Household waste – recycling suggestions for residents
It is the whole community’s responsibility to live more sustainably and reduce the impact of our lifestyle on the
environment. To assist residents to dispose of their household & commercial waste council provides:
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Waste Management and Resource Recovery Facilities (landfills & transfer stations),
Household waste collection for general and recyclable waste,
Compost bins and worm farms for purchase at a reasonable price, plus information on composting organic
waste (food scraps & garden green waste).
Recommendations for the recycling and sustainable disposal of various types of
household waste
Household organic waste
Food scraps
Set up a composting system and/or worm farm to breakdown your food scraps into
valuable compost for your pots and gardens.
Council sells compost bins and worm farms at the Caboolture and Dakabin Treasure
Markets, and at the Redcliffe Waste Management Facility, for a reasonable fee. Note:
Composting worms are not included; please refer to “composting worms” in the Yellow
Pages or as an internet search, for suppliers.
If you are not going to compost your food craps place them in the general waste bin
only - never place food scraps in the recycling bin.
Garden waste (lawn
clippings, palm fronds &
prunings)
Small amounts of organic garden waste (green waste): Set up a composting system to
breakdown lawn clippings & prunings into valuable compost for your pots and gardens.
Council sells compost bins and worm farms (please see above for more information).
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Garden waste which is not contaminated with other waste can be delivered to
council’s waste management facilities for mulching;
Refer to “garden waste disposal” or “garden maintenance” in the Yellow Pages or as
an internet search to locate businesses that collect green waste from your home;
Never place green waste in your household recycling bin only in the general waste
bin.
Large amounts of organic garden waste (green waste):
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Vacuum dust, hair and nail
clippings
Chip/Mulch the branches and prunings to use as mulch on your gardens;
Depending on the size of your property set up a composting system to breakdown
lawn clippings and prunings into valuable compost for your pots and gardens;
Garden waste which is not contaminated with other waste can be delivered to
council‘s waste management facilities for mulching.
Set up a composting system. These products can be used as fibres and grit in your
composting bin to obtain healthy mulch for your plants and gardens.
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February 16
Re-usable or recyclable waste
Aluminium cans & foil
Must have little or no contamination from food, oils or chemicals so they can be
recycled.
 Aluminium cans in large quantities - contact local scrap metal dealers and see what
they may reimburse you for these items. Scrap metal is worth money as it is much
cheaper to reprocess it than it is to extract the mineral from the raw ore;
Place loosely in your household recycling bin or in the recycling bins at council’s waste
management facilities.
Cardboard and paper
Paper, newspaper, magazines, advertising mail, damaged books, old directories and
cardboard must be clean and not contaminated by food, oils or chemicals so it can be
recycled.
 Check with your local child care and schools to see if they would like your old
magazines and paper/card etc;
 Small amounts can be disposed of in your household recycling bin;
 Larger amounts can be disposed of in the cardboard bins at council’s waste
management facilities.
These paper and cardboard products can be re-processed to make other products such
as toilet paper, copy paper, books and magazines, paper-based furniture and
packaging.
Note: Please secure paper inside a cardboard box to contain it, and collapse empty
boxes and remove all packaging materials (e.g. plastic, polystyrene) before you place
then into your household recycling bin or the cardboard bins at the waste management
facilities.
Christmas wrapping paper
and cards
Paper and card wrapping, bags and cards are recyclable through the household
recycling bin. Small amounts of sticky tape or glue are acceptable and do not need to
be removed.
Christmas ribbons
Cellophane, foil and plastic wrapping, plus ribbons and garlands are not recyclable and
need to be disposed of in the household general waste bin. Hint: Always choose a
recyclable present wrapping option.
Christmas decorations and
tinsel
Christmas decorations are not recyclable through the household recycling bin and must
be disposed of in the general waste bin.
Concrete
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e-waste (computers,
televisions and other
electronic waste)
If item is in good condition (i.e. in working order):
Sell it at a garage sale; give to someone to use; or donate to charity.
Crushed and re-used for drainage around the waste management facilities
Council appreciates donations to the Treasure Markets through all council’s waste
management facilities. For more information refer to council’s website.
Items to be donated can be dropped off at allocated areas at any waste facility –
residents to check with the facility caretaker or weighbridge operator. Note: The
Treasure Markets will accept flat screen LCD/Plasma TV’s but no TV’s of older designs
please.
Recycle through Council waste facilities:
All e-waste, working or not, can be dropped off at allocated areas at any waste facility.
Residents can also refer to the Recycling Near You website for other recycling options.
Some e-waste items such as mobile phones can be recycled through the retails stores.
Contact the manufacturer who may operate a disposal/recycling returns program.
For all other e-waste such as mobile phones:
 Contact the manufacturer who may operate a disposal/recycling returns program;
 Other e-waste items can be disposed of at the Caboolture and Dakabin waste
facilities.
Note: Never place in household recycling or general waste bins. Please deliver to the
appropriate waste management facility.
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February 16
Re-usable or recyclable waste
Glass bottles
Must have little or no contamination from food, oils or chemicals so they can be
recycled.
 Remove lids, usually plastic or steel, as these can contaminate the reprocessing.
Dispose of the lids in your general waste bin and place the glass bottles in your
household recycling bin OR in the recycling bins at council’s waste management
facilities;
 Reuse to store food and other items.
These recycled products can be re-used to make other glass bottles and containers.
Hazardous waste (includes
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motor and vegetable oil; car
batteries; gas cylinders; paints
and chemicals)
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Domestic quantities accepted at selected council’s waste management facilities.
Contact council or refer to council’s website for information on which waste
management facilities you can take these items to.
Never place hazardous waste in your household general waste or recycling bins.
Sorted and separated motor and vegetable oil, car batteries and gas cylinders
will be recycled. Good quality paint will also be recycled if it can be sold at the
Caboolture and Dakabin Treasure Markets.
Household batteries
Consider the following options for recycling batteries instead of choosing to landfill
them through your general waste bin:
 Refer to Planet Ark’s ‘Recycling Near You’ website for local drop off centres;
 Search the Yellow Pages or internet for Battery World and ALDI stores for free
drop off for their battery recycling programs.
Household items (includes
clothing, crockery and cutlery,
books and music, toys,
furniture, appliances, tools,
mowers, construction and
demolition items e.g. timber,
tiles, bricks, pavers,
landscaping items, garden
edging etc)
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Light globes
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If item is in poor condition:
 Small items e.g. clothing, crockery and cutlery, books and music, toys can be
disposed of in your household general waste bin;
 Large, bulky or heavy non hazardous items can be taken to council’s four major
waste management facilities located at Bunya, Caboolture, Dakabin and
Redcliffe;
 Most of these household items, except some of the construction and demolition
(renovation) items e.g. metal, timber, concrete and bricks, will need to be
disposed of in landfill.
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Liquid paperboard (milk and
juice cartons with a waxed
coating)
If item is in good condition: sell it at a garage sale; give to someone to use;
donate to charity; or donate to council’s Treasure Markets through council’s
waste management facilities
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Domestic quantities of fluorescent energy saving globes can be dropped off at
the Caboolture and Dakabin waste management facilities.
Refer to Planet Ark’s ‘Recycling Near You’ website for local drop off centres.
Never place light globes, incandescent or fluorescent in the household recycling
bin. Please secure in a bag or box and place in the general waste bin.
Cartons must be clean and not contaminated by food, oils or chemicals so they
can be recycled;
Dispose of in your household recycling bin OR in the recycling bins at council’s
waste management facilities.
Plastic bottles and containers 
(with recycling symbol – codes
1-7)
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Must have little or no contamination from food, oils or chemicals so they can be
recycled;
Dispose of in your household recycling bin OR in the recycling bins at council’s
waste management facilities;
 Council is unable to recycle polystyrene or plastic bags and wrappers.
These recycled plastic items can be re-processed to make other products such as
plastic bottles, containers and furniture.
Plastic (other) items in toys or
household items (with no
recycling triangle)
As per household items above.
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Re-usable or recyclable waste:
Plastic bags
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Metal (steel, aluminium,
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fridges, hot water systems and
car bodies)
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Mobile phones
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Re-use;
Take to major supermarkets (e.g. Coles, Woolworths) and dispose of in the
specific plastic bag recycling bins;
Never place plastic bags in the household recycling bin, only in the general
waste bin.
Scrap metal is worth money as it is much cheaper to reprocess it than it is to
extract the mineral from the raw ore.
Contact local scrap metal dealers and see what they may reimburse you for
these items;
Domestic quantities of non bulky items of sorted scrap metal (with no foreign
materials) are accepted at all of council’s waste management facilities;
Large/bulky items of scrap metal can only be taken to council’s four major waste
management facilities located at Bunya, Caboolture, Dakabin and Redcliffe.
Most mobile phone retailers are members of the Australian Mobile
Telecommunications Association and will take mobile phones and chargers for
recycling;
Look out for annual ‘Mobile Muster’ campaigns in newspapers and television
advertising or refer to http://www.mobilemuster.com.au/
Never place in your household recycling bin, only in the general waste bin.
Printer and photocopier toner
cartridges
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Many organisations are involved in the cartridge recycling programme. Refer to
Planet Ark’s ‘Recycling Near You’ website for a list of participating drop off
businesses.
Smoke alarms
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Domestic quantities smoke alarms can be dropped off at the Caboolture and
Dakabin waste management facilities.
Refer to Planet Ark’s ‘Recycling Near You’ website for local drop off centres.
Never place smoke alarms in the household recycling bin. Please secure in a
bag or box and place in the general waste bin.
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Timber
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If item is in good condition: sell it at a garage sale; give to someone to use;
donate to charity; or donate to council’s Treasure Markets through council’s
waste management facilities.
If item is in poor condition take to one of council’s four major waste management
facilities located at Bunya, Caboolture, Dakabin and Redcliffe. If it is sorted and
free from foreign materials it can be used to produce green energy at power
stations.
A large quantity of re-usable timber is donated to Blaze Aid. This charity rebuilds
fences out of recycled timber for those that have experienced devastation to their
homes and properties through natural disasters.
Concrete
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Crushed & re-used for drainage around the waste management facilities.
Tyres
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Chipped & re-used for playgrounds and equestrian fields around the community.
X-Ray Film
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Not accepted for recycling through Council bins or waste facilities.
X-Rays can be disposed in the household general waste wheelie bin service.
To save the silver used in X-Rays - Mail or deliver X-Rays to companies
participating in this recovery process:
http://recyclingnearyou.com.au/xray/BrisbaneQLD
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Additional recycling information:
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Planet Ark has a range of recycling programs available and can be accessed at the ‘Recycling Near You’
website: http://recyclingnearyou.com.au/
Clean Up Australia Day co-ordinates and promotes recycling programs at: http://www.cleanup.org.au/au/
Keep Australia Beautiful Queensland website: http://www.kabq.org.au/Home.htm
Qld state government’s waste information is available on:
http://www.derm.qld.gov.au/environmental_management/waste/index.html
The Living Smart Homes Queensland website is a joint venture with Moreton Bay & Sunshine Coast Regional
Council’s: http://www.livingsmartqld.com.au/homes/index.html
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