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A-Z recycling guide

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

Nillumbik’s household recycling goes to Cleanaway’s recycling facility in Coolaroo, where it’s sorted and bundled up for local and international markets. The recycling industry has faced significant challenges over the past few years due to restrictions on export markets and limited local demand for recovered materials. We regularly update this A-Z list based on any changes to the items Cleanaway accepts and advancements within the recycling industry.

If you can’t find an item on the list, please complete the recycling question form and we will get back to you.

A

Acids and alkalis

Adapters (e-waste)

 Adhesive strip

Advertising material (including envelopes with or without windows)

Aerosol cans (empty) > see Can

Aerosol cans (full)

Air conditioners (e-waste)

Aluminium foil 

Animal fur

Animal faeces/poo 

Anti-freeze

Antibiotics > see Medicine

Appliances > see  Electronic/electrical appliances

Asbestos 

Ash (cold)

Audio tapes and reels (e-waste) 

Australia Post satchels (plastic) - post packs, express post satchel, parcel post satchel - see > Postal bags

B

Bag ties 

Balloons 

Bandaids > see Adhesive strip

Baskets cane (broken) 

Baskets (usable)

Batteries

BBQ  

Bean bags

  • charity
  • red landfill bin (make sure the beans are contained in bag)
  • If donating to charity, make sure item is clean and in good condition with no holes

Beer bottle tops (metal) > see Lids

Beer can > see Can

Berry punnets

Bicycles (broken) 

Books 

Bones

Bottle tops and lids  -  see Lids 

Boxes (cardboard)

Boxes (waxed cardboard) > see Cardboard (waxed)

Bread bag, plastic

Bread bag clip (plastic)

Bricks and rubble

Bubble wrap   

Building materials 

Butane cans (from camp stoves) - Detox your home  

C

Cable ties

Cake trays (plastic)

Candles

Can 

 Car (old)

Car batteries > see Batteries (Car)

Car seats (child car seats and boosters)

Cardboard

Cardboard (waxed)

  • red landfill bin
  • Waxed cardboard and boxes aren’t suitable for paper recycling due to the wax coating

Carpet scraps 

Carpet/underlay

Cartons, juice, milk, UHT and Tetra Paks

  • red landfill bin - cartons are composed of a mix of plastic and cardboard. Tetra Paks/UHT cartons are also lined with foil and are no longer fully recyclable. Nillumbik's recycling processor Cleanaway, have advised that they are working on a solution. 

Cartridges (printer) (e-waste)

Cat poo and kitty litter

Cassette tapes 

Cassette tape cases

CDs (e-waste)

CD cover (hard plastic) 

CD/DVD drives (e-waste)

Cellophane (from bunches of flowers)

  • REDcycle - visit REDcycle website for further information

Ceramics (broken) 

Ceramics (intact)

  • charity
  • Make sure items are in good condition and are clean and not stained 

Cereal boxes 

Cereal box insert 

Chemicals 

Chewing gum 

Chip packet 

Children's car seat > see Car seats (child car seats and boosters)

China

Christmas tree (fake)

 Christmas tree (live) 

Cigarette butts 

Cigarette lighter (empty)

Cigarette packet 

Clean fill

Cling wrap 

Clothing and shoes 

Coat hangers (metal)

Coat hangers (plastic) 

Coffee cups (disposable)

  • Cup (plastic lined paper) - red landfill bin
  • Lid (plastic) - yellow recycling bin
  • Standard disposable coffee cups are made from liquid paperboard which is a mix of paper and plastic. At the moment, processing of liquid paperboard isn’t very effective so when coffee cups are put in the recycling bin, they contaminate the other items to be recycled 

Coffee jars 

Coffee granules 

Coffee pods/capsules 

Compact discs (e-waste) > see CDs

Computers (e-waste)

Compostable cups (PLA plastic)

  • red landfill bin
  • Contact individual brand of cup for commercial composting options
  • Nillumbik's kerbside green waste compost facility does not accept PLA plastics

Computer parts and peripheries (e-waste) 

 Computer mouse (e-waste) 

Computer monitor/screen (e-waste)

Concrete 

Cooking oil

Cooler bag (reusable from supermarket)

 Corks

Cosmetic jars (empty) 

 Cotton 

Cotton wool buds 

Cups and saucers (intact)

  • charity
  • Make sure items are in good condition and are clean and not stained

 Cups and saucers (broken)

 Curtains (reusable)

  • charity
  • Make sure items are in good condition and are clean and not faded

Curtains

Cutlery (metal/plastic)

  • Metal and in good condition - charity  
  • Metal or plastic - red landfill bin
  • Cutlery should not go in the recycling bin as they can cause issues with the sorting process

D

Detergent bottles (plastic)

Devices (e-waste) > see E-waste

Dirt (commercial quantities)  

Disposable nappies

Disc drives (e-waste) 

Dog poo > see Animal feaces/poo

Doonas and pillows 

Down lights (e-waste) 

Drink can > see Can

Drinking straws 

Drink bottles (plastic)

Dry cleaning bags 

Dryer (hair) (e-waste) 

Ducted heating units (e-waste)

Ducting (flexible tubing from ducted heating) 

Dummies (for babies) 

red landfill bin

DVDs (e-waste)

DVD/CD drives (e-waste) > see  CD/DVD drives

E

 Electronic/electrical appliances (e-waste)

Electrical cable (e-waste)

Egg cartons 

Enamel pots/bowls

Envelopes > see Advertising material

Eye glasses (broken)

E-waste (e-waste)

F

Fabric/Textiles (cleaning rags, old towels)

 Fax machines (e-waste) 

Fencing (timber) 

Fencing wire (including electric) 

 Fertiliser bag (plastic and woven polypropylene) 

Fibreglass 

Film negatives

Fire extinguisher 

Floppy discs (e-waste) 

Floppy disc drives (e-waste)

Fluorescent tubes (e-waste)

Foam boxes 

Foam meat trays

Foam underlay > see Carpet/underlay

Foil > see Aluminium foil

Foil lined cartons > see Cartons

Food can > see Cans

Food pouches, yoghurt and baby food (soft plastic)

Fruit and vegetable scraps

Fridge

 Fuels 

Furniture 

G

Garden chemicals 

Garden materials

Gas bottles (empty)

Glad wrap > see Cling wrap

Glass

  • Drinking cups and Pyrex glass - red landfill bin (this type for glass is not recycled as it does not melt at the same temperature as bottles and jars)

 Gift cards (plastic wallet sized cards) 

Gift wrapping > see Wrapping paper

Golf balls 

Grass clippings > see Garden materials

Greeting cards paper (used) 

H

Hair pet or human (small amounts)

Hair (large amounts)

Hard drives (e-waste)

Hard plastic 

Hay bale twine (plastic and fabric)

Headphones (e-waste)

Helium tanks 

Highlighters and textas 

Hoses 

Hot water bottles 

 Hot water systems (broken) (e-waste) 

Household chemicals

Hypodermic needles > see Needles

I

Ice cream containers (coated paper or plastic) 

Ice cream lids > see Lids

Icy pole sticks

Ink cartridge - Recycling Centre

Insulation

iPads (e-waste)

IT cords and cables (e-waste) 

J

Jars

Juicer (electric) (e-waste)  

Juice cartons > see Cartons

Junk mail > see advertising material

K

Keyboards (e-waste)

Kitchen sponges

Kitty litter 

Knives > see Cutlery

L

Laptops (e-waste) 

Lawnmower

 Leaves > see  Garden materials

Lids

  • Metal lids can be placed loose in the yellow recycling bin
  • Large plastic lids (e.g ice cream container)  - yellow recycling bin
  • Small plastic lids red landfill bin - small lids fall through the sorting lines at the recycling facility and as there are not many businesses that want to buy that type of plastic they have little economic value.

Light bulbs and tubes (e-waste) 

Linen 

Lolly wrappers (plastic including foil lined plastic)

Long life milk cartons (Tetra Pak) > see Cartons

M

Magazines 

Manure (horse/cow)

Margarine tubs 

Match boxes

Mattresses 

Meat scraps 

Meat trays (foam) 

Meat trays (plastic) 

Medicine 

Milk bottle (Plastic)

Milk cartons  > see Cartons

Mirror glass (broken) 

Mobile phones (e-waste) 

Modems (e-waste)

Monitors > see Computer monitors/Screens

Motor oil 

N

Nappies (disposable)

Nappies (compostable)

Needles (syringe) 

  • Purchase sharps container from your local pharmacy and return filled to pharmacy

Netting bag for oranges/onions/garlic

  • REDcycle
  • see REDcycle website for further information

Newspaper

Noxious weeds > see Garden materials

Nylon chopping boards -  red landfill bin

O

Office paper

Cooking oil

Oil (used cooking oil) > see Cooking oil

Oil (motor) > see Motor oil

Orange net bags > see  Netting bag for oranges/onions/garlic

Ovens (old)

P

Packing tape, plastic 

Paint tins (dry) 

Paint 

Paint stripper

Pallet stretch wrap

Paper towel (used) 

Paper towel roll

Pens and pencils 

Perfume bottle 

Perspex 

Pet food tins 

Pet hair (small amount)

Petrol 

Pharmaceuticals > see Medicine 

Phone books

Phone handsets (e-waste)

Photographs 

Photo negatives

Picture frames 

Pill packets (empty) 

Pillows and doonas - see  Doonas and pillows

Pills (medicine) > see Medicine

Pizza boxes

 Polystyrene 

Pottery (broken) > see Ceramics (broken)

Pottery (intact) > see  Ceramics (intact)

Power supplies (e-waste)

Place mats

Plant cuttings > see Garden materials

Plant pots (plastic)

  • red landfill bin
  • The optical sorter at the recycling facility (Cleanaway) does not sort black plastics correctly

Plant pots (broken ceramic) > see Ceramics (broken)

Plastic (rigid/hard, coded 1-5) 

Plastic, soft/flexible 

Plastic air pillow protective packaging 

Plastic bags 

Plastic Film (e.g film from frozen dinners, top of meat trays etc)

Plastic hay bale twine - see Hay bale twine (plastic and fabric)

Plastic lids

Plastic packing tape >  see  Packing tape, plastic

Plastic toys (broken)  

Plastic pool toys (inflatable)

 Plastic trays/baskets

Plastic wrap > see Cling wrap 

Plastic wrappers 

Plaster 

Plate glass (wrapped) - red landfill bin, hard waste collection

Plush toys 

Polystyrene 

red landfill bin , Recycling Centre (landfill option only), other recycling facilities (for recycling)

Pool acid containers (empty) 

Pool acid 

Postal bags 

Pots and pans

Potting mix bags

  • REDcycle
  • see REDcycle website for more information

Power cables (domestic) (e-waste)

Prams 

Printer/toner cartridges (e-waste)

Printers (e-waste) 

Pyrex ovenware (broken)

Pyrex ovenware (intact)

  • charity
  • Make sure items are clean and in good condition

Q

Quilt covers

R

Records (vinyl) 

Reusable green check out bags 

Reusable check out bags (fabric) 

  • charity
  • red landfill bin
  • If donating to charity please make sure items are in good condition, clean and not stained

Rope

Rubber 

Rubber gloves 

S

Sandpaper

Sanitary items 

Satellite navigation systems (e-waste) 

Screw/nails 

Scanners (e-waste) 

Serviettes (paper)

Serviettes (cloth) 

  • charity
  • red landfill bin
  • If donating to charity please make sure items are in good condition, clean and not stained

Shade cloth

Shampoo bottles 

Sheets (old/stained)

Shredded paper 

  • home compost
  • Small amounts in the green organics bin is fine
  • Can cause issues in the recycling stream as it may be blown around the sorting facility and become litter  

Shoes > see  Clothing and shoes 

Silver foil - see Aluminium foil

Smoke alarms - detox your home   

Soft drink bottles 

Soft drink can > see Can

Soft toys

Soft plastic > see  Plastic, soft/flexible 

Speakers - (e-waste)

Spectacles

Steel can < see Can

Steel  

Straws 

Stickers  

Sticky tape > see adhesive strip

Strawberry punnets - see Berry punnets

Styrofoam

Sweet wrappers - REDcycle

Syringes  > see Needles

T

Tablets (electronic) (e-waste)

Tablets (medicine) -  see Medicine

Take away containers (plastic)

Tarpaulins

Tartaric acid (large quantities)

Tea bags

Tea leaves

Telephone books  

Tennis balls

Tennis racquets 

Tetra Pak (long life cartons)  > see Cartons

Textas  

Tiles (broken)

Tin can > see Can

Tin (scrap metal)

Timber

Tissues 

Tissue boxes

Toaster (e-waste)

Toilet paper rolls

Toner cartridges (e-waste) 

 Toothbrushes

Toothbrushes (electric) (e-waste) 

Toothpaste tubes

Toys (plastic and plush)

Towels (old/stained)

Tree prunings

Tree/plant protector guards

Twine (jute, cotton, fibre or plastic)

TV (e-waste)  

U

UHT cartons > see Cartons

V

Vacuum cleaner (e-waste)

Vacuum cleaner dust bags

Vegetable scraps

Video tapes (e-waste)

Vinyl records - charity

W

Waxed cardboard

Waxed paper

Weeds 

Wet wipes

Windows (broken and wrapped in paper)

Window panes

Wine bottles  

Wine bottle screw tops -

Wine cask bag

Wood (treated pine)

Wool scraps  

Wrapping paper

X

X-rays 

Y

Yoghurt containers 

Z

Zip lock bags 

 

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