A to Z Waste and Recycling Guide

waste and recycling

We encourage you to dispose of waste in the right way, so we can all reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill.

What you can recycle has changed

We know this can be confusing, so please use this guide to work out the best way to dispose of your waste and recycling. If you're still unsure what to do, you can take a photo and email it to us. Our waste team will do the investigating for you!

CAN I RECYCLE THIS?

If you have materials or rubbish not listed in our guide, please contact a Waste Transfer Station to see if they're able to accept it.

If you live in the Abbotsford alternate collections area (formerly Abbotsford trial area) and have four bins, what you are able to put into your recycling and food and organics bin may differ to the advice provided in this guide. To find out exactly what you can put in your bins, refer to the information on our Abbotsford Waste Revolution trial page

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | R | S | T | V | W | X | Y | Z

Legend

Rubbish Rubbish bin electronic waste Electronic waste
Recycling Recycling bin
Yarra recycling drop-off centre
Yarra recycling drop-off centre
purple glass bin Glass bin Community recycling stations Community recycling/disposal stations
e.g supermarkets, Officeworks, pharmacy for chemical waste
Food waste
Food waste
Skip bin hire Skip bin hire/private service
Green waste
Green waste collection
Hard rubbish Hard rubbish collection

A

Aerosol cans (empty) RubbishYarra recycling drop-off centre
Aluminium foil (scrunched into a ball)  Recycling
Animal droppings (bagged) Rubbish
Asbestos Community recycling stations

Back to top ↑

B

Bag ties Rubbish
Bamboo Hard rubbish
Band aids Rubbish
Baskets Hard rubbish
Batteries electronic wasteYarra recycling drop-off centreCommunity recycling stations
BBQs (metal) Hard rubbish
Beauty product packaging Rubbish
Beer bottles (empty, clean, no lids) purple glass bin
Bicycles Hard rubbishCommunity recycling stations
Bike tubes Yarra recycling drop-off centre
Biscuit trays (all plastic types) Rubbish
Bottles (glass – empty, clean, no lids) purple glass bin
Bottles (plastic 1 and 2 – empty, clean, no lids) Recycling
Bottle tops/lids (plastic) RubbishCommunity recycling stations
Bottle tops/lids (metal) RecyclingYarra recycling drop-off centre
Books (paper) Yarra recycling drop-off centreRecyclingHard rubbish
Branches Green waste
Bricks (small amount) Hard rubbish
Bricks (large amount) and rubble Skip bin hire 
Broken glass (bottles and jars ONLY) purple glass bin
Broken glass (other – NOT bottles or jars) Rubbish
Bubble wrap Yarra recycling drop-off centreCommunity recycling stationsRubbish
Building materials Skip bin hire

Back to top ↑

C

Cameras electronic wasteYarra recycling drop-off centre
Cans (aluminium/steel) RecyclingYarra recycling drop-off centre
Car batteries Yarra recycling drop-off centre
Car parts (small) Hard rubbish
Car tyres Hard rubbish
Cardboard (flattened) RecyclingYarra recycling drop-off centre
Carpet and underlay Hard rubbishSkip bin hire
Cartridges (printer/toner) electronic wasteCommunity recycling stationsHard rubbishYarra recycling drop off centre
Cassette tapes Rubbish
CDs/DVDs Rubbish
 CD/DVD/Cassette cases   Rubbish
CD/DVD players electronic wasteYarra recycling drop-off centre
Cellophane Rubbish
Ceramics (broken) Rubbish
Ceramics (intact) Rubbish
Cereal boxes RecyclingYarra recycling drop-off centre
Cereal box inserts (soft plastic) RubbishCommunity recycling stationsYarra recycling drop-off centre
Chemicals Community recycling stations
Chip packets Community recycling stationsRubbish
Christmas trees (natural) Green waste
Cigarette butts/lighters Rubbish
Cleaning rags Rubbish
Cling wrap (clean and dry) Community recycling stationsRubbishYarra recycling drop-off centre
Clothing Community recycling stationsYarra recycling drop-off centreHard rubbish
Cloth nappies Rubbish
Coffee cups and lids Rubbish
Coffee pods  Rubbish
Computers and parts electronic wasteYarra recycling drop-off centreHard rubbishCommunity recycling stations
Concrete Skip bin hire
Corks Rubbish
Cosmetics packaging Rubbish
Cotton wool/buds Rubbish
Crockery, bakeware, Pyrex and glass food containers (broken) Rubbish
Cups and saucers (broken) Hard rubbishRubbish
Cups and saucers (in-tact) Hard rubbish
Curtains Hard rubbish
Cutlery (metal) Yarra recycling drop-off centre
Cutlery (plastic) Rubbish

Back to top ↑

D

Dental care packaging Rubbish
Detergent bottles (plastics 1 and 2 - empty, clean, no lids) Recycling
Dip container (plastic 5 ONLY) Recycling
Dirt, stones and soil Skip hire
Disposable gloves (bagged) Rubbish
Disposable nappies (emptied) Rubbish
Doors (only 1 door allowed in each hard rubbish collection) Hard rubbishSkip bin hire
Drinking glasses, wine glasses, crystal glassware (broken) Rubbish
Drums (empty metal) Skip bin hire

Back to top ↑

E

Egg cartons RecyclingYarra recycling drop-off centre
Electrical appliances
electronic wasteYarra recycling drop-off centreHard rubbish
Envelopes (with/without windows) RecyclingYarra recycling drop-off centre
Eye glasses Rubbish
Electronic waste e.g light bulbs, batteries, anything with a battery or cord (limit of 20kg per drop-off/collection)
electronic wasteYarra recycling drop-off centreHard rubbish

Back to top ↑

F

Face masks (bagged) Rubbish
Floppy disks Rubbish
Fluorescent tubes Yarra recycling drop-off centre
Fluorescent globes
Yarra recycling drop-off centre
Foil – aluminium (scrunched)
Recycling
Food waste
Food wasteRubbish
Fridges
Hard rubbish
Fruit punnets Rubbish
Fruit and vegetable scraps Food wasteRubbish
Furniture Hard rubbish

Back to top ↑

G

Garden waste Green wasteFood waste
Gas bottles (limit of 1) Yarra recycling drop-off centreHard rubbish
Glad wrap (clean and dry) Yarra recycling drop-off centreRubbish
Glass jars (empty, clean, no lids) purple glass bin
Grass clippings
Green wasteFood waste
Greeting cards
RecyclingYarra recycling drop-off centre

Back to top ↑

H

Hard plastic items (such as containers, buckets, pots, and crates) Yarra recycling drop-off centreHard rubbish
Hot water units
Hard rubbish
Household chemicals
Community recycling stations

Back to top ↑

I

Ice cream containers and lids (plastic 5 ONLY – clean and empty) Recycling

Back to top ↑

J

Jars (empty, clean, no lids) purple glass bin
Juice cartons (including Tetra Paks) Recycling
Junk mail Recycling

Back to top ↑

K

Kitty litter Rubbish

Back to top ↑

L

Leaves Green wasteFood waste
Lids (metal) Recycling
Lids (plastic) Rubbish
Light bulbs
electronic wasteYarra recycling drop-off centre
Lolly wrappers
Rubbish
Lunch boxes RubbishHard rubbish

Back to top ↑

M

Magazines Yarra recycling drop-off centre
Make-up containers Rubbish
Margarine/butter tubs (plastic 5 ONLY, empty and clean) Recycling
Mattresses (limit of 1) Hard rubbish
Meat scraps Rubbish
Meat trays (foam) Rubbish
Meat trays (plastic 5 ONLY, empty and clean) Recycling
Medicines bottles – glass (empty, clean, no lids)
*For plastic bottles scroll down to P and refer to Plastic numbers
purple glass bin
Metal Yarra recycling drop-off centre
Metal lids from bottles and jars  Recycling
Milk cartons e.g. long-life, plant-based and lactose free (including Tetra Paks) Recycling
Milk containers (plastic 1 and 2 – clean, empty, no lids) Recycling
Mirrors RubbishHard rubbish
Mobile phones electronic wasteYarra recycling drop-off centreCommunity recycling stations

Back to top ↑

N

Nappies (emptied)
Rubbish
Newspapers
RecyclingYarra recycling drop-off centre

Back to top ↑

O

Office paper
RecyclingYarra recycling drop-off centre
Oils (cooking – up to 5L) Yarra recycling drop-off centre
Oils (engine – up to 5L) Yarra recycling drop-off centre
Ovens
Hard rubbish

Back to top ↑

P

Paint tins (with a limit of 5 x 20L containers) Yarra recycling drop-off centreHard rubbish
Paint tins (empty)
Yarra recycling drop-off centreHard rubbish
Paper towel sheets Rubbish
Paper towel roll insert
Recycling
Paper
RecyclingYarra recycling drop-off centre
Paper (shredded) Food wasteYarra recycling drop-off centre
Paper (receipts) Recycling
Perfume bottles Rubbish
Perspex
Hard rubbishSkip bin hire
Pet food tins (empty, clean)
Recycling
Phonebooks
RecyclingYarra recycling drop-off centre
Photographs Rubbish
Picture frames
Hard rubbish
Pizza boxes (empty) Recycling
Placemats Rubbish
Plant Cuttings  Green wasteFood waste
Plant pots (plastic)
Yarra recycling drop-off centreHard rubbish
Plant pots (ceramics and clay) RubbishHard rubbish
Plasterboard
Skip bin hire
Plastics (items labelled 1 and 2 that are NOT bottles) Rubbish
Plastics (items labelled 3, 4, 6 or 7) Rubbish
Plastics (items with no labelled number) Rubbish
Plastic bags Community recycling stationsYarra recycling drop-off centreRubbish
Plastic bottles (plastic 1 and 2 ONLY – clean, empty, no lids) Recycling
Plastic containers (plastic 5 ONLY – empty and clean)
Recycling
Plastic – hard (e.g. containers, buckets, pots, crates etc) Yarra recycling drop-off centre
Plastic strapping
Rubbish
Plastic trays/baskets Yarra recycling drop-off centreHard rubbish
Plastic wrappers (soft plastic)
Rubbish
Polystyrene
Yarra recycling drop-off centre
Pots and Pans Yarra recycling drop-off centreHard rubbish
Printers
electronic wasteYarra recycling drop-off centreHard rubbish
Pyrex ovenware (broken) Rubbish

Back to top ↑

R

Roses Green wasteFood waste

S

Scrap metal Yarra recycling drop-off centre
Seedling containers Yarra recycling drop-off centre
Shoes
Yarra recycling drop-off centreHard rubbishCommunity recycling stations
Soft drink bottles (plastic 1 and 2 – empty, clean, no lids)
RecyclingYarra recycling drop-off centre
Soft plastics (clean and empty, certain items only)
Yarra recycling drop-off centreCommunity recycling stations
Soil and stones Skip bin hire
Solvents (up to 5L)
Yarra recycling drop-off centreCommunity recycling stations
Spirit bottles – glass (empty, clean, no lids) purple glass bin
Sporting goods
Hard rubbish
Staples
Rubbish
Steel cans
RecyclingYarra recycling drop-off centre
Steel (other than tins and cans)
Hard rubbishYarra recycling drop-off centre
Stoves
electronic wasteHard rubbish
Styrofoam  Rubbish
Syringes Community recycling stations

Back to top ↑

T

Take away containers (plastic 5 only – empty, clean)
Recycling
Tea bags
Food wasteRubbish
Televisions
electronic wasteYarra recycling drop-off centreHard rubbish
Textiles Yarra recycling drop-off centreHard rubbish
Timber (large) Skip bin hire
Tin cans RecyclingYarra recycling drop-off centre
Tissues Rubbish
Toilet paper rolls
Recycling
Toothbrushes and toothpaste tubes Rubbish
Toys Yarra recycling drop-off centreHard rubbish
Tree prunings Green wasteFood waste
Trigger, spray and pump lids Rubbish
Tyres (bike) Yarra recycling drop-off centre
Tyres (car – limit of 4) Hard rubbish
Tyres (truck)
Skip bin hire
Twine (nylon)
Rubbish

Back to top ↑

V

Vacuum cleaners electronic wasteHard rubbish
Vacuum cleaner dust (bagged) Rubbish
Vacuum cleaner dust (unbagged) Food wasteRubbish
Vegetable scraps Food wasteRubbish
VHS tapes Hard rubbish
Vinyl Hard rubbishSkip bin hire

W

Washing machines Hard rubbish
Waxed paper/cardboard Hard rubbishRubbish
Weeds Green wasteFood waste
White goods Hard rubbish
Window glass RubbishSkip bin hireHard rubbish
Wine bottles – glass (empty, clean, no lids) purple glass bin
Wire Yarra recycling drop-off centreHard rubbish
Wrapping paper (no sticky tape) RecyclingYarra recycling drop-off centre

Back to top ↑

X

X-rays Yarra recycling drop-off centre

Y

Yoghurt containers (plastic 5 only – empty, clean) Recycling

Z

Zips Rubbish


Back to top ↑