A-Z Waste and Recycling Directory

Aerosol cans: Recycling 

• Place empty deodorant or food cans in your recycling bin.

Aluminium cans: Recycling  

• Place empty cans in your recycling bin.

Aluminium foil: Recycling

• Scrunch foil into a ball and place in the recycling bin.

Aluminium trays: Recycling

• Place empty trays in your recycling bin.

Artificial Christmas trees

• The benefit of an artificial Christmas tree is that it does not die. It is best to keep it for use year after year.
• If you no longer have use for it, see if you can give it another life, refer to Facebook Marketplace or local Facebook groups, Ziilch, Streetbank or Gumtree.
• To dispose of it, you can do so via our hard waste service or at the Bayside Waste and Recycling Centre

Asbestos

• For information on the correct and safest way to dispose of asbestos visit asbestos.vic.gov.au  

Ash (wood ash from a fireplace): Food and Green Waste

• Place into your food and green waste bin.
• If you haven’t got one, register for food and green waste.
• Place into your home compost system, click here for tips on home composting.

Asthma inhalers: General Waste

• Empty asthma inhalers can be placed in your general waste bin. Both the canister and the plastic holder are too small to be recovered at the recycling facility.
• Inhalers that are not empty can be returned to any pharmacy for safe disposal. 

Camera film: Recycling Stations               

• Take to any of the recycling stations located at Brighton, Beaumaris and Sandringham libraries and Bayside Corporate Centre in Sandringham

Cans (steel, aluminium): Recycling         

• Place in your recycling bin

Car tyres                   

• Car tyres can be recycled at the Bayside Waste and Recycling Centre.
• Most tyre shops have a recycling scheme available to those purchasing new tyres.

Carbon fibre: General Waste         

• Place in your general waste bin

Carbon paper: General Waste       

• Place in your general waste bin

Cardboard: Recycling        

• Place all cardboard (except for waxed cardboard) in your recycling bin.
• Excess cardboard that cannot fit in your recycling bin can be taken to the Bayside Waste and Recycling Centre. More than a bootload will incur a fee. 

Carpet / Carpet underlay      

• Eligible residential households are entitled to two free hard waste bookings per calendar year. Find out more or book your collection visit our hard waste page.   

Cartons (Tetra Pak): General Waste

• Place in your general waste bin. Tetra Pak is made from a mix of materials that makes it extremely tricky to recover at the recycling facility. 

Cartridges (printer / toner)              

• Printer cartridges can be recycled through the Cartridges for Planet Ark scheme at the participating outlets:
• Australia Post
• The Good Guys
• Harvey Norman
• JB Hi-Fi

Cassette tapes          

• Take to any of the recycling stations located at Brighton, Beaumaris and Sandringham libraries and Bayside Corporate Centre in Sandringham.

Cat litter: General Waste    

• Place in your garbage bin

Cat food tins: Recycling

• Place empty tins in your recycling bin. No need to rinse.

Cat dry food bags (soft plastic) 

• Cat dry food bags can be recycled through the soft plastics recycling program - REDCycle with drop-off points at most Coles and Woolworths locations and Council's Corporate Centre and Beaumaris Library. 
• Soft plastics cannot go in your recycling bin.

CDs / DVDs and cases

• Take to any of the recycling stations located at Brighton, Beaumaris and Sandringham libraries and Bayside Corporate Centre in Sandringham.
• Take to places like Officeworks, The Good Guys, Betta Home Living.
• CD/DVD cases cannot be placed in your recycling bin. 

Cellophane: General Waste           

• Place in your general waste bin.

Ceramics

• To give your ceramics another life, refer to Facebook Marketplace or local Facebook buy, sell, swap groups, Ziilch, Streetbank or Gumtree.
• Or drop them off at your local Op Shop.
• Dispose of your broken ceramics at the Bayside Waste and Recycling Centre or place in your general waste bin.

Cereal box: Recycling

• Place in your recycling bin.   

Cereal box liner (soft plastic)

• Cereal box liners can be recycled through the soft plastics recycling program - REDCycle with drop-off points at most Coles and Woolworths locations and Council's Corporate Centre and Beaumaris Library.      

Chemicals     

• Dispose of via Sustainability Victoria's Detox Your Home program. The program is a safe, free and easy-to-use service to dispose of unwanted household chemicals without harming your health or the environment. 

Chemical containers (empty)

• Empty chemical containers can be placed in your recycling bin. 

Chewing gum: General Waste

• Chewing gum must go into your general waste bin. It does not break down in the food and green waste process and cannot be recycled.

Chip packets (soft plastic)  

• Chip packets can be recycled through the soft plastics recycling program - REDCycle with drop-off points at most Coles and Woolworths locations and Council's Corporate Centre and Beaumaris Library.      

Christmas tree (artificial)

• The benefit of an artificial Christmas tree is that it does not die. It is best to keep it for use year after year.
• If you no longer have use for it, see if you can give it another life, refer to Facebook Marketplace or local Facebook groups, Ziilch, Streetbank or Gumtree.
• To dispose of it, you can do so via our hard waste service or at the Bayside Waste and Recycling Centre

Christmas tree (real)            

• Real Christmas trees, under two metres in length, can be collected up until the end of January from your nature strip as part of our hard waste/bundled branches service.

Cigarette butts: General Waste     

• Place in your general waste bin.  

Cleaning rags           

• If your cleaning rags are made from cloth, old clothing or a washable fabric, wash them so you can re-use them over and over again.
• If you've got cleaning rags that aren't washable, please place them into your general waste bin.

Cleaning/chemical bottles  

• Empty cleaning product bottles can be recycled in your recycling bin.
• If your products are still full please dispose of via Sustainability Victoria's free Detox Your Home program. The program is a safe, free and easy-to-use service to dispose of unwanted household chemicals without harming your health or the environment. 

Cling wrap: General Waste

• Place in your general waste bin. Although a soft plastic, cling wrap cannot* be accepted in REDCycle’s soft plastic recycling program as it interferes with the processing. *Glad brand is accepted.

Clothing

• To give your clothes another life, donate your clothes by dropping them off at your local Op Shop.
• Professional/dress and shoes in good condition can be donated to Dress for Success.
• Or refer to Facebook Marketplace or local Facebook buy, sell, swap groups, Ziilch, Streetbank or Gumtree.
• H&M want your old textiles, from any brand, in any condition. By reusing and recycling they will get a new life. Return your unwanted textiles in store to receive 15% OFF a single item on your next purchase. Conditions apply, see in-store for full details.
• To get old clothes that are not in re-sellable condition recycled, donate them to Manrags. 
• Clothing does not belong in your recycling or food and green waste bin. 

Coathangers (wire and plastic)  

• Plastic and wire coathangers can be donated to your local Op Shop.
• Damaged coat hangers can be disposed of in your general waste bin.
• These are not recyclable as they can cause jamming issues at recycling facilities.

Coffee cups and lids (takeaway): General Waste          

• Single-use coffee cups and lids can be recycled through 7 Eleven's coffee cup recycling program.
• They do not belong in your recycling bin and must be placed in the general waste bin if not disposed of via a coffee cup recycling program.
• Disposable coffee cups and lids are made up of a mix of materials which makes them tricky to recycle in your kerbside recycling. 

Coffee grounds: Food & Green Waste           

• Place coffee grounds into your food and green waste bin. 
• If you don't have one, order one here. 
• Or place them in your home compost system. Click here for tips on home composting.

Coffee pods  

• Nespresso coffee pods can be recycled at one of their collection points, or you can order a satchel from Nespresso to return your used pods. 
• Nescafe Dolce Gusto pods can be recycled through Terracycle.
• The Aldi Espressi recycling program has reached capacity. For the moment your Espressi pods need to go in your general waste bin. 
• Biodegradable coffee pods can be composted in your home compost systems. They cannot go into your food and green waste bin.
• All other brands of coffee pods need to go in your general waste bin. Alternatively, you could consider purchasing reusable pods.            

Computers and accessories (e-waste)    

• Computers and accessories can be donated to Donate Direct (must not be outdated and should include chargers/power leads).
• Refurbished through Nucleus Computer Donations and B2C Community IT Recyclers.
• Recycled through our hard waste collection service.
• Be taken to places like Officeworks, The Good Guys, Betta Home Living.
• Or dropped off at the Bayside Waste and Recycling Centre.                 
• Computers and their accessories are considered e-waste and cannot go into any of your kerbside bins. 

Concrete       

•   Take concrete to the Bayside Waste and Recycling Centre          

Cooking oil               

• Recycle unused cooking oil for free through Sustainability Victoria's Detox Your Home program.
• Cooking oil can be taken to the Monash Transfer Station. This oil is then recycled into bio fuel and other bi products. 

Cooking oil container: Recycling

• Empty cooking oil containers can be recycled in your recycling bin.                   

Cords (e-waste)    

• Cords can be taken to places like Officeworks, The Good Guys, Betta Home Living,
• Can be dropped off at the Bayside Waste and Recycling Centre.
• Small cords can be taken to any of the recycling stations located at Brighton, Beaumaris and Sandringham libraries and Bayside Corporate Centre in Sandringham
• Computers and their accessories are considered e-waste and cannot go into any of your kerbside bins. 

Corflute

• Many printing companies can provide vinyl stickers to cover corflute signs, enabling them to be reused for a different project.
• Alternatively, polypropylene corflute may be recycled via Polymer Processors in Braeside.                     

Corks           

• Corks can be taken to the Bayside Waste and Recycling Centre.
• Or they can be disposed of in your general waste bin.   
• Unfortunately there is no recycling scheme for corks in Australia. Check out this short article by EcoBin on repurposing old corks. 

Cosmetic (makeup) tubes

• Cosmetic tubes can be recycled through Terracycle.
• Cosmetics tubes are not recyclable in your kerbside recycling bin. Please dispose of these in your household garbage bin if not through a dedicated recycling program like Terracycle.               

Cosmetic jars: Recycling 

• Empty plastic and glass cosmetics jars can be placed in your recycling bin.           

Cotton wool buds: General Waste 

• Place in your general waste bin. 

Couch 

• To give your couch another life, some op shops accept couch donations. Find your local Op Shop.
• Or refer to Facebook Marketplace or local Facebook buy, sell, swap groups, Ziilch, Streetbank or Gumtree.
• To dispose of it, you can do so via our hard waste service or at the Bayside Waste and Recycling Centre.       

Crockery and Cutlery       

• Crockery and cutlery in good condition can be donated to some op shops. Find your local Op Shop.
• Damaged crockery and cutlery can go in your general waste bin.            

Cups and saucers  

• If in good condition, can be donated to some op shops. Find your local Op Shop.
• Damaged cups and saucers can go in your general waste bin            

Curtains     

• To give your curtains another life, donate to your local Op Shop.
• Or refer to Facebook Marketplace or local Facebook buy, sell, swap groups, Ziilch, Streetbank or Gumtree.
• To dispose of them, you can do so via our hard waste service or at the Bayside Waste and Recycling Centre.
• Or via the general waste bin.   

Cutlery   

• Cutlery in good condition can be donated to some op shops. Find your local Op Shop.
• Damaged cutlery can go in your general waste bin.                           

Cutlery (plastic): General Waste 

• Place in your general waste bin. Plastic cutlery cannot be recycled in your kerbside recycling bin. 

Cutlery (biodegradable/compostable): General Waste

• Place in your general waste bin. Biodegradable/compostable cutlery cannot be placed in the food and green waste bin or the recycling bin. 
• Some may be accepted in your home compost system if you have one, click here for tips on home composting.

Egg cartons: Recycling

• Place into your recycling bin

Egg shell: Food & Green Waste

• Place into your food and green waste bin.
• If you haven’t got one, register for food and green waste.
• Place into your home compost system, click here for tips on home composting.

Elastic bands: General waste

• Place into your general waste bin.

Engine oil

• Engine oil can be disposed of at the Bayside Waste and Recycling Centre. 
• Or it can be taken to Oil Store in Cheltenham.

Envelope (padded envelope)

• Due to the bubble wrap contaminating the paper stream, padded envelopes must go into your general waste bin. 

Envelope (windowed/no window): Recycling

• Envelopes, both windowed and plain faced, can go in your recycling bin

Empty chemical containers

• Empty chemical containers can be placed in your recycling bin. 

E-waste (anything with a battery, cord, or plug)

• E-waste comes in all shapes and sizes and therefore has lots of different places you can take it to get recycled. 
• Depending on what item it is, you can take it to the Bayside Waste and Recycling Centre, include it in your Hard Waste booking, drop it off at one of Bayside's recycling stations, and more. 
• You can also post it via Australia Post's e-waste post back service.
• Visit our e-waste page to find where you can take a specific item.

Garden pruning’s: Food & Green Waste

• Place into your food and green waste bin. 
• If you haven’t got one, register for food and green waste.

Garden tools (leaf blower, lawn mower, etc.)

• To give your working garden tools another life, refer to Facebook Marketplace or local Facebook groups, Ziilch, Streetbank or Gumtree.
• Or dispose of your broken garden tools via Council’s hard waste service or at the Bayside Waste and Recycling Centre.

Gas cylinders and bottles

• Dispose of via Sustainability Victoria's Detox Your Home program. The program is a safe, free and easy-to-use service to dispose of unwanted household chemicals without harming your health or the environment. 
• Drop off at the Bayside Waste and Recycling Centre.

Glass jars, bottles and lids: Recycling

• Place glass jars and bottles with lids still attached, in your recycling bin

Glasses (eye / reading / prescription / sun glasses)

• Glasses (spectacles) with frames in good condition can be donated to Re-Specs via the collection point at Care with Quality.

Glassware (broken drinking glass, window glass, etc.): General Waste

• Broken glassware (drinking glass, window glass, etc.) should be disposed of in your general waste bin.

Glassware (in good condition)

• Glassware can be donated to some of your local Op Shops.
• Or refer to Facebook Marketplace or local Facebook buy, sell, swap groups, Ziilch, Streetbank or Gumtree.

Glue (water based and solvents)

• Dispose of via Sustainability Victoria's Detox Your Home program. The program is a safe, free and easy-to-use service to dispose of unwanted household chemicals without harming your health or the environment. 

Grass clippings: Food & Garden Waste

• Place into your food and green waste bin. 
• If you haven’t got one, register for food and green waste.

Green reusable shopping bags

• Green reusable shopping bags can be recycled through the soft plastics recycling program - REDCycle with drop-off points at most Coles and Woolworths locations and Council's Corporate Centre and Beaumaris Library. 
• Woolworths replaces broken green bags with free ones.
• Dispose of in general waste bin if other options are not viable.

Greeting cards: Recycling

• Greeting cards can be placed in your recycling bin, plastic components such as beads, should be removed first.

Ice-cream container / lids: Recycling

• Place empty ice-cream containers with lids attached in your recycling bin.

Incandescent light globes

• Take to any of the recycling stations located at Brighton, Beaumaris and Sandringham libraries and Bayside Corporate Centre in Sandringham.
• Drop off at the Bayside Waste and Recycling Centre.
• Take to places like Officeworks, The Good Guys, Betta Home Living.

Ink, toner and printer cartridges 

• Recyle via Cartirdges 4 Planet Ark with drop off point in Officeworks, participating Australia Post outlets, Cartridge World, Harvey Norman, The Good Guys, and JB Hi-Fi, 

Insect spray bottles and cans: Recycling

• Empty insect spray bottles and cans can be placed in your recycling bin

• Full inspect spray bottles and cans should be disposed of via Sustainability Victoria's free Detox Your Home program. The program is a safe, free and easy-to-use service to dispose of unwanted household chemicals without harming your health or the environment. 

Iron (e-waste)

• Drop off at the Bayside Waste and Recycling Centre.

Kettle (e-waste)

• Drop off at the Bayside Waste and Recycling Centre.

Keys

• Drop off at the Bayside Waste and Recycling Centre as part of their scrap metal recycling.
• Metal keys cannot be recycled in your recycling bin.

Kitchenware

• Kitchenware in good condition can be donated to your local Op Shops.
• Or refer to Facebook Marketplace or local Facebook buy, sell, swap groups, Ziilch, Streetbank or Gumtree.
• Dispose of in your general waste bin if broken.

Kitty litter: General Waste

• Dispose of in your general waste bin.

Magazines: Recycling

• Place in your recycling bin

Makeup wipes (including biodegradable): General Waste

• Place in your general waste bin.

Manchester (sheets, pillows cases, linen, bedding)

• Manchester in good condition can be donated to selected Op Shops, SCR Recycling Hubs or use Donate Direct to match your items directly to those in need.
• Manchester in poor condition can be donated to the RSPCA for use as animal bedding (unless they are feather filled).

Margarine tubs - Recycling 

• Margarine tubs can be placed in your recycling bin. Keep lid attached if you have one. 

Masks (single-use face masks): General Waste

• Place in your general waste bin.

Mattresses

• Eligible residential households are entitled to two free hard waste bookings per calendar year. Find out more or book your collection visit our hard waste page.   
• For information how mattresses get recycled, visit our mattress recycler's website, Soft Landings.

Meat scraps: Food & Green Waste

• Place into your food and green waste bin.
• If you haven’t got one, register for food and green waste.
• Place into your home compost system, click here for tips on home composting.

Meat trays (black Styrofoam): General Waste

• Styrofoam meat trays must be placed in your general waste bin.
• They cannot go into your recycling bin.

Meat trays (hard plastic): Recycling

• Place in your recycling bin.

Medical waste (syringes, blood glucose testing lancets, etc.)

• Medical waste should be safely disposed of via sharps container. For any sharps exchanges, please call our Environmental Health team on (03) 9599 4417 to pick up a sharps container or make an exchange appointment.

Medicine bottles (glass and hard plastic)

• Place empty bottles with lids attached in your recycling bin.

 Medicine

• Unused/unwanted medicine can be disposed of at any pharmacy in Australia as part of the Return Unwanted Medicines project, a national scheme to eliminate the risk of poisoning by disposing of medicines safely.
• All pharmacies are equipped to accept all medicines.  

Metal / scrap

• Eligible residential households are entitled to two free hard waste bookings per calendar year. Find out more or book your collection visit our hard waste page.   
• Drop off at the Bayside Waste and Recycling Centre.

Microwave (e-waste)

• Eligible residential households are entitled to two free hard waste bookings per calendar year. Find out more or book your collection visit our hard waste page.   
• Drop off at the Bayside Waste and Recycling Centre.

Milk bottles (plastic): Recycling

• Place in your recycling bin with lids on.

Milk cartons: General Waste

• Place in your general waste bin. Cartons or Tetra Pak is made from a mix of materials that makes it extremely tricky to recover at the recycling facility. 

Mobile phones and accessories (e-waste)

• Take to any of the recycling stations located at Brighton, Beaumaris and Sandringham libraries and Bayside Corporate Centre in Sandringham.
• Drop off at the Bayside Waste and Recycling Centre.
• Take to places like Officeworks, The Good Guys, Betta Home Living.

Motor oil (Engine oil)

• Motor oil can be disposed of at the Bayside Waste and Recycling Centre. 
• Or it can be taken to Oil Store in Cheltenham.

Office paper: Recycling

• Place in your recycling bin

Oil (cooking)                

• Recycle unused cooking oil for free through Sustainability Victoria's Detox Your Home program.
• Cooking oil can be taken to the Monash Transfer Station. This oil is then recycled into bio fuel and other bi products. 
• Small amounts can be soaked up with paper towel and placed straight into the food and green waste bin.

Oil (engine)

• Engine oil can be disposed of at the Bayside Waste and Recycling Centre. 
• Or it can be taken to Oil Store in Cheltenham.

Oil heater (empty)

• Eligible residential households are entitled to two free hard waste bookings per calendar year. To find out more or book your collection, visit our hard waste page.   
• Drop off at the Bayside Waste and Recycling Centre.

Ovens

• Eligible residential households are entitled to two free hard waste bookings per calendar year. To find out more or book your collection, visit our hard waste page.   
• Drop off at the Bayside Waste and Recycling Centre.

Radios (e-waste)

• Drop off at the Bayside Waste and Recycling Centre.
• Take to places like Officeworks, The Good Guys, Betta Home Living.                   

Rat poison

• Dispose of via Sustainability Victoria's free Detox Your Home program. The program is a safe, free and easy-to-use service to dispose of unwanted household chemicals without harming your health or the environment.                     

Razors: General Waste

• Place in your general waste bin              

Receipts: General Waste  

• Place in your general waste bin  

Records (vinyls)       

• Records can be donated to your local Op Shop. 
• Or refer to Facebook Marketplace or local Facebook buy, sell, swap groups, Ziilch, Streetbank or Gumtree.
• If damaged, place in your general waste bin      

Rubber bands: General waste

• Place into your general waste bin.

Rubber gloves: General Waste    

• Place in your general waste bin

Takeaway containers (plastic): Recycling

• Place empty plastic container in your recycling bin. No need to rinse.        

Takeaway containers (polystyrene): General Waste

• Place in your general waste bin. 
• Polystyrene is not recyclable in your recycling bin.                    

Tampons: General Waste 

• Place in your general waste bin.                         

Tea light candle holders (aluminium): General Waste

• Place in your general waste bin. Tea light candle holders are too small to be recovered at the recycling facility.

Teabags: General Waste

• Place in your general waste bin. 
• Teabags cannot go into the food and green waste bin as they have a plastic lining.                                    

Telephones (e-waste)

• Take to any of the recycling stations located at Brighton, Beaumaris and Sandringham libraries and Bayside Corporate Centre in Sandringham.
• Drop off at the Bayside Waste and Recycling Centre.
• Take to places like Officeworks, The Good Guys, Betta Home Living. 

Televisions / TVs (e-waste) 

• Drop off at the Bayside Waste and Recycling Centre.
• Take to places like Officeworks, The Good Guys, Betta Home Living  
• Dispose of via Council’s hard waste service.   

Tetra Paks / UHT cartons: General Waste

• Tetra Pak or carton is made from a mix of materials that makes it extremely tricky to recover at the recycling facility.       

Thermal paper (receipts): General Waste

• Place in your general waste bin.                         

Thermometer (mercury)      

• Dispose of via Sustainability Victoria's free Detox Your Home program. The program is a safe, free and easy-to-use service to dispose of unwanted household chemicals without harming your health or the environment.                       

Tinsel         

• Tinsel lasts forever and is best to keep for use year after year.
• If you no longer have use for it, see if you can give it another life, refer to Facebook Marketplace or local Facebook groups, Ziilch, Streetbank or Gumtree.
• Or donate to your local Op Shop. 
• To dispose of it, you can do so via your general waste bin.

Tissues: General Waste

• Place in your general waste bin.
• Whilst tissues can normally be placed in your food and green waste bin, in light of the developing COVID-19 situation, for the health and safety of facility staff, please do not place used tissues into your food and green waste bin.

Toaster (e-waste)     

• Drop off at the Bayside Waste and Recycling Centre.    

Toothbrush/Toothpaste tubes

• Oral care items can be recycled via TerraCycle.
• Toothpaste tubes cannot go into your recycling bin, place in your general waste if not recycled via TerraCycle      

Toys   

• Toys in good condition can be donated to your local Op Shop. 
• Or refer to Facebook Marketplace or local Facebook buy, sell, swap groups, Ziilch, Streetbank or Gumtree.

TVs/ Televisions (e-waste)  

• Drop off at the Bayside Waste and Recycling Centre.
• Take to places like Officeworks, The Good Guys, and Betta Home Living.       
• Dispose of via Council’s hard waste service.        

Tyres             

• Many tyre suppliers offer free tyre recycling with new tyre purchases.    
• Drop off at the Bayside Waste and Recycling Centre.

VHS/cassettes       

• Take to any of the recycling stations located at Brighton, Beaumaris and Sandringham libraries and Bayside Corporate Centre in Sandringham.
• Drop off at the Bayside Waste and Recycling Centre.
• Take to places like Officeworks, The Good Guys, Betta Home Living        

Vitamin bottles: Recycling

• Place in your recycling bin with lids on.                      

VCR players  

• VCR players in working condition can be donated to your local Op Shop. 
• Or refer to Facebook Marketplace or local Facebook buy, sell, swap groups, Ziilch, Streetbank or Gumtree.
• If broken, drop off at the Bayside Waste and Recycling Centre.

X-Rays

• Take to any of the recycling stations located at Brighton, Beaumaris and Sandringham libraries and Bayside Corporate Centre in Sandringham. 
• Recycling through Siltech
• Or recycling through  EcoCycle