Find the item you want to recycle in the list below
- Aerosol Cans
- Aluminium Cans
- Aluminium Foil
Scrunch foil into the size of a tennis ball, then put in yellow recycling bin.
- Asbestos
- Batteries (household)
You can recycle batteries at:
- Community Recycling Centre
- The Coal Loader (not accepting lithium batteries)
- Officeworks
- Aldi
- and RecycleSmart
The EPA's guide to safe battery recycling
Fire and Rescue NSW's tips for battery and charging safety
- Batteries (car)
- Bikes
- Blankets
- Books
- Bread Tags
- Building Waste
You can dispose of building waste at:
- Artarmon Resource Recovery (Cleanaway) (fees apply)
- or Kimbriki (fees apply).
- Cardboard/paper
Unsoiled cardboard/paper bigger than credit card size and shredded paper (contained in a paper bag or cardboard box) can go in the yellow recycling bin.
Alternatively, you can drop off at:
- or the Artarmon Resource Recovery (Cleanaway) for large quantities (fees may apply).
- Carpet
- Carton (milk/juice)
Remove any plastic spouts from the liquid paperboard carton and place in the yellow recycling bin.
- CDs
- Chemicals
- Clothing
Instead of putting clothing in the red bin, good quality clothing can be donated to a friend, charity shops or online.
Damaged clothing might be able to be repaired at home. Stained or ripped clothing can be used as rags for cleaning your house.
Soiled and beyond-repair clothing and fabric can be recycled at some clothing retailers including H&M and Zara stores in our region.
RecycleSmart also collects reusable and non-reusable clothing (bagged separately).
- Coat hangers
If you have coathangers in good condition, please reuse them or donate to charity shops.
Broken hangers made all from plastic or all from metal can go into the yellow bin.
Broken hangers made from multiple materials that cannot be separated should go into the red bin.
- Coffee cups
Coffee cups are not readily recyclable as they are coated in plastic internally, however Simply Cups have multiple special recycling stations for them.
Coffee cups must not go in the yellow bin as they will contaminate the waste stream.
Clean plastic lids (white and black) can go into the yellow recycling bin.
Cups labelled as biodegradable only break down as indicated when taken to an appropriate facility. Speak to your cafe to find out more about where they send theirs and return them to the cafe for transport to that facility.
Cups put in the red bin can take hundreds of years to degrade into microplastics landfill. Please consider switching to a reusable cup.
Visit Responsible Cafes to find your closest cafe that offers discounts for reusable cups.
Other cafes support reusable and returnable cups such as Green Caffeen and Returnr.
- Coffee pods/capsules
- Computers
Computers are accepted by:
- the Community Recycling Centre
- RecycleSmart
- or contact your local Office Works.
- Corks
- E-waste/electrical appliances
Some items may be repairable at the Fix-It Hub.
Items beyond repair can be taken to:
- the Community Recycling Centre
- or one of these E-waste facilities.
The Coal Loader will recycle small e-waste items and electric cables.
RecycleSmart also collects electrical cables, mobile phone charges, power extension cords, mobile phones, photocopiers, scanners, radios, fax machines, keyboards and smart watches and party lights.
Please note that E-waste is not allowed in your usual weekly rubbish collection.
- Fire extinguishers
Fire extinguishers can be taken to the Community Recycling Centre or contact the supplier as shown on the extinguisher.
- Food waste
Reduce your environmental impact by starting a compost collection or worm farm. North Sydney Council will even pay up to 50% of the setup cost!
Alternatively contact or join your local community garden (note: not all are able to collect from non-members). Or drop off locally through Peels.
Diverting your food waste properly can make a large difference to your environmental footprint because in landfill it will create methane (a powerful greenhouse gas) and leachate (which can pollute soil and water) but in compost it can be used to grow plants and trap carbon.
More information on avoiding food waste.
- Fridges
- Furniture
Good quality items could be donated to a friend, charity, or online low-waste group (there are many to be found on Facebook).
For damaged items, please book a bulky waste clean up.
- Garden waste/clippings
- Gas bottles
- Glass/mirrors
Small amounts of broken glass (drinking glasses etc) can go into the red bin.
Do not put glass other than bottles and jars into the yellow recycling bin. The glass used in other products has a different melt point and can contaminate the process.
Large glass sheets, building waste, or mirrors need to be taken to Artarmon Resource Recovery (Cleanaway) (fees apply).
Usable mirrors can be donated to a friend, charity shops, or low waste groups online.
- Glass bottles and jars
Glass bottles and jars can go in the yellow recycling bin. Please remove metal and plastic lids and labels before recycling.
- Glasses (reading)
Reading glasses can be taken to Planet Ark - Recycling Near You or check with your optometrist who may collect for charitable re-use.
- Household cleaners
- Juice/soy/milk cartons
Juice and milk cartons can be placed in the yellow recycling bin.
- Lids
Milk/water bottle lids should be left on the bottle when placed in the yellow recycling bin.
Metal lids from jam/pasta jars can be placed in the yellow recycling bin, separate from the jar.
Wine bottle screw-caps/ metal bottle caps should be placed in the red bin das they are too small for the machinery.
- Light globes and tubes (fluorescent, halogen, LED)
Light globes and tubes can be taken to:
- the Community Recycling Centre (CRC)
- or The Coal Loader (who will take them to the CRC for you!).
- RecycleSmart also collects these lightbulbs with the addition of incandescent lightbulbs.
- Magazines
Magazines can be placed in the yellow recycling bin.
- Mattresses
Mattresses can be collected from your property by booking a Council bulky waste clean up.
Alternatively, try Soft Landing, a social enterprise who recycle mattresses while offering employment to people who experience barriers entering the open labour market (fees apply).
- Medicines
Return unwanted medicines to your pharmacy.
Do not put into the red bin as medications can contaminate soil and groundwater.
RecycleSmart also collects medications.
- Mobile phones
- Needles/sharps
Medical sharps, such as disposable syringes for the treatment of diabetes, can now be safely disposed of for free by dropping them off in an enclosed container at one of the following locations:
Cammeray Pharmacy: shop 9/476 Miller Street, Cammeray
Cincotta Discount Pharmacy: 116 Military Road, Neutral Bay
Cremorne Town Centre Pharmacy: shop 7/287 Military Road, Cremorne
Drews Pharmacy: shop 3A, 2 Elizabeth Plaza, North Sydney
Priceline Pharmacy, North Sydney: shop 1-2/111 Pacific Highway, North Sydney
Priceline Pharmacy, Neutral Bay: 196 Military Road. Neutral Bay
- Oils (motor and other)
- Paint/paint tins
- Palm trees/palm fronds
- Pens and markers
- Pizza boxes
Clean pizza boxes can go in the yellow recycling bin.
Greasy sections should be placed in the red bin or possibly your own compost bin.
- Plant pots
Bunnings stores accept plastic plant pots - Recycle Your Plastic Plant Pots With Us - Bunnings Australia
- Plastic bags/soft plastics
- Plastic bottles and containers
Rinse plastic containers and place in the yellow recycling bin.
- Polystyrene and Styrofoam
- Pool chemicals
- Printer toner/cartridge
Can be taken to:
- Planet Ark
- Officeworks
- Community Recycling Centre
- or The Coal Loader who will deliver them to one of these locations for you.
- Rubber bands
- Scrap metal
- Shoes
- Smoke alarms
- Steel cans
Rinse steel cans and place in the yellow recycling bin.
- Solvents
- Televisions
- Tissues
Tissues are not recyclable and should be put in the general waste bin.
- Tyres
- White goods
- X-rays
- Yoga mats
For hard-to-recycle items not listed on this page such as furniture and tools, check out The Bower reuse and repair centre, which offers a Sydney-wide collection service for household items.