What goes in your Bins
What goes in your bins
Despite our residents being avid recyclers, research suggests that our waste bins are full of recyclables that are unfortunately being sent to landfill – in fact, 3000 garbage trucks each year.
Use the drop down options below to see what can go in your red lid general waste bin, what can go in your yellow lid recycle bin, or for a quick reference, download the A-Z Guide to Waste and Recycling below to find out where else you can dispose of your waste items.
- A-Z Guide to Waste and Recycling (PDF, 3.5 MB)
Visit our Recycle Right page for more information on recycling.
Waste bins
What can go in my waste bin?
You can put the following things in your waste bin:
- General rubbish
- Nappies and sanitary waste
- Meat and bones
- Food scraps
- Broken ceramics and crockery
- Light globes
- Grass clippings and other green waste (must fit inside your bin, and grass clippings must be bagged)
Non-recyclable plastics can also go in you waste bin.
Examples of non-recyclable plastics include:
- Plastic bags
- Polystyrene
- CDs, DVDs and VCR tapes
- Soft plastics like bubble wrap and cling film
What can’t go in my waste bin?
Do not put the following items into your waste bin:
- Hot ashes and liquids
- Sharps and needles
- Recyclable products that should be placed in your recycle bin
- Gas bottles, and any other corrosive and flammable items (gas bottles up to 9kg can be disposed of for free at transfer stations)
- Car parts, including batteries (batteries can be disposed for free at transfer stations)
- TVs and computers (up to 20 pieces can be disposed of for free at transfer stations)
- Chemicals, paints and solvents (HERVEY RANGE ONLY - Up to 100L in containers of 20L or less can be disposed of for free at transfer stations)
- Oil (up to 20L can be disposed of for free at transfer stations)
For information about where you can dispose of these items, see our Townsville Transfer Stations and Landfill page.
Recycling bins
What can go in my recycling bin?
You can put the following things in your recycling bin (remember to place items in loosely to assist in the sorting process):
- Paper and cardboard
- Aluminium and steel cans
- Empty aerosol cans
- Punnets and takeaway containers
- Glass bottles and jars
- Milk and juice cartons
- Pizza boxes
- Aluminium foil and trays
- All rigid, hard plastic containers with the recycle triangle and numbers 1-5 including shampoo and conditioner bottles, strawberry and tomato containers
What can’t go in my recycle bin?
Do not put the following items in your recycle bin:
- Plastic bags and packets including chocolate wrappers, lolly bags, frozen veg bags and bread bags
- Soft plastics such as cling film and bubble wrap
- Grass clippings and other green waste
- Food scraps
- Textiles including clothing and blankets
- Appliances
- CDs, DVDs and VCR tapes
- Polystyrene
- Batteries
- Ceramics and crockery
- Glass from broken drinking glasses, windows or mirrors
- Waxed cardboard
- Chemicals
- Nappies
- Light globes, Pyrex and broken glass
- Medical waste including needles
- Electronic waste
- Plastic bottle caps
- Toys including plastic or plush
- Flammable or hazardous items
- Broken miscellaneous items
- General waste
- Scrap metal (clean metal can be disposed of for free at transfer stations)
What to do with plastic bags
Recyclable items must be put in the recycling bin loose. Do not put them into plastic bags. If you put bottles, cans and other recyclables into plastic bags when you put them into the bin they cannot be recycled.
Used plastic bags can be:
- Reused for your grocery shopping or as a lunch bag
- Recycled at many supermarkets — just look for the specially marked bins
- Reused as bin liners for your household waste
- Disposed of in the general waste bin.
Recycle right at home
- Make sure you know what you can and can’t recycle.
- Always separate your garbage from your recycling.
- Store your recyclables in a box or container until you are ready to visit the recycling bin.
- Never put your recycling into the waste bin.
- Recyclable items must be placed into the recycling bin loose – don’t use plastic bags.
Free recycling resources
Recycle Right fridge magnets and bin stickers are available for FREE from any of our Customer Service Centres or CityLibraries.
Download our comprehensive guide to recycling around the home and garden (PDF 3MB)
Your options for reusing and recycling
Just because something can't go into your recycling or waste bin doesn't mean it has to end up in landfill. Many items can be recycled through other means or even sold or donated if they're in good condition. Find out what you can take to our transfer stations for free here.
For chemical and oil spill disposal contact Transpacific (NQ Resource Recovery, located in the Bohle.
Head to your local charity store to re-home unwanted clothes, toys and household furniture. These items can be donated to op shops, men's or women's shelters, the RSPCA or church organisations.
If donating bulky items, like furniture, call before dropping off to make sure the charity has the capacity to accept the item/s. Some can even pick up donations from your home.
