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A to Z waste and recycling guide

About

Landfill is the last place you want to send waste.

  • Many waste items can be recycled and made into new products, saving valuable resources, energy and landfill space.
  • This guide lists a range of common household and garden items, and how you can recycle or safely dispose of them.
  • Fees may apply, so contact businesses directly to check before you drop anything off.

Item not listed here?

Find out where you can take other items at Planet Ark's Recycling Near You website or search the Sustainability Victoria website.

Request to be added to this guide

Does your business or community group offer a recycling service to Cardinia Shire residents? If so, thank you! Please contact our Waste and Resource Recovery team at mail@cardinia.vic.gov.au or 1300 787 624 to be added to this guide.

A

Acids

Detox Your Home collection
Free disposal of household chemicals. Visit Sustainability Victoria for collection dates and locations.

Aerosols

Kerbside recycling bin

Agriculture chemicals

Detox Your Home collection
Free disposal of household chemicals. Visit Sustainability Victoria for collection dates and locations.

ChemClear 
Visit ChemClear website to register chemicals for disposal.

Aluminium cans

Kerbside recycling bin

Aluminium foil/trays

Kerbside recycling bin
Note: Scrunch foil into golf ball size.

Asbestos

 Visit Asbestos Victoria website for disposal locations and instructions.

B

Baking paper

Kerbside rubbish (landfill) bin

Balloons

Kerbside rubbish (landfill) bin

Batteries - household 

Berry punnets

Kerbside recycling bin

Biscuit trays

Kerbside recycling bin

 

Books

Sell or donate if in good condition. You can give away books on BookMooch

Kerbside recycling bin
Remove any plastic or laminated covers first.

Bottles (plastic, glass)

Kerbside recycling bin

Bricks and masonry

Materials accepted for a fee. See transfer stations

Bubble wrap

Take soft plastics to Coles or Woolworths. Visit REDcycle for more info.  

Building and renovation materials

 Materials accepted for a fee. See transfer stations

C

Cans (Steel, aluminium)

Kerbside recycling bin

Car battery

Many car battery suppliers accept batteries for recycling. Search for your closest store here. 

Car parts

 
  • Small car parts, except those listed below may be accepted in your hard waste collection. Book up to 2 free collections per year.
  • Car springs, engines, gearboxes, differentials and other large car parts may be accepted at transfer stations for a fee. See transfer stations.

Cardboard

 

Kerbside recycling bin

Some transfer stations also accept cardboard for free.

Waxed cardboard goes in your kerbside rubbish (landfill) bin.

Carpet

Hard waste collection
Book up to 2 free collections per year.

CDs and DVDs

Cardinia Shire free e-waste collection boxes

Clothing/textiles

Sell or donate if in good condition.

 

If damaged, recycle at clothing retailers H&M and Zara – they both accept clothing in any condition for textile recycling.

 

Some op shops will accept damaged clothing for rags, but always ask first. Local mechanics and painters may be able to use them for rags, too. 


Clothes hangers

Sell or donate if in good condition.

Kerbside rubbish (landfill) bin

Coffee pods

Nespresso pods can be returned to Nespresso stores

L'or, Moccona & illy can be recycled through Terracycle's free recycling program

All other brands can be recycled through purchased Terracycle Zero waste boxes

If not recycled through these programs, dispose of in your kerbside rubbish (landfill) bin.

Computers and computer parts

D

DrumMuster drums

Drum Muster is held twice a year at the Council depot, 18 Purton Road, Pakenham. Visit Drum Muster for dates and additional locations.

Dishwasher/ Dryer 

See ‘Whitegoods’ section

Doors (internal)

Hard waste collection
Book up to two free collections per year.

Drain cleaner

Detox Your Home collection
Free disposal of household chemicals. Visit the Sustainability Victoria website for collection dates and locations.

E

E-waste (Electronic waste: any item with a plug, battery or cord at the end of its useful life)

 Visit the e-waste page

F

Fertiliser

Detox Your Home collection
Free disposal of household chemicals. Visit the Sustainability Victoria website for collection dates and locations.

Fire extinguishers

Detox Your Home collection
Free disposal of household chemicals. Visit the Sustainability Victoria website for collection dates and locations.

Fluorescent lightglobes

 See lightglobes

Foam underlay

Hard waste collection
Book up to two free collections per year.

Materials accepted for fee. See transfer stations

Food pouches (yoghurt or baby food)

Take soft plastics to Coles or Woolworths. Visit REDcycle to find your nearest participating store.

Kerbside rubbish (landfill) bin

Food waste

Compost bin or worm farm
Rebates are available to residents. Check waste rebates and discounts for details.

Kerbside green waste bin

Furniture

Hard waste collection
Book up to two free collections per year.

G

Garden/green waste

Kerbside green waste bin

 

Compost bin or worm farm
Rebates are available to residents. Check waste rebates and discounts for details.

 

Hard waste collection
Book up to two free collections per year.

 

Green waste drop-off days

Gas bottles and cylinders 

Exchange programs include Elgas’ SWAP’n’GO and Kleenheat’s Kwik-Gas. Check Recycling Near You for additional drop-off points.

Glass bottles and jars

Kerbside recycling bin

Glass (drinking)

Sell or donate if in good condition.

If broken wrap and place in your kerbside rubbish (landfill) bin.

Glasses (spectacles/sunglasses)

Check if your eye clinic will take old glasses back for recycling.

Hewitt Eco-House, Koo Wee Rup Hospital also accept old glasses for recycling.

Glass windows, cups, mirrors, table tops

Hard waste collection
Book up to two free collections per year.

Note: Glass and mirrors must be securely wrapped and labelled.

Gloves (disposable and damaged reusables)

 Kerbside rubbish (landfill) bin

Green reusable bags

Take soft plastics to Coles or Woolworths. Visit REDcycle to find your nearest participating store.

H

Hair

 Animal and human hair can go in your kerbside green waste bin

Hot water units

Hard waste collection
Book up to 2 free collections per year.

Hose (garden hose)

Kerbside rubbish (landfill) bin

Household chemicals, liquids and hazardous waste

Detox Your Home collection
Free disposal of household chemicals. Visit the Sustainability Victoria website for collection dates and locations.

I

Ink cartridges

See ‘Printer cartridges’

J

Jars (glass or plastic) 

Kerbside recycling bin

Jar lids (metal or plastic)

Kerbside recycling bin

L

Laptops

Lids
  • Large metal lids (eg. jam jar lids) and large plastic lids (eg. ice cream container lids or vegemite jar lids) – loose in the kerbside recycling bin.
  • Small metal lids (eg. beer bottle tops) often get lost during the recycling process, so pop them inside a can and put in your kerbside recycling bin
  • Small plastic lids should be placed in your kerbside rubbish (landfill) bin

Light globes

Drop-off points (regular and compact fluorescent only): 

Broken light globes should be wrapped in newspaper and      placed in your kerbside rubbish (landfill) bin

M

Mask (disposable)

 Kerbside rubbish (landfill) bin

Mattresses

Hard waste collection
Book up to two free collections per year.

Some transfer stations may accept mattresses for a fee.

Meat trays
  • Foam (polystyrene) - Rubbish (landfill) bin
  • Black plastic - Rubbish (landfill) bin
  • Clear or white plastic - Recycling bin (remove the absorption pad and soft plastic wrapper and place in the rubbish (landfill) bin).

Medicines (old)

Dispose of old pharmaceuticals safely by returning them to your local pharmacy/chemist.

Mirrors

Hard waste collection
Book up to two free collections per year.

Note: Glass and mirrors must be securely wrapped and labelled.

Mobile phones

N

Needles

See ‘Syringes’

O

Ovens / stoves

See ‘Whitegoods’

Oil (motor)

  
Drop off at Future Recycling Pakenham or your local transfer station for a fee. See transfer stations

Supercheap Auto (Dandenong and Keysborough stores only) accept oil for recycling. Contact store for more information.
 

Oil (cooking oil and fat)

 Small amounts absorbed in paper towel or newspaper can go in your Kerbside green waste bin

P

Paint

The Future Recycling Transfer Station in Pakenham accepts all paint products as part of the Paintback program.

Paint tins (empty)

Hard waste collection
Book up to 2 free collections per year

Note: Lids must be removed.

Paint tins (with liquid or dry paint)

 The Future Recycling Transfer Station in Pakenham accepts all paint products as part of the Paintback program.

Paper

Kerbside recycling bin

 

Shredded paper can't be recycled as the pieces are too small to collect. Put in your compost bin or kerbside green waste bin.

 

Waxed paper goes in your kerbside rubbish (landfill) bin.

Paper towel

Kerbside green waste bin 

or your compost bin if you have one. 

Photographs

 Kerbside rubbish (landfill) bin.

Pill / blister packets

 Kerbside rubbish (landfill) bin

Pizza boxes

Clean boxes or lids can go in your kerbside recycling bin

Oily bases should go into your compost bin or your kerbside green waste bin

Plant pots

Return to your garden centre.

 

Kerbside rubbish (landfill) bin.

Plasterboard

Local transfer stations

Plastic (hard) such as containers and bottles

Kerbside recycling bin

Plastic (soft)

See ‘Soft plastics’

Polystyrene

Visit the Metropolitan Waste and Resource Recovery Group website for recycling locations.

 

Kerbside rubbish (landfill) bin

Pots and pans (kitchen)

Sell or donate if in good condition. 

Recycle for free at Future Recycling Pakenham, or your local transfer station.

Otherwise out in your weekly kerbside rubbish (landfill) bin.

Printer ink and toner cartridges

Cartridges 4 Planet Ark collection boxes are located in the Cardinia Shire Customer Service Centre and all Australia Post and Officeworks stores. Visit Cartridges 4 Planet Ark for more locations.

S

Scrap metal

Hard waste collection
Book up to two free collections per year.

Shoes

Sports shoes can be recycled through the Save Our Soles Initiative. Collection points include SportsPower Pakenham and Rebel Sport. Visit the Save Our Soles website for more locations. 

Work boots can be recycled through Totally Workwear. Visit the Totally Workwear website for store locations.    

Silage wrap

Drouin Waste Recyclers

Smoke alarms

Cardinia Shire free e-waste collection boxes

Soft plastics

Take soft plastics to Coles or Woolworths. Visit REDcycle to find your nearest participating store.

Soil/ dirt

 Suez Hampton Park 

Steel cans

Kerbside recycling bin

Syringes

Syringe disposal exchange service
Please report any needles you find to customer service on 1300 787 624

T

Tablets, notebooks and palmtops 

Takeaway food containers 
  • Foam (polystyrene) - Rubbish (landfill) bin
  • Black plastic - Rubbish (landfill) bin
  • Clear or white plastic - Recycling bin 
  • Cardboard -  see 'Pizza box'

Televisions/ (TVs) 

Timber

Hard waste collection

Toothbrushes and toothpaste tubes

Emerald Community House (356-358 Belgrave-Gembrook Road) have a drop off station. Visit TerraCycle for more locations.

Kerbside rubbish (landfill) bin

Tyres

W

Weeds

 Kerbside green waste bin

Wet wipes

 Kerbside rubbish (landfill) bin

Whitegoods (washing machine, dryers, dishwasher, fridge, freezer)

Hard waste collection

Book up to two free collections per year.

Tip: When purchasing new whitegoods, ask the retailer if they offer recycling services for items you’re replacing.

X

X-rays

Emerald Library

Pakenham Library

Koo Wee Rup Hospital reception  

Council’s Customer Service Centre, Officer

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