A-Z recycling guide

Use our A-Z guide to find out how to recycle or dispose of unwanted items in Nillumbik. We regularly update this guide when changes occur, or new services become available.

Our kerbside recycling goes to Cleanaway. You may also visit the Cleanaway website for more information. 

From 9 November 2022, REDcycle and soft plastic recycling has been paused. REDcycle is a program to recycle soft plastics through supermarkets. The program has been suspended due to REDcycle struggling to find local end markets for their products. Their recycling partners are committed to having the program back up and running as soon as possible.

To look up an item, select a letter below.

A

Acids and alkalis

Adapters

(e-waste)

Adhesive strip

Advertising material (including envelopes with or without windows)

  • Recycle in your yellow recycling bin.
    Envelopes should be dry.
  • If it is in soft plastic packaging, remove and recycle packaging via REDcycle.

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

Make sure you remove any personal information.

Australia Post satchels (plastic)

Including 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

  • Donate to charity.
    Make sure the donated item is clean and in good condition with no holes.
  • Dispose of in your red landfill bin
    Make sure the beans are contained in bag.

Beer bottle tops (metal)

See: Lids

Beer can

See: Can

Berry punnets

Bicycles (broken) 

Books 

Bones

Bottle tops and lids  

See: Lids 

Boxes (cardboard)

Make sure you flatten the boxes.

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)

Dispose of via Detox your home.

C

Cable (electric)  

See: E-waste

Cable ties

Cake trays (plastic)

Candles

Can 

Aluminium can

Beer or drink can

Food can 

Recycle in your yellow recycling bin.

Aerosol cans (must be empty)

Car (old)

Car batteries

See: Batteries (Car)

Car seats (child car seats and boosters)

Cardboard

Flatten any clean and dry boxes before placing in your recycling bin. Shredded cardboard should not go in your recycling bin as it is not sorted correctly at the recycling facility. Shredded paper or cardboard can be used as pet bedding, garden mulch or mixed in with your home compost.  

Cardboard (waxed)

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

Carpet scraps and underlay

Cartons, juice, milk, UHT and Tetra Paks

  • Dispose of in your 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

 Remove any personal information.

Cassette tape cases

CDs

(e-waste)

CD cover (hard plastic) 

CD/DVD drives

(e-waste)

Cellophane (from bunches of flowers)

Ceramics (broken) 

Ceramics (intact)

  • Donate to charity
    Make sure items are in good condition.

Cereal boxes 

Cereal box insert 

Charcoal 

See: Ash

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 

  • Donate to charity.
    Make sure donated clothing and shoes are in good condition and are clean and not stained. 
  • Find a clothing recycling location via RecylingNearYou.

Coat hangers (metal or plastic)

  • Donate to charity.
  • Dispose of in your red landfill bin.
  • Include wire hangers in a metal recycling load at our Recycling Centre.
  • These items are not be placed in the recycling bin as they are not sorted correctly.

Coffee cups (disposable)

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 cup lids 

  • Dispose of in your red landfill bin.
    Takeaway cup lids are usually made of hard polystyrene (triangle code 6) and not suitable for the kerbside recycling bin. 

Coffee jars 

Coffee granules 

Coffee pods/capsules 

Check individual brand websites for information on disposal options.

Compact discs

(e-waste)

See: CDs

Computers

(e-waste)

Make sure you wipe your personal data like personal details, emails, photos and downloads.

Compostable cups (PLA plastic)

  • Dispose of in your red landfill bin.
  • Contact the 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

Make sure you wipe your personal data like personal details, emails, photos and downloads.

Computer mouse

(e-waste

Computer monitor/screen

(e-waste)

Make sure you wipe your personal data like personal details, emails, photos and downloads. 

Concrete

Cooking oil

Soaked up in paper

Poured into a container

Small amount

Large amount 

Cooler bag (reusable from supermarket)

Corks

Cosmetic jars (empty) 

Cotton

Cotton wool buds 

COVID home testing kits 

Cups and saucers (intact)

  • Donate to charity.
    Make sure donated items are in good condition and are clean and not stained.

Cups and saucers (broken)

Curtains (reusable)

  • Donate to charity.
    Make sure donated items are in good condition and are clean and not faded.

Curtains

Cutlery (metal/plastic)

  • Donate metal cutlery in good condition to charity.
  • Dispose of metal or plastic cutlery in your red landfill bin.

Cutlery should not go in the recycling bin as it 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 faeces/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) 

Dispose of in your red landfill bin.

DVDs

 (e-waste)

DVD/CD drives

(e-waste)

See:  CD/DVD drives

E

E-waste

Any unwanted item with a plug, cord or battery.

Remove any batteries for separate recycling

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 

See: Chemicals 

Furniture 

G

Garden chemicals

Garden materials

Gas bottles (empty)

Glad wrap

See: Cling wrap

Glass

Jars/bottles:

Glass jars/bottles:

Glass (window pane):

Drinking cups and Pyrex glass:

  • Dispose of in your red landfill bin
    This type for glass is not recycled as it does not melt at the same temperature as bottles and jars.

Glass from broken picture frame:

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)

Make sure you wipe your personal data like personal details, emails, photos and downloads. 

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

See: Chemicals 

Hypodermic needles

See: Needles.

I

Ice cream containers (coated paper or plastic) 

Ice cream lids

See: Lids

Icy pole sticks

Ink cartridge

Insulation

Fibreglass, wool and cellulose:
There are no known local recycling markets. It is accepted at Hanson Wollert Landfill

Polystyrene: 

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

Make sure you wipe your personal data like personal details, emails, photos and downloads.

Lawnmower

Leaves

See: Garden materials

Lids

  • Metal lids: place loose in the yellow recycling bin.
  • Large plastic lids (e.g ice cream container): recycle in your yellow recycling bin.
  • Small plastic lids (e.g bottle lids): dispose of in your red landfill bin.
    Small lids fall through the sorting lines at the recycling facility and are not sorted with the correct plastic types. There are some drop off locations for recycling through the Lids4Kids program.

Light bulbs and tubes (e-waste

Linen 

Lolly wrappers (plastic including foil lined plastic)

Long life milk cartons (Tetra Pak)

See: Cartons

M

Magazines 

Magnets

Manure (horse/cow)

Margarine tubs 

Match boxes

Mattresses 

Meat scraps 

Meat trays (foam)

Meat trays (plastic)

Clear plastic trays:

  • remove any remaining meat
  • remove the absorbency pad
  • remove any plastic film and recycle via REDcycle
  • lightly rinse the tray
  • recycle in your yellow recycling bin.

Dispose of black plastic trays in your red landfill bin.

Medicine 

Mercury thermometer

Milk bottle (Plastic)

Milk cartons 

See: Cartons

Mirror glass (broken) 

  • Dispose of in your red landfill bin.
    Wrap broken glass in newspaper before disposal.

Mobile phones (e-waste)

Modems (e-waste)

Monitors

See: Computer monitors/Screens

Motor oil 

N

Nappies (disposable)

Nappies (compostable)

Needles (syringe) 

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

Netting bag for oranges/onions/garlic

Newspaper

  • Recycle in your yellow recycling bin.
    Make sure the newspaper is dry.
  • If it is wrapped in soft plastic packaging, remove and recycle the packaging via REDcycle

Noxious weeds

See: Garden materials

Nylon chopping boards

O

Office paper

Oil, cooking

Soaked in paper: 

Poured into a container:

Put small amounts in your home compost.

For large amounts, find:

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

See: Chemicals

Pallet stretch wrap

Paper towel (used) 

Paper towel roll

Pens and pencils 

Perfume bottle

Perspex 

Pet food tins 

Pet hair (small amount)

Petrol

See: Chemicals   

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

Place mats

Plant cuttings

See: Garden materials

Plant pots (plastic)

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)

  • Recycle via REDcycle.
    Make sure it is clean and dry.

Plastic hay bale twine

See: Hay bale twine (plastic and fabric)

Plastic lids

  • Dispose of small plastic bottle lids in your red landfill bin.
    Small plastic items fall through the holes during the recycling sorting process.
  • Recycle container lids in your yellow recycle bin.

Plastic packing tape

See:  Packing tape, plastic

Plastic toys (broken)  

Plastic pool toys (inflatable)

Plastic trays/baskets 

  • If labelled with 1 - 5, recycle in your yellow recycling bin.
  • Black plastic trays cannot be recycled in Australia as the sorting equipment cannot identify them. Dispose of in your red landfill bin.  

Plastic wrap

See: Cling wrap 

Plastic wrappers

Plaster 

Plate glass (wrapped)

Plush toys

Polystyrene 

Pool acid containers (empty) 

Pool acid 

See: Chemicals

Postal bags 

Pots and pans

Pottery (broken)

See: Ceramics (broken)

Pottery (intact)

See: Ceramics (intact)

Potting mix bags

Power cables (domestic) (e-waste)

Power supplies (e-waste)

Prams 

Printer/toner cartridges (e-waste)

Printers (e-waste

Pyrex ovenware (broken)

Pyrex ovenware (intact)

  • Donate to charity.
    Make sure donated items are clean and in good condition.

Q

Quilt covers

R

RAT - Rapid Antigen Test kits

Records (vinyl) 

Reusable green check out bags 

Reusable check out bags (fabric)

  • Donate to charity.
    Make sure donated items are in good condition, clean and not stained.
  • Dispose of in your red landfill bin.

Rope

Rubber 

  • Including rubber off cuts, rubber bands and charity bracelets
  • Dispose of in your red landfill bin.

Rubber gloves 

S

Sandpaper

Sanitary items

Satellite navigation systems (e-waste

Screw/nails 

Scanners (e-waste

Serviettes (paper)

Serviettes (cloth) 

  • Donate to charity.
    Make sure donated items are in good condition, clean and unstained.
  • Dispose of in your red landfill bin.

Shade cloth

Shampoo bottles 

Sheets (old/stained)

Shredded paper 

  • Put in your home compost.
  • Recycle small amounts in your green organics bin.
    Large amounts can cause issues in the recycling stream as it may be blown around the sorting facility and become litter.  

Shoes 

See: Clothing and shoes 

Silicone products 

Silver foil

See: Aluminium foil

Smoke alarms

See: Chemicals 

Soft drink bottles 

Soft drink can

See: Can

Soft toys

  • Donate to charity.
    Make sure donated items are in good condition.

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

Syringes 

See: Needles

T

Tablets (electronic) (e-waste)

Tablets (medicine) 

See: Medicine

Take away containers (plastic)

Tarpaulins

Tartaric acid (large quantities)

See: Chemicals

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

Vape (e-cigarette)

See: E-waste

  • Remove battery if you can.
  • If the battery cannot be removed then include the e-cigarette in the battery recycling at the Recycling Centre of our small e-waste drop off locations. 

Vegetable scraps

Video tapes (e-waste)

Vinyl records

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

  • Recycle in your yellow recycling bin.
  • It should be clean, and remove any decorative ribbon or sticky tape

X

X-rays

Y

Yoghurt containers

Z

Zip lock bags


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Missing items

If you can’t find your item on the list, please complete our online recycling question form and we will get back to you:

Ask a recycling question