations and other retailers have partnered with Simply Cups - recycling disposable coffee cups. 7/11 have a useful map of locations - please be mindful that each collection point cannot process large quantities. It's still better to use a reusable coffee cup. RecycleSmart collect single use coffee cups - Cups and lids need to be stacked separately for collection.
Blister Packs	Red bin	Recycle medicinal blister packs with the Pharmacycle program.
Books	Yellow bin	Not suitable to sell or donate? Pull off the cover and recycle the pages Donate to charity, Op shop The Bower The Footpath Library Post on Facebook, Gumtree, Freecycle Book a RecycleSmart collection
Bottles	Yellow bin (glass, plastic or metal) *Broken Bottles - wrap in newspaper and place in red bin	Drink containers can be recycled at a Return and Earn station
Branches	Council clean up service - branches	Branches should be cut to 1m in length and bundled. Maximum 1 metre in length and 15 centimetres in diameter. Small branches and other garden organics can be placed in your green bin (FOGO). Any small branches or palm fronds, please make sure they are no more than 10cm in diameter and no more than 30cm long. The lid of the bin must be able to shut by collection day.
Bricks	Hire a skip bin for construction waste Check with: Business Recycling Website, The Bower, Reverse Garbage (concrete-free bricks only). Post on Facebook, Gumtree, Freecycle
C
Carton (Tetra Pak)	Foil-lined - Red bin Non-foil - Yellow bin	Includes juice, milk or any beverage/liquid cardboard carton (sometimes known as Tetra Pak) Foil-lined cartons are typically brick shaped and contain products such as long-life milk Non-foil lined cartons have gable tops and are usually found in the refrigerated section of the supermarket Foil / non-foil lined containers are accepted by Return and Earn Visit Recycling Near You to find out more about carton recycling
Candles	Red bin	Find out how to recycle wax candles at home
Cameras	Household chemical and e-waste drop-off	Donate to charity Post on Facebook, Gumtree, Freecycle RecycleSmart collect digital and video cameras
Cardboard	Yellow bin	Don't overfill your recycling bin, you can drop off excess cardboard at Council's Weekend Transfer Station in Leichhardt.
Car parts	Visit Recycling Near You
Carpet, rugs and underlay	Council clean up service - bulky household items	Hire a skip bin Business Recycling website The Bower, Reverse Garbage
Cellophane	Red bin	REDcycle paused its soft plastics collection program in November 2022. The Soft Plastics Taskforce is committed to having the program back up and running in the future. RecycleSmart collect soft plastics
Chemicals	Household chemical and e-waste drop-off	Remember to store chemicals safely before the next event. If you missed the Inner West's event check the EPA website
Christmas tree (real)	Council clean up service - branches	If you have a real Christmas tree that doesn't fit in the garden bin, cut into 1 metre long branches, bundle and book a collection
Cigarette butts	Red bin	Bin that butt - encourage your friends to as well
Cling wrap	Red bin	REDcycle paused its soft plastics collection program in November 2022. The Soft Plastics Taskforce is committed to having the program back up and running in the future. RecycleSmart collect soft plastics
Clothing and textiles	Watch this video about donating clothing and textiles ethically Red bin	Donate wearable clothes to your local charity/op shop. Many clothing retailers have donation bins for clothes (e.g H&M, Zara) Tear up unwearable clothing or textiles for cleaning rags or donate them to your local animal shelter or vet. Some retailers will accept unwearable textiles including H&M RecycleSmart collects wearable and unwearable clothing. Please separate separate for collection. Clothing Cleanup picks up wearable clothes if you aren't able to drop them off yourself Other clothing and textile recyclers include: Circular Centre Upparel Dress for Success The Bower
Coat hangers	Red bin Council clean up service	Metal (wire): Large amounts can be collected in a council clean up - metal and whitegoods Wood, plastic, other: Large amounts can be collected in a council clean up - bulky household items Undamaged hangers can be donated to your local laundromat or dry cleaner Post on Gumtree, Facebook, Freecycle
Coffee cups (disposable)	Red bin	Takeaway coffee cup are lined with petroleum-based plastic materials and contaminate the paper recycling stream Plastic lids are too light to be processed in the recycling facility, they will fly off the machinery or be blown into the wrong material stream The whole takeaway coffee cup will become landfill, try using a reusable coffee cup instead! Alternatively, some shopping centres, petrol stations and other retailers have partnered with Simply Cups - recycling disposable coffee cups. 7/11 have a useful map of locations - please be mindful that each collection point cannot process large quantities. It's still better to use a reusable coffee cup. RecycleSmart collect single use coffee cups - Cups and lids need to be stacked separately for collection
Coffee capsule/pod	Red bin	Most brands (e.g Nespresso, Nescafe) may allow used capsule/pod drop-offs in store, or partner with Terracycle. Contact the brand or check Terracycle for updates RecycleSmart collect aluminium coffee capsules
Coffee grounds (loose)	Green bin Burgundy bin (in eligible apartment blocks)	Only use Council-provided or AS4736 compostable liners (look for the seedling logo). Green lid bins and burgundy lid bins will now be emptied into the same truck.
Compostable plastic	Red bin	Some biodegradable/compostable plastics break down in home composts. Check with the manufacturer. Compostable plastics are not allowed in the green (FOGO) bin. Find out more.
Concrete	Hire a skip bin for construction waste Visit the Business Recycling website
Contact lenses and cases	Red bin	Some brands may partner with Terracycle Specsavers - How to recycle contact lenses
Corks	Red bin	The Bower, Reverse Garbage
Crockery	Red bin Council clean up service - bulky household items	Donate to charity/op shop Post on Facebook, Gumtree, Freecycle If broken, wrap in newspaper and place in the garbage bin Large amounts can be booked in for council clean up service - bulky household items
Cutlery	Red bin	BYO reusable cutlery to events or places that may not provide cutlery Plastic single-use cutlery is now banned in NSW and cannot be recycled Bamboo/wooden compostable cutlery cannot go in the green FOGO bin and cannot be recycled Donate metal cutlery to charity/op shops
D
Dental floss containers	Red bin	Terracycle - Oral Care Recycling Program
Detergents	Household chemical and e-waste drop-off	Consider making your own Keep the container and only buy refills Terracycle - Dish and Air Care Recycling Program
Disposable plates	Plastic - Red bin Cardboard - Yellow bin Fibre-based - Red bin	Clean - remove food scraps Disposable plastics plates are now banned in NSW Fibre-based compostable plates cannot go in the green FOGO bin
Dishwashing tablet packaging	Red bin	Terracycle collection
Dog poo	Red bin	Dog poo is not allowed in the FOGO bin. Find out more.
Doors and door handles	The Bower, Reverse Garbage Post on Gumtree, Facebook, Freecycle Visit the Business Recycling website
Drinking glasses/cups (glass)	Red bin	Broken glasses must be wrapped The quality of glass is different to glass drinking bottles and can't be recycled - it contaminates the glass bottle recycling
Dryer	Council clean up service - metal and whitegoods	Still working? Post on Facebook, Gumtree, Freecycle
Dust (bagged)	Compost bin or worm farm Red bin
E
Egg cartons	Compost Bin Yellow bin	Egg cartons, like all animal produce packaging is designed to be single-use to minimise contact with possibly harmful bacteria - Keep this in mind before reusing
Elastic bands (natural or synthetic rubber)	Red bin	Reuse them to reseal food packages
Electrical appliances	Council clean up - bulky household items	Donate to charity or The Bower RecycleSmart collect small electrical appliances For more options visit Recycling Near You
Electronic waste (e-waste)	Household chemical and e-waste drop-off Community Recycling Centre	Including computers, laptops, TVs, speakers, mouse, keyboard, telephones, headphones, earphones and other accessories Donate to The Reconnect Project For mobile phone recycling visit MobileMuster RecycleSmart collect small e-waste items Arnies Recon provides free pick up and recycling of electronics and appliances to homes and businesses in the Sydney Metro area Officeworks provides e-waste recycling E-waste recycling is funded by the industry and regulated by the Commonwealth government under the Product Stewardship Act 2011 to ensure the safe recycling of hazardous e-waste
Engine oil	Household chemical and e-waste drop-off Community Recycling Centre	Check business recycling website
Envelopes	Yellow bin (no padded plastic)	Includes envelopes with a plastic window face Padded paper envelopes (no plastic) go in the Yellow recycling bin Padded envelopes lined with bubble wrap can be reused or put in the Red garbage bin
Eyewear/glasses/spectacles	Red bin	For more options visit Recycling Near You Donate to your local optometrist
F
Fabric	Red bin	See 'clothing and textiles' on this list Reverse Garbage Large amounts: The Sewing Basket by Achieve Australia RecycleSmart collect textiles
Fencing	Council clean up service - bulky household items / metal and whitegoods	Contact The Bower
Fibro (asbestos cement sheet)	EPA website: Facilities that accept household asbestos Visit the Recycling Near You webpage to find a disposal service.
Fire extinguishers	Household chemical and e-waste drop-off Community Recycling Centre	Check Fire NSW for more information
Fireplace	Council clean-up service - bulky household items / metal and whitegoods	Contact The Bower or Reverse Garbage Post on Gumtree, Facebook, Freecycle Visit the Business Recycling Website
Flare (marine)	Regular collection through Roads and Maritime Services. Check RMS website for dates.
Foam (i.e. expanded polystyrene or EPS)	Red bin	Try to avoid it in the first place. If it comes as packaging, ask the retailer to recycle it for you. Drop-off facilities are rare in the local area. RecycleSmart collect white polystyrene. Visit the Recycling Near You website
Food scraps Includes: Meat, chicken, seafood (except oyster shells) and small bones (cooked and uncooked meats) Dairy products (cheese, yoghurt etc.) Bread, pasta, rice, cereal Coffee grounds Eggs and eggshells Out of date food (processed or fresh) Expired takeaway	Green bin (FOGO) Burgundy bin (in eligible apartment blocks) Compost bin or worm farm	Remove packaging first. Only use Council-provided or AS4736 compostable liners (look for the seedling logo). Green and burgundy bins will now be emptied into the same truck.
Food cans/tins	Yellow bin	Aluminium, steel and tin Lightly wash your cans and tins before putting in the recycling bin
Fridges	Council clean up service - metal and whitegoods	Post on Facebook, Gumtree, Freecycle
Fuels	Household chemical and e-waste drop-off	Includes petrol, firestarters, methylated spirits
Fur	Red bin	Try to avoid in the first place. The resale of second-hand or vintage fur products can contribute to consumer demand for fur products by perpetuating the idea ‘fur as fashion’ Donate to wildlife rescue group or to charity/op shop
Furniture	Council clean up service - bulky household items	Freecycle Donate to charity/op shop IKEA furniture buy-back service
G
Garage door – metal, damaged	Visit the Recycling Near You website for scrap metal dealers Commercial waste facility
Garden organics – grass clippings, leaves, twigs and small branches, flowers and prunings	Green bin (FOGO) Burgundy bin (in eligible apartment blocks) Compost bin or worm farm	Don't overfill your green FOGO bin - for excess branches, use the Council clean-up service. Green lid and burgundy lid bins will now be emptied into the same truck.
Garden tools and equipment (unpowered)	Council clean up service - metal and whitegoods	Usable items can be donated to the Inner West Tool Library, posted on Freecycle, or donated to charity.
Garden tools and equipment (powered)	Household chemical and e-waste drop-off	Inner West Tool Library or posted on Freecycle
Gas bottles/cylinders	Household chemical and e-waste drop-off Community Recycling Centre
Glass bottles	Yellow bin	Return and Earn recycling station
Glass jars	Yellow bin	Metal lid can stay screwed on jar Reverse Garbage Donate to a local food co-op
Glossy paper, card, magazine	Yellow bin	Do the tearing test. If you can tear it, you can recycle it.
Grass clippings	Green bin (FOGO) Burgundy bin (in eligible apartment blocks) Compost bin or worm farm (only place dried grass clippings in worm farms)	Keep some grass clippings aside to layer the FOGO bin with. Covering food scraps with garden organics will assist in minimising odours and pests. Green lid and burgundy lid bins will now be emptied into the same truck.
H
Hair foils (with hair dye)	Red bin
Hard plastic (e.g. bike helmet, toys, plastic buckets, washing tubs, etc.)	Red bin	Hard plastic breaks into shards and is not recyclable
Heater	Council clean-up service - metals and whitegoods	If still working donate to charity, or post on Gumtree, Facebook, Freecycle Gas: Council clean-up service - metals and whitegoods Electric: Household chemical and e-waste drop-off or Council clean-up service - metals and whitegoods Oil: Household chemical and e-waste drop-off RecycleSmart collect small electric heaters
Hose	Red bin Council clean up service - bulky household items	Small amount of hose, or chop the hose into smaller pieces: red garbage bin Large amount of hose/hose reel: Council clean up service - bulky household items Try reusing your old hose creatively
Household appliances (metal) e.g. toaster	Council clean-up service Household chemical and e-waste drop-off	Donate to The Bower or post on Freecycle RecycleSmart collect small electric appliances
Household cleaners and solvents	Household chemical and e-waste drop-off
I
Ice cream container	Yellow bin
Incandescent lightbulbs	Red bin – wrap in newspaper first	RecycleSmart collect lightbulbs
Insulation	Contact a commercial waste facility Visit the Business Recycling website
J
K
Kitty litter or pet poo	Red bin	Kitty litter or pet poo is not allowed in the green (FOGO) bin. Find out more.
Knitting and haberdashery	Red bin	The Sewing Basket run by Achieve Australia or your local op shop
L
Laptops	Household chemical and e-waste drop-off	Donate to charity RecycleSmart collect laptops
Lawn clippings	Green bin (FOGO) Burgundy bin (in eligible apartment blocks) Compost bin or worm farm (only place dried grass clippings in worm farms)	Keep some lawn clippings aside to layer the FOGO bin with. Covering food scraps with garden organics will assist in minimising odours and pests. Green lid and burgundy lid bins will now be emptied into the same truck.
Leaves (dried or fresh)	Green bin (FOGO) Burgundy bin (in eligible apartment blocks) Compost bin or worm farm	Use to layer the FOGO bin with. Covering food scraps with garden organics will assist in minimising odours and pests. Green lid and burgundy lid bins will now be emptied into the same truck.
Lever arch folders	Red bin
Lids of take-away cups (plastic)	Red bin	Simply cups
Light globes/bulbs – incandescent	Red bin – wrap in newspaper first.	RecycleSmart collect light globes/blubs
Light bulbs/tubes – fluorescent	Household chemical and e-waste drop-off or Community Recycling Centre Red bin	RecycleSmart collect fluorescent light tubes
M
Magazines	Yellow bin	Donate to charity
Mailing satchels (Australia Post plastic satchel)	Red bin	REDcycle paused its soft plastics collection program in November 2022. The Soft Plastics Taskforce is committed to having the program back up and running in the future. RecycleSmart collect soft plastics
Mattresses	Council clean-up service - Mattress collection	All of the mattresses collected through the free Council clean-up service are recycled using either Soft Landing or Mattress Recycler.
Meat trays (all colours, all types)	Red bin	Bring a reusable container to your local butcher
Meat trays - Absorbent pad	Red bin
Medicines	Take to your nearest chemist/pharmacy Return of Expired Medicines (RUM) program Recycle medicinal blister packs with the Pharmacycle program.
Mercury	Household chemical and e-waste drop-off	Contact Toxfree on 1300 869 373
Metals (toolboxes and similar)	Council clean-up service - metals and whitegoods	Donate to charity/op shop Post on Facebook, Gumtree, Freecycle
Metal frames (e.g. bed)	Council clean-up service - metal and whitegoods	Donate to charity/op shop Post on Facebook, Gumtree, Freecycle
Metal Lid (from glass jar)	Yellow bin	Keep lid screwed on container if possible
Metal poles or rods	Council clean-up service - metals and whitegoods	Commercial waste facility
Microwave oven (not in working order)	Council clean up service Household chemical and e-waste drop-off	RecycleSmart collect small microwaves
Microwave oven, in working order	Council clean-up service Donate to charity, Freecycle
Microwave dish/container (composite plastics)	Red bin
Milk crates	Call Dairy Farmers on 1800 000 570
Mirrors (broken)	Red bin (wrap it first)
Mirrors (not broken)	Freecycle, local op shop, ebay, gumtree	Council clean up service
Mobile phones and batteries	Community Recycling Centre Household chemical and e-waste drop-off	Visit the MobileMuster website RecycleSmart collect mobile phones and batteries Donate to The Reconnect Project Officeworks provides mobile phone recycling Refer to the Recycling Near You website for more options
Mops	Red bin
Motor oil	Household chemical and e-waste drop-off Community Recycling Centre
N
Nappies (disposable and compostable)	Red bin
Needles and syringes	Place them in a sharps container or a puncture resistant container (not glass) and dispose of them at a Community Sharps Collection participating pharmacy. Or search for your suburb on the Safe Sharps website
Newspaper	Compost bin Yellow bin	Donate to animal shelter like Sydney Dogs and Cats home
O
Oil (cooking)	Small amounts: Red bin. Pour into a container of absorbent material (e.g. shredded toilet rolls, paper, tissues, egg cartons etc) to keep the bin clean. Alternatively, tip a small amount into a compost bin or soil. Large amounts: Store in container and drop it off at the Community Recycling Centre or the next Household chemical and e-waste drop-off
Oil (engine)	Household chemical and e-waste drop-off or Community Recycling Centre
P
Packaging (foam)	Avoid it in the first place. If it comes as packaging, ask the retailer to recycle it for you. Red bin	RecycleSmart collects white polystrene
Packaging (corn starch stuffing)	Home compost bin Red bin	Compostable packaging is not allowed in the green (FOGO) bin. Find out more.
Packaging (soft): foil-lined	Red bin
Paint tins - full	Household chemical and e-waste drop-off or Community Recycling Centre	Advertise on a local buy/sell/swap forum e.g. Facebook Marketplace or ‘Street Bounty’ RecycleSmart collect sealed paint tins (maximum 2l)
Paint and solvents - half empty	Household chemical and e-waste drop-off or Community Recycling Centre	RecycleSmart collected sealed paint tins (maximum 2l)
Paint tins – empty or dried-out	Council clean up or Community Recycling Centre Red bin
Paper and cardboard	Yellow bin	Did you know...? Shredded paper cannot be recycled but can be used as animal bedding or placed in your compost or worm farm
Paper (grease-proof)	Red bin
Paper towels and tissues	Red bin	Did you know...? Paper towels and tissues cannot be recycled for hygiene reasons.
Pens and pencils	Red bin	Donate to charity
Pet food cans	Yellow bin
Pillows and cushions (beyond reuse) Natural fibre fill	Red bin	Add fill to compost bin
Pillows and cushions (beyond reuse) synthetic fill	Red bin	Discard cover, pull out fill and reuse
Pipes (plastic)	Check the Recycling Near You website or the Pipa website	Commercial waste facility
Pizza boxes (with no leftover food)	Yellow bin
Plant pots	Red bin Council clean-up service - bulky household items	Small indoor pots/flower pots: Marrickville Community Nursery, see Pinterest for inspiration on the creative reuse of plant pots Post on Gumtree, Facebook, Freecycle Large outdoor concrete/terracotta: The Bower, Reverse Garbage Large amounts of terracotta or ceramics is considered building material and may be required to be taken to a commercial waste facility - check Business Recycling Website
Plant pots (terracotta/ceramic)	The Bower, Reverse Garbage, Freecycle
Plasterboard	The Bower, Reverse Garbage, Freecycle
Plastic shopping bags	Avoid if possible Red bin Coles, Woolworths and ALDI have formed a Soft Plastics Taskforce to explore soft plastics recycling solutions, following a conditional ACCC interim authorisation. Find out more.	RecycleSmart has resumed collecting soft plastics - however, there may be delays due to demand.
Plastic bottles	Yellow bin	Recycling tip: Keep lids on and bottles empty - no liquids or smaller plastic pieces inside. Drink containers can be recycled at a Return and Earn recycling station.
Plastic cards (e.g. loyalty cards etc.) and thin plastic objects	Red bin
Plastic cups	Clear - Yellow bin White - Red bin
Plastic food containers (single use)	Yellow bin
Plastic food trays (biscuits)	Yellow bin
Plastic food trays (meat)	Red bin	Bring reusable container to your local butcher
Plastic-lined food wrapping	Avoid if possible Red bin	RecycleSmart
Plastic netting (e.g. fruit netting)	Red bin	RecycleSmart
Plastic storage containers (e.g. Tupperware containers)	Red bin	Donate to charity
Plastic takeaway containers (no leftover food)	Yellow bin
Plastic toys	Red bin	RecycleSmart collect plastic toys in sellable condition Donate to charity, Freecycle
Plastic wraps, films and ziplock bags	Avoid if possible Red bin	RecycleSmart
Plasticised foil wrap (e.g. tea bag wrapping)	Red bin
Pottery/porcelain	Red bin	Donate to charity
Pots and pans (aluminium or steel)	Council clean-up service	Donate to charity, Freecycle
Poisons, pesticides and herbicides	Household chemical and e-waste drop-off
Polystyrene (also known as foam)	Red bin	Check the Recycling Near You website Try to avoid it in the first place. If it comes as packaging, ask the retailer to recycle it for you. RecycleSmart collect white polystyrene. It does not need to be broken down for collection.
Pringles containers (composite materials)	Red bin
Printer cartridges	Household chemical and e-waste drop-off	Officeworks and JB Hi-Fi stores, Australia Post, Harvey Norman, Dick Smith, The Good Guys, Office National and Office Products Depot outlets. RecycleSmart collect printer cartridges
Pyrex (ovenware)	Red bin	Donate to charity, Freecycle
R
Rainwater tank	Check if the measurements are eligible for the Council clean-up service (2 metres x 1 metre x 1 metre) For metal or stainless steel: Council clean-up - Metal and whitegoods For plastic: Council clean-up - bulky household items and furniture	Check the Reycling Near You website
Radios	Household chemical and e-waste drop off	The Bower, Freecycle, Gumtree
Razors	Red bin	Gillette has partnered with Terracycle to create a razor and blades recycling program - Click here for more information
Real grass dog toilet	Red bin	Real (or synthetic) grass dog toilets are not allowed in the green (FOGO) bin. Find out more.
Records (vinyl)	Red bin	Donate to local radio station, a second hand shop or post on Freecycle
Refrigerators	Council clean up service - Metal and whitegoods	Freecycle
Reusable shopping bags	Red bin	RecycleSmart Check the Recycling Near You website
Rugs, carpets, underlay	Council clean up service	Contact The Bower, Reverse Garbage or a commercial waste facility for disposal. Visit the Business Recycling Website for more ideas.
S
Sand	Visit the Business Recycling website	Commercial waste facility
Scrap metals	Check the Recycling Near You website for metal recyclers.
Sharps/syringes	Place them in a sharps container or a puncture resistant container (not glass) and dispose of them at a Community Sharps Collection participating pharmacy. Or search for your suburb on the Safe Sharps website.
Shopping trolleys	Coles, Kmart, Target, Bunnings, Officeworks, Bi Lo:Report online Woolworths, Dan Murphy, Big W, Target, IGA: Report online Aldi: Phone 132 534.
Sinks, e.g. kitchen or laundry	Council clean up service	Reverse Garbage
Shoes	Red bin	TreadLightly recycle sport and active lifestyle footwear. RecycleSmart collect shoes in reusable condition. They also collect sport shoes, thongs, slides, football boots and golf shoes in unwearable condition. Donate to charity
Smoke alarms/detectors	Household chemical and e-waste drop-off or Community Recycling Centre	RecycleSmart collect smoke alarms and detectors
Soft plastic packaging	Avoid if possible Red bin Coles, Woolworths and ALDI have formed a Soft Plastics Taskforce to explore soft plastics recycling solutions, following a conditional ACCC interim authorisation. Find out more.	RecycleSmart has resumed collecting soft plastics - however, there may be delays due to demand.
Soil and rocks	Commercial waste facility	Soil is not allowed in the green (FOGO) bin due to risk of heavy metal contamination.
Spectacles	Check the Recycling Near You website
Spice container (metal with plastic lid)	Yellow bin (metal container) and red bin (lid)
Steel cans	Yellow bin
Stoves	Council clean up service	Freecycle
Straws (plastic)	Red bin
Styrofoam (otherwise known as ‘foam’) or expanded polystyrene – EPS)	Red bin	Try to avoid it in the first place. If it comes as packaging, ask the retailer to recycle it for you. Check the Recycling Near You website RecycleSmart collect white polystyrene for recycling.
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Take away food containers	Plastic - Yellow bin Fibre-based compostable - Red bin	Lightly rinse the container, make sure no food scraps are left. A little bit of grease is OK
Tapes (VHS and cassette)	Household chemical and e-waste drop-off
Tea bags	Green bin (FOGO) Burgundy bin (in eligible apartment blocks) Compost bin or worm farm	Synthetic tea bags (containing plastics) cannot be placed in the burgundy lid or green lid bins. To find out if yours are okay, try tearing the tea bag open after use. If it tears open easily, it can go in the burgundy lid or green lid bins. If there is some resistance, it is likely synthetic and should therefore go in the red bin. Green lid and burgundy lid bins will now be emptied into the same truck.
Telephones (not mobile)	Household chemical and e-waste drop-off
Televisions	Household chemical and e-waste drop-off
Thermometers (mercury and digital)	Household chemical and e-waste drop-off	Visit the Business Recycling website
Tiles	Contact The Bower or Reverse Garbage (non-broken tiles only) or post on Freecycle, Gumtree or other online swap and sell platforms.	Commercial waste facility
Timber (good condition)	Council clean up service	Wastewood Among The Trees Freecycle Visit the Business Recycling Website
Timber (unusable, poor condition)	Council clean up service
Timber - furniture (good condition)	Council clean up service	Donate to charity The Bower Freecycle
Timber - furniture (unusable, poor condition)	Council clean up service
Tissues and napkins	Red bin	Tissues and napkins are not allowed in the green (FOGO) bin. Find out more.
Toner cartridges	Household chemical and e-waste drop-off	Officeworks and JB Hi-Fi stores, Australia Post, Harvey Norman, Dick Smith, The Good Guys, Office National and Office Products Depot outlets. Inkjet cartridges, toner cartridges and toner bottles from most brands are accepted. This includes cartridges used in printers, photocopiers and fax machines. RecycleSmart collect toner cartridges
Toaster	Household chemical and e-waste drop-off
Tools (metal)	Council clean-up service	Usable tools can be donated to the Inner West Tool Library, charity or posted on Freecycle
Tools (powered)	Household chemical and e-waste drop-off	Usable power tools can be donated to the Inner West Tool Library or The Bower E-Tool Library
Toothbrushes	Red bin	Reuse it as a grout scrubber. Terracycle collection (check website for locations)
Toothpaste tubes and caps	Red bin	Terracycle collection (check website for locations)
Trolleys	Coles, Kmart, Target, Bunnings, Officeworks, Bi Lo: Report online Woolworths, Dan Murphy, Big W, Target, IGA: Report online Aldi: Phone 132 534.
Tyres	Check the Recycling Near You website for options	Commercial waste facility
V
Vacuum cleaner dust	Red bin Home compost bin	Vacuum cleaner dust is not allowed in the green (FOGO) bin. Find out more.
Vacuum cleaner	Household chemicals and e-waste drop off Council clean up service
Vapes	Reusable vaping products (including cartridges, replacement pods and nicotine) are now accepted under the Return Unwanted Medicines (RUM) program. Ask your local pharmacy for more information. Reusable vape batteries can be dropped off at a Community Recycling Centre or B-cycle Single use vapes are not accepted at any of the above. The EPA and RUM program hope to provide safe alternatives soon.	RecycleSmart collect vapes
Vegetable scraps	Green bin (FOGO) Burgundy bin (in eligible apartment blocks) Compost bin or worm farm	Remove packaging first. Only use Council-provided or AS4736 compostable liners (look for the seedling logo).
Video tapes	Household chemical and e-waste drop-off Red bin	Visit the Business Recycling website for drop-off locations
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Washing machine	Council clean up service
Waxed cardboard (e.g. fruit box)	Red bin
Wheelchair	TAD Australia eBility
White goods excluding freezers, fridges, air conditioners	Household chemical and e-waste drop-off
Windows (frame and glass panes)	Contact The Bower or Reverse Garbage
Wood shavings – untreated	Contact your local community garden
Wood shavings – treated	Commercial waste facility
Wrapping paper	Yellow bin
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X-ray films	Household chemical and e-waste drop-off	Check with your radiologist as many medical imaging businesses collect X-rays. RecycleSmart collect x-ray films Search on Recycling Near You for other options in your area.
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Yoghurt containers	Yellow bin	Rinse lightly before recycling

A-Z: What goes where?

Before disposing of an unwanted item, consider selling, giving away or donating

Council bins

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