A-Z Waste & Recycling Directory

Introducing Recycle Mate – your very own recycling assistant. Simply enter the item you want to dispose of, and it will tell you which bin to put it in at home. If it doesn't belong in your bins, your new Mate will show you where you can recycle or donate it close by.


Use our A-Z Directory to find out where your unwanted items can be recycled or disposed of. You can donate household goods to The Bower Reuse & Repair Centres, who collect good quality items from your home and resell them back to the community at a low cost or give them to people in need.

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ItemWhere it should go
A             
Aerosol cans (empty) Empty aerosol cans can be recycled in your yellow container recycling bin.
Aerosol cans (not empty) Aerosol cans with material still inside are a hazard when put into the yellow container recycling bin. Take to a Chemical CleanOut event or a Community Recycling Centre.
Asbestos Asbestos cannot go in any household bins. Asbestos can only be disposed of at a licensed disposal location. Asbestos should only be handled by a licensed asbestos removal contractor. You can find out more information about asbestos removal and disposal here.
Asthma inhalers The National Asthma Council of Australia has information on their website about the best way to dispose of asthma inhalers. Click here to find out more .
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Batteries – household   Batteries should never be placed in the red garbage bin, as they can cause fires. Take them to a council drop-off station in Bondi Junction, or a Recycle It Saturday event. Alternatively, find your nearest B-Cycle drop off point. Remember to tape your battery terminals.

Consider swapping to rechargeable batteries.
Batteries – embedded   Embedded batteries are hidden within objects and not visible. These hidden batteries can ignite fires when disposed of incorrectly; never put them in your household bins. Examples of items with embedded batteries include laptops, electric toothbrushes, light-up toys, vacuum cleaners, phones, vapes and e-scooters. Find out how to safely dispose of each item by searching for it in the A-Z Directory or use the Recycle Mate toolbar above.

Helpful hint: If an item is rechargeable, it has an embedded battery.
Batteries – car Take to a Chemical CleanOut event or a Community Recycling Centre. 
Bike, E-Bikes, Scooters and other Personal Transport Vehicles Old bikes can be donated to Revolve ReCYCLING. Their certified mechanics repair and redeploy good quality bikes which are resold at affordable prices. Kids’ bikes are donated to kids that have no access to bikes. All other material is diverted from landfill to recycling.

99 Bikes in Bondi Junction is the local drop off point.
Bread tags Due to their small size, bread tags can not go in the yellow container recycling bin.

Aussie Bread Tags for Wheelchairs is an organisation that recycles them locally, raising funds to buy wheelchairs for disadvantaged people, mainly in South Africa. Find a collection point on this map.
Blister packaging Blister packs can be recycled at all Chemist Warehouse locations in Waverley and Blooms The Chemist in Bondi Junction – find your closest drop off point with Pharmacycle. You can also bring your empty blister packs to a Recycle It Saturday event. Please separate the cardboard packaging and recycle it separately in your blue lid bin at home.
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Cameras Analogue film or digital cameras can be dropped off at any Ted's Cameras store. Find your nearest Ted's store and learn more about Ted's Camera Recycling Program.
Cans (aluminium and steel) Recycle aluminium and steel cans in your yellow container recycling bin. 
You can also collect eligible drink cans and recycle them at a return and earn station for a 10c rebate per can. Check the label on the bottles to confirm if eligible for the scheme.
Cars and car parts Visit Recycling Near You to find scrap car recyclers that collect your old vehicle or submit a vehicle disposal application to Council. Abandoning a car on the street is an offense and penalties apply – more information.
Cardboard (household and bulk quantities) Small quantities of cardboard can be flattened and recycled in your blue paper and cardboard recycling bin. Don’t overfill your recycling bin – excess and bulky cardboard can be recycled at a Recycle It Saturday event.
Cardboard (waxed) Dispose of waxed cardboard your red garbage bin as the wax coating cannot be recycled at the recycling facility.
CDs, DVDs, VHS tapes and USBs Consider donating at first, otherwise, take them to Officeworks to be recycled, or bring them to our Recycle It Saturday events.
Chemicals (household) Household chemicals are hazardous and must be disposed of correctly. Take to a Chemical CleanOut event. Find a location.
Chip packets (soft plastics) Dispose of in your red garbage bin.
Chocolate bar wrapper (soft plastics) Dispose of in your red garbage bin.
Clothes hangers Dispose of in your red garbage bin. If they’re intact, you can try and donate them to your local dry cleaner or charity shop.
Clothing, textiles, linen and accessories Good condition items can be donated to charitable organisations for resale or rehoming – watch this video to learn more about responsible donation.

Damaged and soiled items that cannot be sold or donated should be disposed of in the red garbage bin. Your unwearable clothing may also be accepted in a retailer-sponsored program.
Cling wrap Dispose of in your red garbage bin.
Coffee cups – disposable The best way to reduce disposable coffee cup waste is to choose a reusable cup. 
If you use a disposable coffee cup, check the list of 7-Eleven stores that collect coffee cups for recycling.
Coffee cups – disposable lids Takeaway coffee cup lids cannot be recycled, and should be placed in the red garbage bin.
Coffee pods/capsules Bring your aluminium coffee pods inside a sealed bag to a Recycle It Saturday event. Brands may also have drop-off points in store or in partnership with Terracycle.
Compostable plastic Neither biodegradable nor compostable packaging should be put in your yellow container recycling bin, or your blue paper and cardboard recycling bin, as it causes contamination. You can check your packaging to see if there are any labels on it claiming to be biodegradable or compostable.

If your packaging is certified to be home compostable (AS5810), then you can place this packaging in your home compost bin.

If your packaging is not certified to be home compostable, or you cannot compost at your own home, place this packaging in your red garbage bin.
Computers – PCs, laptops, components and accessories, If still in working condition, consider selling online or donating. If not working, take to Officeworks or bring along to one of our Recycle It Saturday events.
Construction and Demolition Waste Cannot go in kerbside bins or be collected through Council Clean Up Collections. The EPA has some excellent resources surrounding the transportation and disposal of construction and demolition waste. Click here to find out more.
Cooking oil Place it in your red bin. Pour oil over absorbent material such as shredded paper or egg cartons and place this in a bag/box if you’d like to keep your red bin clean.
Corks Corks can be reused for craft purposes, as garden mulch or placed in a compost bin if you have one (note they cannot be placed in your green waste bin). Otherwise, they must be disposed of in the red garbage bin.
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Dog Poo Dispose of in your red garbage bin.
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Envelopes Envelopes should be placed in the blue paper and cardboard recycling bin.
Eyewear (glasses, spectacles) There are some donation and recycling opportunities for Eyewear in NSW – click here to find out more.
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Flares Flares contain explosive matter and should be taken to a flares collection site. Find a collection site near you.
Foil Clean aluminium foil (scrunched together in a fist-sized ball) and trays go in your yellow containers recycling bin. If the aluminium foil is contaminated with food scraps place it in the red garbage bin.

Foil trays are also recyclable.
Food scraps and waste If you are not able to compost at your own home, try connecting to others who do through Peels. Otherwise, place food scraps and food waste in your red garbage bin.
Fruit stickers Dispose of in your red garbage bin.
Furniture If still in good condition, consider selling online or donating. The Bower Collection and Rehoming Service provides Waverley Council residents with reuse and rehoming options for items that are still in good condition.

If broken or unusable, book one of your free clean up collection or call 9083 8000 if you need assistance.
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Gas bottles Gas bottles are hazardous waste. Take to a Chemical CleanOut event, a Community Recycling Centre, or a Recycle It Saturday event.
Glass bottles and jars Recycle glass bottles and jars  in your yellow container recycling bin. You can also collect eligible glass  bottles and return them at a return and earn station for a 10c rebate for each bottle recycled. Check the label of the bottle to confirm eligibility.
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Heaters, hot water Hot water heaters can be taken to Cleanaway Rockdale for free recycling.
Heaters, oil Empty oil heaters can be taken to Cleanaway Rockdale for free recycling.

Oil heaters with oil remaining inside can be taken to a Chemical CleanOut event.
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Junk mail Place any paper mail in the blue paper and cardboard recycling bin, making sure to remove any plastic wrapping beforehand. Consider putting a 'No Junk Mail' sticker on your mailbox to reduce unwanted marketing material.

A further step would be to register for the ADMA’s ‘Do Not Mail’ register to stop receiving unwanted promotional mail.
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Kitchen appliances (toaster, kettle, etc.) If still in working condition, consider selling online or donating. If not working, bring along to a Recycle It event.
Kitty litter Kitty litter should be disposed of in the red garbage bin.
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Lids – Metal and plastic Lids should be kept on jars and bottles when recycling.
Light bulbs and fluorescent tubes Light bulbs and fluorescent tubes can be dropped off at a Council drop-off station, a Recycle it Saturday event, a Community Recycling Centre or a Household Chemical CleanOut event.
Liquid Paper Board containers These containers are used for long-life products (e.g. UHT milk, Tetrapak) and can be placed in the blue paper and cardboard recycling bin. Some containers such as juice boxes and poppers can be taken to Return and Earn collection point for a 10c rebate for each container recycled. Check the label of the container to confirm eligibility.
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Magazines Recycle it right in your blue paper and cardboard recycling bin, provided packaging (e.g. plastic wrap) is removed.
Makeup and beauty packaging Clean and empty containers of any brand can be dropped off at Priceline, Mecca, or David Jones for recycling.
Mattresses Check the Bedding Stewardship Website for a list of approved mattress recyclers. Otherwise, book a free clean up collection.
Medicines (unwanted) You can bring old, expired and other unwanted medicines to RUM (Return Unwanted Medicines) Project participating pharmacies. RUM Project is a national scheme. Click here to find your nearest participating location.
Metal water  bottle Reusable metal bottles are increasingly common, but cannot be recycled in your home recycling bin. Bring your end of life metal water bottles to one of our Recycle It Saturday events.
Mobile phones If still in working condition, consider selling online or donating. If not working, bring along to a council drop-off station or a Recycle It Saturday event. Alternatively, bring them to your nearest Officeworks for recyling.
Motor oil Take to a Household Chemical CleanOut event or a Community Recycling Centre. Find a location.
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Nappies (disposable) Nappies go in the red garbage bin.
Needles and syringes You can bring needles to one of the community disposal sites around Waverley.
Netting produce bags Dispose of in your red garbage bin.
Newspapers Recycle it right in your blue paper and cardboard recycling bin. Any plastic packaging should go in your red garbage bin.
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Oral care products Toothpaste tubes and caps, manual toothbrushes, electric toothbrush heads, and floss containers are accepted at our Council drop-off stations located at the Customer Service Centre or the Library in Bondi Junction.
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Paint (household) Take to a Household Chemical CleanOut event or a Community Recycling Centre. Find a location
Paper Recycle it right in your blue paper and cardboard recycling bin.
Paper towels Dispose in the red garbage bin. The paper fibres are too short to be recycled and can pose a health issue for people sorting on the processing line.
Pens & markers Officeworks has partnered with TerraCycle to collect and recycle pens and markets. Take any pens and markers to be recycled to an Officeworks drop off point.
Plastic containers Recycle it right in your yellow container recycling bin. All rigid plastic containers need to be empty. Examples of recyclable plastic containers include biscuit trays, meat trays, fruit punnets, laundry detergent, dishwashing liquid, shampoo, conditioner and body wash.

Soft plastics go in your red garbage bin.
Pizza boxes Remove any food scraps, and place in your blue paper and cardboard recycling bin.
Polystyrene foam (EPS) Polystyrene foam or Styrofoam cannot be recycled in your kerbside bins. Bring along to our Recycle It Saturday events to be recycled, or dispose of in the red garbage bin.
Pool inflatables Pool toys can be recycled through PLOYS. Their NSW collection point is in Tweed Heads so the most convenient option for Waverley residents is to post their end of life pool inflatables. In return, PLOYS offer a $10 voucher/store credit. Click here to learn more.
Printer cartridges Bring laser and inkjet cartridges to a Council drop-off station, or an Officeworks drop off point.
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Salad bags Dispose of in your red garbage bin.
Sandbags Sandbags are classified as building materials and cannot be collected by Council or placed in the kerbside bin. Bring them to a local tip or contact a commercial rubbish removal company to have them collected.
School uniforms For school uniforms that are not wearable see advice for “Clothing, textiles, linen and accessories”. Wearable school uniforms may be able to be upcycled (reused), with schools able to form a relationship with a private provider e.g. SCR Group, Upcycle4Better, Upcycle. Also consider The Uniform Exchange.
Shoes, sporting Sporting shoes and thongs can be taken to the nearest Tread Lightly collection point.
Smoke detectors Take to a Chemical CleanOut event or a Community Recycling Centre. Find a location.
Soft plastics Soft plastics should be placed in the red garbage bin.
Soil Soil is classified as building materials and cannot be placed in Council kerbside bins. Advertise locally on platforms such as Gumtree and Facebook Marketplace for reuse. Alternatively, contact a waste clearance service company to have it removed. For big quantities, consider hiring a skip bin. For small amounts, residents with a lawn can top dress it with the soil.
Shopping trolleys Visit our illegal dumping and litter page for more information.
Shredded Paper Shredded paper cannot be recycled and should be placed in the red garbage bin.

If you have a home compost bin, clean shredded paper (such as office paper or newspapers) can be composted. Paper that has a gloss, embellishments or colour cannot be composted as they contain toxic metals.
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Tablet (electronic device) If still in working condition, consider selling online or donating. If not working, bring along to a Council drop-off station.
Televisions If still in working condition, consider selling online or donating. If not working, bring along to one of our Recycle It Saturday events.
Tins or cans (empty) Lightly rinse, dry and recycle it right in your yellow container recycling bin.
Trolleys Visit our illegal dumping and litter page for more information.
Tyres Ask your mechanic or tyre retailer about their accreditation in the Tyre Stewardship Scheme. There may be a small fee to drop off your tyres for recycling so it's best to call ahead to confirm.
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Uniforms For school uniforms that are not wearable see advice for “Clothing, textiles, linen and accessories”. Wearable school uniforms may be able to be upcycled (reused), with schools able to form a relationship with a private provider e.g. SCR Group, Upcycle4Better, Upcycle. Also consider The Uniform Exchange.
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Vape and e-cigarettes E-cigarette and e-liquid (liquid nicotine mixtures) waste should not be thrown in any of the kerbside bins or flushed down a sink. Instead, take them to one of our quarterly Recycle It Saturday events.
VHS tapes Take to a Recycle It Saturday events.
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Wetsuits There are two options to recycle wetsuits. Rip Curl and Terracycle have partnered to recycle wetsuits. Check their website and call the store before your visit. Alternatively, you can drop off your old wetsuit at Let's Go Surfing in North Bondi. Wetsuits need to be fully dry and free of sand.
White goods (fridges, washing machines, etc) If still in working condition, consider selling online or donating. If not working, book a free clean up collection or call 9083 8000 if you need assistance. Learn more.
Wine bottles Recycle it right in your yellow container recycling bin. Keep lid on the bottle.
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X-ray films Collect them in a small box or bag and take to a Council drop-off station.