Reuse
Before disposing of an unwanted item, consider selling, giving away or donating:
- Gumtree or FreeCycle
- Contact The Bower or Reverse Garbage
- Op Shop can help you find your nearest donation location
Check the following charities to find out what you can donate:
- Save the Children
- Salvation Army
- St Vincent de Paul Society
- Red Cross
- Givit - connecting donors to charities
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.
A-Z
Unsure how to dispose of an item? Check the list below for more info:
| Item | Which bin or service? | Advice and suggestions |
|---|---|---|
| A | ||
| Aerosol cans | Yellow bin (can emptied) | Unemptied cans: Household chemical and e-waste drop-off, Community Recycling Centre |
| Air conditioner | Council clean up service - metal and whitegoods | Portable only. For other types of air conditioners search Business Recycling Website |
| Air freshener | Yellow bin (spray bottles and empty aerosols) Red bin (plug in air fresheners) | 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 any of your bins. They are hazardous and can cause fires. | Household chemical and e-waste drop-off HomeCycle collects batteries including rechargeable, non-rechargeable, small handheld batteries (AA, AAA, C, D, 9V, 6V), lantern watch and button batteries and standard size handheld rechargeable batteries up to 5kg. Place batteries in a zip lock bag for safety. Ensure button batteries and 9-volt batteries are stored separately, as they can ignite when they come into contact with each other and cause a fire. | B-cycle provides drop-off points for household batteries, this includes most major supermarkets. Find your nearest drop-off point For mobile phone batteries check MobileMuster 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 |
| Bicycles and bicycle parts | Council clean up service - metal and whitegoods | Check Bicycle NSW |
| BioPak compostable packaging | 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 compost will go onto farmlands. Fibre-based food containers are generally made from sugarcane pulp (bagasse) and cannot be recycled in the yellow-lid bin. Even though the product looks similar to cardboard, it cannot be recycled with cardboard and paper. |
| Blister Packs | Red bin HomeCycle collects blister packs | 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 Post on Facebook, Gumtree, Freecycle |
| 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. Some restrictions apply, see website for details. |
| 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 100cm long. The lid of the bin must be able to shut by collection day. |
| Bricks | Hire a skip bin for construction waste Post on Facebook, Gumtree, Freecycle | |
| C | ||
| Carton (Tetra Pak) | Red bin | Poppers and cartons under 1 litre in size are accepted by Return and Earn |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Cellophane | Red bin | |
| 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 | Some major supermarkets have recommenced soft plastics collection through a trial. Find participating supermarkets in NSW HomeCycle collects soft plastics via a pickup service |
| Clothing and textiles | Red bin HomeCycle collects wearable and unwearable clothing | Donate wearable clothes to your local charity/op shop. Some retailers will accept unwearable textiles including H&M Tear up unwearable clothing or textiles for cleaning rags or donate them to your local animal shelter or vet. Other clothing and textile recyclers include: |
| Coat hangers | Red bin | 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 (takeaway/disposable) | Red bin | Try using a reusable coffee cup instead! Most takeaway coffee cups contain a plastic lining which contaminates the paper recycling stream so they cannot go in the yellow-lid bin. Some shopping centres, petrol stations and other retailers have partnered with Simply Cups - a coffee cup recycling program. 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. Coffee cup lids - these are too light to be processed in the recycling facility, they fly off the machinery and can be blown into the wrong material stream. Compostable coffee cups - we do not accept compostable coffee cups in our FOGO stream, even if the seedling logo is present. This is to ensure the highest quality compost will go onto farmlands. Compostable coffee cups can be recycled through Simply Cups. Some compostable coffee cups are home compostable. |
| Coffee capsule/pod | Red bin HomeCycle collects aluminium coffee pods | 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 | 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) | Red bin | |
| E | ||
| Egg cartons | 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 For more options visit Recycling Near You |
| Electronic waste (e-waste) | Household chemical and e-waste drop-off HomeCycle collects e-waste including mobile phones, computers, ear/headphones, screens etc. | Including computers, laptops, TVs, speakers, mouse, keyboard, telephones, headphones, earphones and other accessories Donate to The Reconnect Project For mobile phone recycling visit MobileMuster 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 | 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 Large amounts: The Sewing Basket by Achieve Australia |
| 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 | 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. Visit the Recycling Near You website |
Food scraps Includes:
| 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 |
| Fridge magnets | Red bin | Contact Reverse Garbage, they may have capacity to accept fridge magnets Consider repurposing by sticking photos or children's artwork to magnet |
| 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 |
| 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 | 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 | ||
| Glass bottles | Yellow bin | Return and Earn recycling station. Some restrictions apply, see website for details. |
| Glass jars | Yellow bin | Metal lid can stay screwed on jar Consider reusing as a food storage container 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 | 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 |
| 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 |
| Household appliances (metal) e.g. toaster | Donate to The Bower or post on Freecycle | |
| 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 | |
| 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 |
| Lawn clippings | 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. |
| Lawn mowers | Council clean up service - metal and whitegoods | Remove any remaining fuel from the lawn mower |
| Leaves (dried or fresh) | 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. | |
| Light bulbs/tubes – fluorescent | Household chemical and e-waste drop-off or Community Recycling Centre Red bin | |
| M | ||
| Magazines | Yellow bin | Donate to charity |
| Mailing satchels (Australia Post plastic satchel) | Red bin | Some major supermarkets have recommenced soft plastics collection through a trial. Find participating supermarkets in NSW HomeCycle collects soft plastics via a pickup service |
| 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) | ||
| Microwave oven, in working order | 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 | Household chemical and e-waste drop-off HomeCycle collects mobile phones | Visit the MobileMuster website 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 | ||
| 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 | Home compost bin Yellow bin | Donate to animal shelter like Sydney Dogs and Cats home Newspaper is not accepted in the FOGO bin |
| 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 | |
| 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’ |
| Paint and solvents - half empty | Household chemical and e-waste drop-off or Community Recycling Centre | |
| 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 natural fibre fill to home 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 (plastic) | Red bin Council clean-up service - bulky household items | Plastic plant pots can be taken to Bunnings to be recycled into new pots |
| Plant pots (terracotta/ceramic) | The Bower, Reverse Garbage, Freecycle | See Pinterest for inspiration on the creative reuse of plant pots 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 |
| Plasterboard | The Bower, Reverse Garbage, Freecycle | |
| Plastic shopping bags | Avoid if possible Red bin | Some major supermarkets have recommenced soft plastics collection through a trial. Find participating supermarkets in NSW HomeCycle collects soft plastics via a pickup service |
| 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. Some restrictions apply, see website for details. |
| 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 | |
| Plastic netting (e.g. fruit netting) | Red bin | |
| Plastic storage containers (e.g. Tupperware containers) | Red bin | Donate to charity |
| Plastic takeaway containers (no leftover food) | Yellow bin | |
| Plastic toys | Red bin HomeCycle collects plastic toys that are in a usable condition | Donate to charity, Freecycle Bubcycle (usable toys only) |
| Plastic wraps, films and ziplock bags | Avoid if possible Red bin | Some major supermarkets have recommenced soft plastics collection through a trial. Find participating supermarkets in NSW HomeCycle collects soft plastics via a pickup service |
| 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. |
| Pringles containers (composite materials) | Red bin | |
| Printer cartridges | Household chemical and e-waste drop-off HomeCycle collects printer cartridges | Officeworks and JB Hi-Fi stores, Australia Post, Harvey Norman, Dick Smith, The Good Guys, Office National and Office Products Depot outlets. |
| 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 Recycling 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 | Some major supermarkets have recommenced soft plastics collection through a trial. Find participating supermarkets in NSW HomeCycle collects soft plastics via a pickup service |
| 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 |
| |
| Sinks, e.g. kitchen or laundry | Council clean up service | Reverse Garbage |
| Shoes | Red bin HomeCycle collect wearable and unwearable shoes and sneakers | TreadLightly recycle sport and active lifestyle footwear. Donate to charity |
| Smoke alarms/detectors | Household chemical and e-waste drop-off or Community Recycling Centre | |
| Soft plastic packaging | Avoid if possible Red bin | Some major supermarkets have recommenced soft plastics collection through a trial. Find participating supermarkets in NSW HomeCycle collects soft plastics via a pickup service |
| 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 |
| T | ||
| 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 | Paper tea bags can be placed in the burgundy lid or green lid bins. 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 | Visit the Business Recycling Website |
| Timber (unusable, poor condition) | Council clean up service | |
| Timber - furniture (good condition) | Council clean up service | Donate to charity |
| 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. |
| 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 |
| |
| 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 | ||
| 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. | |
| Vegetable scraps | 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 |
| W | ||
| Washing machine | Council clean up service | |
| Waxed cardboard (e.g. fruit box) | Red bin | |
| Wheelchair | ||
| 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 | |
| X | ||
| X-ray films | Household chemical and e-waste drop-off HomeCycle collects X-rays (remove personal information first) | Check with your radiologist as many medical imaging businesses collect X-rays. Search on Recycling Near You for other options in your area. |
| Y | ||
| Yoghurt containers | Yellow bin | Rinse lightly before recycling |