A-Z: What goes where?

There are many options to dispose of unwanted items; it often doesn't have to go in to your garbage or recycling bin. Use this A-Z overview to find your item and the different possibilities to discard it.

Legend

Red bin – Garbage
Yellow bin – Recycling (note: if your household has a blue bin, the yellow bin is for containers such as cans, plastic and glass)
Blue bin – Paper and cardboard (certain suburbs only)
Green bin – Green waste and garden organics
Burgundy bin – Food waste (some suburbs only)

A

Item	Preferred	Alternative
Aerosol cans (empty)	Yellow bin Recycling tip: aerosol cans need to be emptied before placing them in the bin.	N/A
Aerosol cans (not empty)	Household chemical and e-waste drop-off or Community Recycling Centre	N/A
Air conditioner, portable	Council clean up service - metal and whitegoods	N/A
Air freshener (cans, spray bottles, plug-in and refills)	Terracycle collection - check website for locations	Red bin
Aluminium cans	Drink containers can be recycled at a Return and Earn recycling station. Did you know...? Aluminium is 100% recyclable. Recycling involves melting the scrap, a process that requires only 5% of the energy used to produce aluminium from ore.	Yellow bin
Aluminium foil (clean, scrunched to tennis ball size)	Yellow bin Did you know...? Aluminium is non-magnetic.	N/A
Aluminium foil (dirty)	Red bin	N/A
Aluminium tray	Yellow bin Did you know...? Almost all metallic aluminium is produced from the ore bauxite.	N/A
Asbestos	Visit the EPA website to find facilities that accept household asbestos.	N/A

B

Item	Preferred	Alternative
Barbecues	Council clean up service - metal and whitegoods.	N/A
Batteries (single use and rechargeable)	Drop them off at Council's Petersham Customer Service Centre, the Community Recycling Centre, our household drop-off events, IKEA, Aldi stores or visit the Recycling Near You website for more options.	N/A
Batteries (car)	Household chemical and e-waste drop-off or Community Recycling Centre	N/A
Batteries (mobile phone)	Visit the Mobile Muster website, drop them off at Council's Customer Service Centre at 2–14 Fisher Street, Petersham, at the Community Recycling Centre or at the next Household chemical and e-waste drop-off. Visit the Recycling Near You website for more options.	N/A
Beauty products (unopened)	The Beauty Bank - social enterprise	N/A
Bicycles	The Bower or Cycle Re-cycle	Council clean up service
Biodegradable plastic	Red bin Did you know...? Biodegradable plastics require specific conditions to biodegrade properly, and if not managed properly they may be worse for the environment than conventional plastics.	N/A
Biscuit trays (moulded plastic)	Red bin	N/A
Books (paper cover)	Donate to charity, Freecycle, The Bower	Blue bin if you have one. If not, Yellow bin
Books (plastic cover)	Donate to charity, Freecycle, The Bower. If not suitable for donation, pull the cover off and recycle pages.	Red bin
Bottles (glass or plastic)	Drink containers can be recycled at a Return and Earn recycling station. Recycling tip: Keep lids on plastic bottles wherever possible and bottles empty - no liquids or smaller plastic pieces inside.	Yellow bin
Bottle caps (plastic or metal)	See Bottles above	N/A
Branches and prunings	Green bin or Council clean up service	N/A
Bricks	Contact The Bower, Reverse Garbage (concrete-free bricks only) or contact a commercial waste facility. Alternatively, post on Buildbits, Freecycle or Gumtree	Visit the Business Recycling website
Bric-a-brac	Donate to charity, Freecycle or The Bower.	Council clean up service
Brooms	Upcycling	Red bin
Bubble wrap	Soft plastics drop-off (Red Group/Coles) or refer to the Recycling Near You website.	N/A
Building materials	Refer to each specific item: bricks, tiles, doors, door handles, windows, fencing, metal frames, carpet and underlay, concrete, insulation, fireplace, plasterboard, sand.	N/A

C

Item	Preferred	Alternative
Candle (paraffin wax or soy/bee wax)	Recycle at home (visit this page to find out how)	Red bin
Cameras	Donate to charity, Freecycle	Household chemical and e-waste drop-off
Cardboard	Blue bin if you have one. If not, Yellow bin For excess cardboard drop off at VISY, 6/8-10 Burrows Road, St Peters. Phone 02 9316 4343.	N/A
Cardboard (waxed)	Red bin	N/A
Car parts	Refer to the Recycling Near You website	N/A
Carpet, rugs and underlay	Contact The Bower, Reverse Garbage or a commercial waste facility for disposal. Visit the Business Recycling website for more ideas.	Council clean up service
Cartridges (ink)	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.	Household chemical and e-waste drop-off
Cassette tapes	Household chemical and e-waste drop-off	N/A
CDs & DVDs	Refer to the Recycling Near You website or drop off at our Household chemical and e-waste drop-off. For commercial quantities, donate to a charity shop.	Red bin
CD cases	Red bin	N/A
Cellophane	Red bin	N/A
Chemicals (household, garden and pool)	Household chemical and e-waste drop-off	N/A
Christmas tree (real)	Check our information on the garden organics page	N/A
Cigarette butts	Red bin	N/A
Cleaning products	Household chemical and e-waste drop-off	N/A
Cling wrap	Red bin	N/A
Clothing and textiles, reusable	Donate to charity or op shop - watch this video how to donate ethically, Dress for Success, The Bower, place on Freecycle or bring to H&M or Zara they have clothes recycling bins in their stores. Some companies even offer a clothing collection from your home.	Red bin
Clothing and textiles, beyond reuse	Tear up for cleaning cloths or cushion stuffing or bring to H&M, they make cleaning rags or insulation out of them.	Red bin
Coat hangers (plastic)	Give away online (if in good condition)	N/A
Coat hangers (metal)	Offer to give them to your local laundry or dry cleaner	N/A
Coffee cups (paper)	Red bin Did you know...? Paper coffee cups are lined up with petroleum-based plastic materials and contaminate the paper recycling stream. Try using a reusable coffee cup instead!	N/A
Coffee cup lids (plastic)	Red bin	Red bin
Coffee pods (Nescafé Dolce Gusto only)	Drop them off at a Terracycle collection point	Red bin
Coffee pods (Nespresso only)	Drop them off at a Nespresso store	Red bin
Coffee pods (Non-Nespresso brands)	Pods are too small to be recovered by most materials recovery facilities and cannot be placed in the recycling bin.	Red bin
Compostable plastic	Compost bin, domestic or communal	Red bin
Compact fluorescent light bulbs	Household chemical and e-waste drop-off or Community Recycling Centre	N/A
Composite packaging e.g. Pringles container	Red bin Did you know...? Composite packaging is a mix of materials such as plastic, foil, cardboard and tin.	N/A
Computer and computer parts	Household chemical and e-waste drop-off or Officeworks stores. Did you know...? E-waste recycling is funded by industry and regulated by the Commonwealth government under the Product Stewardship Act 2011 to ensure the safe recycling of hazardous e-waste.	Refer to the Recycling Near You website.
Concrete	Visit the Business Recycling website	Commercial waste facility
Construction and demolition	See Building materials above	N/A
Contact lenses and cases	Drop off at Terracycle	Red bin
Cooking oil (left over)	Small amounts: Red bin. Pour into a container of absorbent material (e.g. shredded toilet rolls, paper, tissues, egg cartons etc) to absorb the liquid and prevent leaks when compacted in the truck and keep the bin clean. Liquid is not to be placed in the Red bin in a container or bag. Alternatively, tip a small amount into a compost bin or garden soil. Large amounts: Store in container and drop it off at the Community Recycling Centre or the next Chemical Clean Out event	N/A
Corks	Drop them off at Council's Petersham Customer Service Centre, Reverse Garbage or refer to the Recycling Near You website for other options.	N/A
Crockery	Donate to charity, Freecycle If broken, wrap in newspaper and place in the garbage bin.	N/A
Cups (ceramic)	Donate to charity	Red bin
Cutlery, disposable (plastic)	Red bin If you're having a party, consider asking guests to bring their own reusable cutlery. Next best option? Search for and purchase eco-friendly disposable products.	N/A
Cutlery (metal)	Donate to charity	Red bin

D

Item	Preferred	Alternative
Dental floss containers	Terracycle collection - check website for locations	Red bin
Detergents	Household chemical and e-waste drop-off	N/A
Directory, phone	Opt out online or call 1800 008 292.	Blue bin if you have one. If not, Yellow bin
Dishwashing tablets flexible packaging (including snap lock and zip locks)	Terracycle collection - check website for locations	Red bin
Doors	Contact The Bower or Reverse Garbage or post on Freecycle, Gumtree or other online swap and sell platforms. Visit the Business Recycling website for more suggestions	N/A
Door handles	Contact The Bower or Reverse Garbage or post on Freecycle, Gumtree or other online swap and sell platforms.	N/A
Drinking glasses	Donate to charity	Red bin
Drinking glasses (broken) – wrapped	Red bin. Wrapped. The quality of glass is different to glass drinking bottles and can't be recycled - it contaminates the glass bottle recycling.	N/A
Dryer, clothes	Council clean up service	N/A
Dust (bagged)	Compost bin or worm farm	Red bin
DVD case	Red bin	N/A

E

Item	Preferred	Alternative
Egg cartons	Compost bin	Blue bin if you have one. If not, Yellow bin
Elastic bands (natural or synthetic rubber)	Red bin	N/A
Electrical appliances	Donate to charity, The Bower, or refer to the Recycling Near You website.	Council clean up service
Electronic waste e.g. computers, TVs, speakers.	Household chemical and e-waste drop-off or refer to the Recycling Near Youwebsite.	N/A
Engine oil	Household chemical and e-waste drop-off or Community Recycling Centre	N/A
Envelopes (including window envelopes)	Blue bin if you have one – if not, Yellow bin	N/A
Eyewear/glasses	Donate to charity, OPSM, or refer to the Recycling Near You website.	Red bin

F

Item	Preferred	Alternative
Fabric cut-outs	The Smith Family clothes recycling, Reverse Garbage	Red bin
Fabrics, larger amounts	Your local op shop or The Sewing Basket run by Achieve Australia	Red bin
Fencing	Contact The Bower	Council clean up service
Fibro (asbestos cement sheet)	Visit the Recycling Near You website to find a disposal service.	EPA website: Facilities that accept household asbestos
Fire extinguishers	Household chemical and e-waste drop-off or Community Recycling Centre	N/A
Fireplace (metal grate)	Contact The Bower or Reverse Garbage or visit the Business Recycling website for more ideas.	N/A
Fireplace (timber mantelpiece)	Contact The Bower or Reverse Garbage or or post on Freecycle, Gumtree or another swap and sell online platform	Council clean up service
Flare (marine)	Regular collection through Roads and Maritime Services. Check RMS website for dates.	N/A
Floss containers	Terracycle collection - check website for locations	Red bin
Flower pots – plastic	Marrickville Community Nursery, Freecycle, or see Pinterest for inspiration on the creative reuse of flower pots.	Red bin
Flower pots – pottery, terracotta, etc.	Marrickville Community Nursery, Freecycle, or see Pinterest for inspiration on the creative reuse of flower pots.	Red bin
Foam (i.e. expanded polystyrene or EPS)	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. Check the Recycling Near You website	Red bin
Food scraps/waste (veg and fruit)	Compost bin or worm farm	Red bin
Food cans/tins (aluminium or steel). Lightly washed	Yellow bin Did you know...? Aluminium is non-magnetic, while iron is magnetic. Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon and is therefore magnetic. Stainless steel is sometimes magnetic.	N/A
Fridges	Freecycle	Council clean up service
Fruit and vegetable containers (plastic)	Yellow bin	N/A
Fruit and vegetable scraps	Compost bin or worm farm	Red bin
Fuels e.g. petrol, firestarters, methylated spirits	Household chemical and e-waste drop-off	N/A
Fur (vintage or old)	Donate to wildlife rescue group or Snuggle Coats. Or bring to your local op shop for reuse Tip: 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’.	Red bin
Furniture (e.g. tables, chairs, desks, beds, etc)	Donate to charity, Freecycle; Reusable IKEA furniture - IKEA Tempe	Council clean up service

G

Item	Preferred	Alternative
Garage door – metal, damaged	Check 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 or, for excess branches, use the Council clean up service	N/A
Garden tools and equipment (unpowered)	Donate to charity, Freecycle	Council clean up service
Garden tools and equipment (powered)	Donate to charity, Freecycle	Household chemical and e-waste drop-off
Gas bottles/cylinders	Household chemical and e-waste drop-off or Community Recycling Centre	N/A
Glass bottles	Drink containers can be recycled at a Return and Earn recycling station.	Yellow bin
Glass jars	Reverse Garbage or check with a food coop	Yellow bin
Glass (drinking, Pyrex)	Donate to charity, Freecycle	Red bin
Glass (broken) – wrapped	Red bin	N/A
Glass (laminated and window)	Contact a commercial waste facility or refer to the Recycling Near You website.	N/A
Glasses (sight and reading)	Donate to charity, OPSM, or refer to the Recycling Near You website.	Red bin
Glossy paper, card, magazine	Blue bin if you have one – if not, Yellow bin. Do the tearing test. If you can tear it, you can recycle it.	Red bin
Grass clippings	Green bin or compost bin	N/A
Green waste (bulky and untied)	Contact Suez on 1300 651 116	N/A

H

Item	Preferred	Alternative
Hair foils (with hair dye)	Red bin	N/A
Hard plastic, e.g. bike helmet	Red bin – hard plastic breaks into shards and is not recyclable.	N/A
Hazardous waste	Household chemical and e-waste drop-of	N/A
Heaters (gas or electric)	Donate to charity, Freecycle	Council clean up service
Heaters (oil)	Household chemical and e-waste drop-off	Council clean up service
Household appliances (metal) e.g. toaster	Donate The Bower, Freecycle Household chemical and e-waste drop-off	Council clean up service
Household cleaners and solvents	Household chemical and e-waste drop-off	N/A

I

Item	Preferred	Alternative
Ice cream container (plastic)	Yellow bin	N/A
Incandescent light bulbs	Red bin – wrap in newspaper first	N/A
Insulation	Contact a commercial waste facility	Visit the Business Recycling website

J

Item	Preferred	Alternative
Juice cartons (fresh – no foil-lining)	Blue bin if you have one – if not, Yellow bin	N/A
Juice cartons (long-life – with foil lining)	Yellow bin	N/A
Junk mail	Contact Council and ask for a 'No advertising material' sticker	Blue bin if you have one – if not, Yellow bin. Please remove any soft plastic wrapping

K

Item	Preferred	Alternative
Kitty litter or pet poo	Red bin	N/A
Knitting and haberdashery	The Sewing Basket run by Achieve Australia or your local op shop	Red bin

L

Item	Preferred	Alternative
Lanyards	Red bin	N/A
Laptops	Donate to charity	Household chemical and e-waste drop-off
Lawn clippings	Green bin or compost bin	N/A
Lever arch folders	Try donating them	Red bin
Lids of take-away cups (plastic)	Yellow bin – up to 20 lids can be stacked together.	Red bin
Light globes/bulbs – incandescent	Red bin – wrap in newspaper first.	N/A
Light bulbs/tubes – fluorescent	Household chemical and e-waste drop-off or Community Recycling Centre	Red bin
Long-life liquid containers (foil lined)	Yellow bin	N/A

M

Item	Preferred	Alternative
Magazines	Donate to charity	Blue bin if you have one – if not, Yellow bin
Mailing satchels (Australia Post plastic satchel)	Recycle through RedCycle bins at your local supermarket.	Red bin
Mattresses	Council's Weekend Transfer Station	Council clean up service
Meat trays (plastic, all colours)	Yellow bin	N/A
Meat trays (compostable and polystyrene)	Red bin	N/A
Medicines	Take to your nearest chemist/pharmacy.	N/A
Mercury	Household chemical and e-waste drop-off or contact Toxfree on 1300 869 373	N/A
Metals (toolboxes and similar)	Freecycle	Council clean up service
Metal frames (e.g. bed)	Donate through Freecycle or Gumtree	Council clean up service
Metal poles	Post on Buildbits	Commercial waste facility
Metal rods, etc.	Red bin	N/A
Microwave oven (not in working order)	Council clean up service Household chemical and e-waste drop-off	N/A
Microwave oven, in working order	Donate to charity, Freecycle	Council clean up service
Microwave dish/container (composite plastics)	Red bin	N/A
Milk/juice bottles	Yellow bin	N/A
Milk/juice carton (fresh – not foil-lined)	Blue bin if you have one – if not, Yellow bin	N/A
Milk/juice cartons (long-life – foil lined)	Yellow bin	N/A
Milk crates	Call Dairy Farmers on 1800 000 570	N/A
Mirrors (broken)	Red bin (wrap it first)	N/A
Mirrors (not broken)	Freecycle, local op shop, ebay, gumtree	Council clean up service
Mobile phones and batteries	Visit the Mobile Muster website, drop them off at Council's Customer Service Centre at 2–14 Fisher Street, Petersham, at the Community Recycling Centre, at the next Household chemical and e-waste drop-off or refer to the Recycling Near You website for more options.	N/A
Mops	Upcycling	Red bin
Motor oil	Household chemical and e-waste drop-off or Community Recycling Centre	N/A

N

Item	Preferred	Alternative
Nappies (disposable and compostable)	Red bin	N/A
Needles and syringes	Place them in a sharps container or a puncture resistant container (not glass) and dispose of them at a participating pharmacy. You can find them by searching for your suburb on the Safe Sharps website	N/A
Newspaper	Compost bin	Blue bin or Yellow bin

Item

Preferred

Alternative

Nappies (disposable and compostable)

Red bin

N/A

Needles and syringes

Place them in a sharps container or a puncture resistant container (not glass) and dispose of them at a participating pharmacy.

You can find them by searching for your suburb on the Safe Sharps website

N/A

Newspaper

Compost bin

Blue bin or Yellow bin

O

Item	Preferred	Alternative
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	N/A
Oil (engine)	Household chemical and e-waste drop-off or Community Recycling Centre	N/A
Oil heaters	Household chemical and e-waste drop-off	Council clean up service

P

Item	Preferred	Alternative
Packaging (foam)	Avoid it in the first place. If it comes as packaging, ask the retailer to recycle it for you.	Red bin
Packaging (corn starch stuffing)	Compost bin	Red bin
Packaging (soft): foil-lined	Red bin	N/A
Paint tints - full	Advertise on a local buy/sell/swap forum e.g.Facebook Marketplace or ‘Street Bounty’	Household chemical and e-waste drop-off or Community Recycling Centre
Paint and solvents - half empty	Household chemical and e-waste drop-off or Community Recycling Centre	N/A
Paint tints – empty or dried-out	Council clean up or Community Recycling Centre	Red bin
Paper and cardboard	Blue bin if you have one. If not, Yellow bin Did you know...? Shredded paper shouldn't go loose in your bin. Place it in a cardboard box, paper bag or bundle it into sheets of newspaper.	N/A
Paper (grease-proof)	Red bin	N/A
Paper towels and tissues	Red bin Did you know...? Paper towels and tissues cannot be recycled for hygiene reasons.	N/A
Pens and pencils	Donate to charity	Red bin
Pet food cans	Yellow bin	N/A
Pet poo/kitty litter	Red bin	N/A
Pillows and cushions (beyond reuse) Natural fibre fill	Add fill to compost bin	Red bin
Pillows and cushions (beyond reuse) synthetic fill	Discard cover, pull out fill and reuse	Red bin
Pipes (plastic)	Post on Buildbits	Commercial waste facility
Pizza boxes (with no leftover food)	Blue bin if you have one. If not, Yellow bin	N/A
Phone book/directory	Opt out online or call 1800 008 292	Blue bin if you have one. If not, Yellow bin
Plant pots (plastic)	The Bower or take to a local community garden.	N/A
Plant pots (terracotta/ceramic)	The Bower, Reverse Garbage, Freecycle	N/A
Plasterboard	The Bower, Reverse Garbage, Freecycle	N/A
Plastic shopping bags	Soft plastics drop-off at a local supermarket (find your nearest store)	N/A
Plastic bottles	Drink containers can be recycled at a Return and Earn recycling station. Recycling tip: Keep lids on and bottles empty - no liquids or smaller plastic pieces inside.	Yellow bin
Plastic cards (e.g. loyalty cards etc.) and thin plastic objects	Red bin	N/A
Plastic food containers (single use)	Yellow bin	N/A
Plastic food trays (biscuits)	Red bin	N/A
Plastic food trays (meat)	Yellow bin	N/A
Plastic-lined food wrapping	Soft plastics drop-off at a local supermarket (find your nearest store)	Red bin
Plastic netting (e.g. fruit netting)	Soft plastics drop-off at a local supermarket (find your nearest store)	Red bin
Plastic storage containers (e.g. Tupperware)	Donate to charity	Red bin
Plastic takeaway containers (no leftover food)	Yellow bin	N/A
Plastic toys	Donate to charity, Freecycle	Red bin
Plastic wraps, films and ziplock bags	Soft plastics drop-off at a local supermarket (find your nearest store)	Red bin
Plasticised foil wrap (e.g. tea bag wrapping)	Red bin	N/A
Pottery/porcelain	Donate to charity	Red bin
Pots and pans (aluminium or steel)	Donate to charity, Freecycle	Council clean up service
Poisons, pesticides and herbicides	Household chemical and e-waste drop-off	N/A
Polystyrene (also known as foam)	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, check the Recycling Near You website	Red bin
Pringles containers (composite materials)	Red bin	N/A
Printer cartridges	Officeworks and JB Hi-Fi stores, Australia Post, Harvey Norman, Dick Smith, The Good Guys, Office National and Office Products Depot outlets.	Household chemical and e-waste drop-off
Pyrex (ovenware)	Donate to charity, Freecycle	Red bin

R

Item	Preferred	Alternative
Radios	The Bower, Freecycle, Gumtree	Household chemical and e-waste drop-off
Razors	Red bin	N/A
Records (vinyl)	Donate to local radio station, a second hand shop or post on& Freecycle.	Red bin
Refrigerators	Freecycle	Council clean up service
Reusable shopping bags	Check the Recycling Near You website	Red bin
Ring binders (plastic)	Try donating them	Red bin
Ring binders (cardboard)	Try donating them	Red bin
Rugs, carpets, underlay	Contact The Bower, Reverse Garbage or a commercial waste facility for disposal. Visit the Business Recycling website for more ideas.	Council clean up service

S

Item	Preferred	Alternative
Sand	Visit the Business Recycling website	Commercial waste facility
Scrap metals	Check the Recycling Near You website for metal recyclers.	N/A
Sharps/syringes	Place them in a sharps container or a puncture resistant container (not glass) and dispose of them at a participating pharmacy. You can find them by searching for your suburb on the Safe Sharps website	N/A
Shopping trolleys	Coles, Kmart, Target, Bunnings, Officeworks, Bi Lo: Report online Woolworths, Dan Murphy, Big W, Target, IGA: Report online Aldi: Phone 132 534.	N/A
Sinks, e.g. kitchen or laundry	Reverse Garbage	Council clean up service
Shoes	Donate to charity	Red bin
Smoke alarms/detectors	Household chemical and e-waste drop-off or Community Recycling Centre	N/A
Soft plastic packaging	Soft plastics drop-off at a local supermarket (find your nearest store)	Red bin
Soil and rocks	Commercial waste facility	N/A
Spectacles	Check the Recycling Near You website	N/A
Spice container (metal with plastic lid)	Yellow bin (metal container) and Red bin (lid)	N/A
Steel cans	Yellow bin	N/A
Stoves	Freecycle	Council clean up service
Straws (plastic)	Red bin	N/A
Styrofoam (otherwise known as ‘foam’) or expanded polystyrene – EPS)	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, check the Recycling Near You website	Red bin

T

Item	Preferred	Alternative
Take away food containers (no leftover food)	Yellow bin	N/A
Tapes (VHS and cassette)	Household chemical and e-waste drop-off	N/A
Tea bags	Compost bin	Red bin
Telephones	Household chemical and e-waste drop-off	N/A
Televisions, not working	Household chemical and e-waste drop-off	Council clean up service
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	Visit the Business Recycling website	N/A
Tissues and napkins	Red bin	N/A
Toner cartridges	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.	Household chemical and e-waste drop-off
Toaster	Household chemical and e-waste drop-off	N/A
Tools (metal)	Donate to charity, Freecycle	Council clean up service
Tools (powered)	Household chemical and e-waste drop-off	N/A
Toothbrushes	Terracycle collection (check website for locations) – or reuse it as a grout scrubber.	Red bin
Toothpaste tubes and caps	Terracycle collection (check website for locations)	Red bin
Trolleys	Coles, Kmart, Target, Bunnings, Officeworks, Bi Lo: Report online Woolworths, Dan Murphy, Big W, Target, IGA: Report online Aldi: Phone 132 534.	N/A
Tyres	Check the Recycling Near You website for options	Commercial waste facility

U

V

Item	Preferred	Alternative
Vacuum cleaner dust	Compost bin	Red bin
Vegetable scraps	Compost bin	Red bin
Video tapes	Visit the Business Recycling website for drop-off locations, or take them to Council's next Household chemical and e-waste drop-off	Red bin

W

Item	Preferred	Alternative
Washing machines	Council clean up service	N/A
Waxed cardboard (e.g. fruit box)	Red bin	N/A
White goods excluding freezers, fridges, air conditioners	Household chemical and e-waste drop-off	N/A
Windows (frame and glass panes)	Contact The Bower or Reverse Garbage or post on Buildbits	N/A
Windows (glass)	See 'Glass' (laminated and window)	Commercial waste facility
Wire coat hangers	Offer to give them to your local laundry or dry cleaner	N/A
Wood shavings – untreated	Contact your local community garden	N/A
Wood shavings – treated	Commercial waste facility	N/A
Wrapping paper	Blue bin if you have one – if not, Yellow bin	N/A

X

Item	Preferred	Alternative
X-ray films	Check with your radiologist as many medical imaging businesses collect X-rays. Search on Recycling Near You for other options in your area.	Household chemical and e-waste drop-off

Item

Preferred

Alternative

X-ray films

Check with your radiologist as many medical imaging businesses collect X-rays.

Search on Recycling Near You for other options in your area.

Household chemical and e-waste drop-off

Y

Item	Preferred	Alternative
Yoghurt containers (clean)	Yellow bin	N/A

A-Z: What goes where?

Legend

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

R

S

T

U

V

W

X

Y

Rate this page