How to dispose of common items
Read the below list for useful information on the proper disposal methods for the following common materials.
Click the first letter of the item you wish to dispose of for a list of common materials beginning with that letter.
If you can't find what you're looking for, please contact us.
A
| Material | Disposal Method |
|---|---|
| Acids and alkalis (including spirit of salt, bleach, rust remover, and hydrochloric acid) | Detox Your Home event - Read our page about chemicals |
| Aerosol cans (empty) | Recycle bin (yellow lid) (Empty cans) For full cans containing chemicals, Detox Your Home event - Read our page about chemicals |
| Aluminium baking trays | Recycle bin (yellow lid) |
| Aluminium foil | Recycle bin (yellow lid) (clean, and rolled or scrunched into a loose ball) |
| Aluminium cans | Recycle bin (yellow lid) |
| Animal droppings | FOGO Compost bin (green lid) |
| Asbestos | Contact the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) |
| Ash (extinguished & cold) | FOGO Compost bin (green lid) |
B
| Material | Disposal Method |
|---|---|
| Baby wipes | Landfill bin (red lid) |
| Bag ties | Landfill bin (red lid) |
| Band aids | Landfill bin (red lid) |
| Baskets | Landfill bin (red lid) or donate |
| Batteries (car) | Shepparton or Ardmona Resource Recovery Centres Read our page about batteries |
| Batteries (mobile phone) | Read our page about mobile phones or our page about batteries |
| Batteries (household) | Read our page about batteries |
| Beer bottles | Glass bin (purple lid) - Leave the lids on if possible. |
| Berry and vegetable punnets (for example: strawberries, blueberries, tomatoes) | Recycle bin (yellow lid) |
| Bikes | Resource Recovery Centres |
| Biscuit tray (plastic) | Landfill bin (red lid) |
| Biscuit wrapper/packet | Soft plastics or Landfill bin (red lid) |
| Blister packs | Landfill bin (red lid) |
| Books | Recycle bin (yellow lid) or donate |
| Bottles | Glass bottles in the Glass bin (purple lid) - Leave the lids on if possible. Other bottles in the Recycle bin (yellow lid) |
| Brake fluid | Detox Your Home event - Read our page about chemicals |
| Branches (under 100mm round) | FOGO Compost bin (green lid) |
| Branches (under 300mm round) | Resource Recovery Centres for a cost |
| Bricks & concrete (clean, under one metre cubed) | Resource Recovery Centres for a cost |
| Broken glass (beer/wine bottles, glassware & window) | Landfill bin (red lid) |
| Bubble wrap | Soft plastics or Landfill bin (red lid) |
| Building material (bricks, concrete, timber) | Resource Recovery Centres for a cost |
| Butane gas canisters | Detox Your Home event - Read our page about chemicals |
C
| Material | Disposal Method |
|---|---|
| Cameras & accessories | Resource Recovery Centres |
| Cans (steel, aluminium) | Recycle bin (yellow lid) |
| Cardboard (including milk and juice cartons) | Recycle bin (yellow lid) |
| Carpet and carpet underlays | Shepparton Resource Recovery Centre |
| Car tyres | Resource Recovery Centres for a cost |
| Cartridges (printer/toner) | Resource Recovery Centres |
| Cassette tapes | Landfill bin (red lid) or donate |
| CDs & DVDs | Landfill bin (red lid) or donate |
| CD & DVD players | Resource Recovery Centres |
| Cellophane | Soft plastics or Landfill bin (red lid) |
| Ceramics & pottery | Landfill bin (red lid) or donate |
| Cereal boxes | Recycle bin (yellow lid) |
| Cereal box inserts | Soft plastics or Landfill bin (red lid) |
| Chemicals, cleaning products and their containers | Detox Your Home event - Read our page about chemicals |
| Chemical drums (drumMUSTER) | Resource Recovery Centres |
| Chip packets (plastic) | Soft plastics or Landfill bin (red lid) |
| Christmas tree (artificial) | Landfill bin (red lid) or donate |
| Christmas tree (natural) | FOGO Compost bin (green lid) or Resource Recovery Centres for a cost |
| Cigarette butts | Landfill bin (red lid) |
| Ceramics and porcelain | Landfill bin (red lid) |
| Cleaning rags | Landfill bin (red lid) |
| Cling wrap | Soft plastics or Landfill bin (red lid) |
| Clothing | Old clothes in good condition can be donated to a local charitable organisation or second-hand store. Old shoes can be recycled into reclaimed materials. You can also donate old clothes and sheets to an organisation that makes rags. Finally, if necessary, they can also be placed in your landfill bin (red lid). |
| Coat hangers (plastic) | Landfill bin (red lid) |
| Coat hangers (wire) | Resource Recovery Centres |
| Coat hangers (wooden) | Landfill bin (red lid) |
| Coffee cans/tins | Recycle bin (yellow lid) Empty glass coffee jars go in the Glass bin (purple lid) - Leave the lids on if possible. |
| Coffee cups (plastic/paper) | Landfill bin (red lid) |
| Coffee cup lids (plastic) | Recycle bin (yellow lid) |
| Coffee grounds | Landfill bin (red lid) |
| Coffee pods | Landfill bin (red lid) (Nespresso coffee pods can be dropped off at collection point: Riverside Gardens Garden Centre 7715 Goulburn Valley Hwy, Kialla, 3631.) |
| Computers & accessories | Resource Recovery Centres |
| Concrete | Shepparton Resource Recovery Centre |
| Cooking oil | Not accepted at Resource Recovery Centres |
| Cooking oil spray cans (empty) | Recycle bin (yellow lid) |
| Coolant (automotive) | Detox Your Home event - Read our page about chemicals |
| Corks | Landfill bin (red lid) |
| Cosmetic jars (rinsed) | Plastic: Recycle bin (yellow lid) Glass: Glass bin (purple lid) - Leave the lid on if possible. |
| Cotton wool balls | Landfill bin (red lid) |
| Couches/sofas | Resource Recovery Centres for a cost |
| Cups & saucers | Landfill bin (red lid) or donate |
| Cutlery (plastic) | Landfill bin (red lid) |
D
| Material | Disposal Method |
|---|---|
| Diapers | See "Nappies". |
| Deodorant cans (empty) | Recycle bin (yellow lid) |
| Detergent cartons | Recycle bin (yellow lid) |
| Detergents & disinfectants | Read our page about chemicals |
| Drinking glasses | Landfill bin (red lid) or donate |
| Drink cans | Recycle bin (yellow lid) |
E
| Material | Disposal Method |
|---|---|
| Egg cartons | Recycle bin (yellow lid) |
| Egg shells | FOGO Compost bin (green lid) |
| Electrical appliances | Resource Recovery Centres |
| Envelope (with/without plastic window) | Recycle bin (yellow lid) |
| Eye glasses | Landfill bin (red lid) or donate |
F
| Material | Disposal Method |
|---|---|
| Fabric | Can be donated to an organisation that makes rags. If necessary, they can also be placed in your landfill bin (red lid). |
| Face wipes | Landfill bin (red lid) |
| Fertiliser | Detox Your Home event - Read our page about chemicals |
| Fire extinguishers | Resource Recovery Centres for a cost |
| Fish bones | FOGO Compost bin (green lid) |
| Foam boxes | Resource Recovery Centres |
| Foam meat trays | Landfill bin (red lid) |
| Foil aluminium (clean, rolled into a ball) | Recycle bin (yellow lid) |
| Food cans (rinsed) | Recycle bin (yellow lid) |
| Food jars (glass, rinsed) | Glass bin (purple lid) - Leave the lids on if possible. |
| Food scraps | FOGO Compost bin (green lid) |
| Fluorescent lights | Shepparton Resource Recovery Centre |
| Fridges/freezers | Resource Recovery Centres for a cost |
| Fuel (old lawn mower/power tools fuel) | Detox Your Home event - Read our page about chemicals |
| Furniture | Resource Recovery Centres for a cost |
G
| Material | Disposal Method |
|---|---|
| Gas cylinders | Take to a business that refills gas cylinders. |
| Garden and lawn clippings | FOGO Compost bin (green lid) |
| Garden tools/equipment | Landfill bin (red lid) or Resource Recovery Centres for a cost |
| Glass bottles and jars (excluding glass from windows, drinking glasses and kitchenware) | Glass bin (purple lid) - Leave the lids on. |
| Glass from windows, drinking glasses and kitchenware | Landfill bin (red lid) |
| Green bags (polypropylene) | Landfill bin (red lid) |
| Greeting cards | Recycle bin (yellow lid) |
H
| Material | Disposal Method |
|---|---|
| Herbicides | Read our page about chemicals |
| Hair clippings | FOGO Compost bin (green lid) |
| Hose (garden) | Landfill bin (red lid) |
| Hot water units (steel) | Resource Recovery Centres |
I
| Material | Disposal Method |
|---|---|
| Ice cream containers | Recycle bin (yellow lid) |
| Insect sprays and pesticides | Detox Your Home event - Read our page about chemicals |
J
| Material | Disposal Method |
|---|---|
| Jars (glass, rinsed) & jar lids | Glass bin (purple lid) - Leave the lids on if possible. |
| Juice cartons / bottles | Glass bottles: Glass bin (purple lid) - Leave the lids on if possible. Others: Recycle bin (yellow lid) |
K
| Material | Disposal Method |
|---|---|
| Kebab stick (wooden) | FOGO Compost bin (green lid) |
| Kitty litter | Landfill bin (red lid) |
L
| Material | Disposal Method |
|---|---|
| Laminated paper | Landfill bin (red lid) |
| Lawn mowers | Resource Recovery Centres |
| Leaves | FOGO Compost bin (green lid) or Resource Recovery Centres for a cost |
| Light bulbs | Standard incandescent / tungsten / halogen light bulbs can be placed in your landfill bin (red lid). Fluorescent lights can be recycled at Shepparton Resource Recovery Centre. |
| Lolly wrappers (plastic) | Soft plastics or Landfill bin (red lid) |
| Lunch boxes | Landfill bin (red lid) |
M
| Material | Disposal Method |
|---|---|
| Manure | FOGO Compost bin (green lid) |
| Margarine tubs (rinsed) | Recycle bin (yellow lid) |
| Meat & fish scraps/bones | FOGO Compost bin (green lid) |
| Meat trays (foam/polystyrene/plastic) | Landfill bin (red lid) |
| Meat trays (numbered 1-7) | Recycle bin (yellow lid) |
| Microwaves | Resource Recovery Centres |
| Milk cartons / plastic bottles | Recycle bin (yellow lid) |
| Mirrors (broken) | Landfill bin (red lid) |
| Mirrors (unbroken) | Resource Recovery Centres or donate |
| Mattresses | Resource Recovery Centres |
| Magazines | Recycle bin (yellow lid) |
| Marine flares | Take back to the supplier (Hazardous waste) |
| Mobile phones | Read our page about mobile phones |
| Motor oil | Shepparton or Ardmona Resource Recovery Centres. All oil containers are to be no larger than 20 litres. |
N
| Material | Disposal Method |
|---|---|
| Nappies | Landfill bin (red lid) Learn about our weekly nappy collection service. |
| Nail polish remover | Detox Your Home event - Read our page about chemicals |
| Needles | Please dispose of these through Council’s safe-disposal containers, or as a last resort, in your Landfill bin (red lid) |
| Nespresso coffee pods | Drop off at collection point: Riverside Gardens Garden Centre 7715 Goulburn Valley Hwy, Kialla, 3631 |
| Newspapers | Recycle bin (yellow lid) |
O
| Material | Disposal Method |
|---|---|
| Office paper | Recycle bin (yellow lid) |
| Oil (household cooking) | Small amounts of cooking oil can be disposed of in your FOGO Compost bin (green lid) |
| Oil, motor oil, oil filters and containers | Shepparton or Ardmona Resource Recovery Centres. All oil containers are to be no larger than 20 litres. |
| Oven cleaner | Detox Your Home event - Read our page about chemicals |
| Ovenware and Pyrex | Landfill bin (red lid) |
P
| Material | Disposal Method |
|---|---|
| Pads (and other disposable sanitary products, eg. tampons) | Landfill bin (red lid) |
| Paint | Shepparton Resource Recovery Centre, or return to supplier |
| Pallets (wooden) | Resource Recovery Centres for a cost |
| Paper | Recycle bin (yellow lid) |
| Paper towel (clean or dirty) | FOGO Compost bin (green lid) |
| Pens & pencils | Donate or Resource Recovery Centres |
| Pesticides | Read our page about chemicals |
| Pet food tins (rinsed) | Recycle bin (yellow lid) |
| Petroleum products (oil) | Shepparton or Ardmona Resource Recovery Centres. All oil containers are to be no larger than 20 litres. |
| Picture frames | Donate or Landfill bin (red lid) |
| Pizza boxes (empty, clean) | Recycle bin (yellow lid) |
| Pizza boxes (soiled or with scraps) | FOGO Compost bin (green lid) |
| Phone books | Recycle bin (yellow lid) |
| Photographic chemicals | Detox Your Home event - Read our page about chemicals |
| Place mats | Landfill bin (red lid) |
| Plant cuttings | FOGO Compost bin (green lid) or Resource Recovery Centres for a cost |
| Plant pots (plastic) | Recycle bin (yellow lid) |
| Plaster board | Resource Recovery Centres for a cost or Landfill bin (red lid) |
| Soft plastics (for example: plastic shopping bags, cling wrap, bread bags, confectionery wrappers, chip packets) | Landfill bin (red lid) They cannot be recycled via the yellow lid bin collection. |
| Plastic bottles / containers (plastics numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7) | Recycle bin (yellow lid) |
| Plastic clothes baskets | Landfill bin (red lid) |
| Plastic containers (hard plastic) | Recycle bin (yellow lid) |
| Plastic lunch boxes | Recycle bin (yellow lid) |
| Plastic meat & veg trays | Landfill bin (red lid) |
| Plastic strapping | Landfill bin (red lid) |
| Plastic wrappers | Soft plastics or Landfill bin (red lid) |
| Polystyrene boxes and packaging | Shepparton Resource Recovery Centre, Smaller items should be placed in your landfill bin (red lid). |
| Pool chemicals (incl. liquid pool chlorine and pool salts) | Detox Your Home event - Read our page about chemicals |
| Pots & pans (metal) | Recycle bin (yellow lid) |
| Pots & pans lids (glass & plastic) | Landfill bin (red lid) |
| Printers | Resource Recovery Centres for a cost |
| Printer cartridges | Resource Recovery Centres |
| PVC pipe | Landfill bin (red lid) |
Q
| Material | Disposal Method |
|---|---|
R
| Material | Disposal Method |
|---|---|
| Radios | Resource Recovery Centres |
| Rags (unwanted sheets, towels and clothing) | Can be donated to an organisation that makes rags. If necessary, they can also be placed in your landfill bin (red lid). |
| Rat poison | Detox Your Home event - Read our page about chemicals |
| Refrigerators | Resource Recovery Centres for a cost |
| Rubber | Landfill bin (red lid) |
S
| Material | Disposal Method |
|---|---|
| Sanitary products (eg. pads, tampons) | Landfill bin (red lid) |
| Sauce bottles & lids (rinsed) | Glass: Glass bin (purple lid) - Leave the lids on if possible. Others: Recycle bin (yellow lid) |
| Scrap metal | Resource Recovery Centres |
| Scrap rubber | Landfill bin (red lid) |
| Seafood scraps & shells | FOGO Compost bin (green lid) |
| Seedling container (plastic) | Recycle bin (yellow lid) |
| Shampoo bottles | Recycle bin (yellow lid) |
| Shredded paper | FOGO Compost bin (green lid) |
| Shoes | See "Clothing". |
| Skewer (wooden) | FOGO Compost bin (green lid) |
| Silage wrap | Resource Recovery Centres |
| Smoke detectors | Landfill bin (red lid) |
| Soft-drink bottles | Glass: Glass bin (purple lid) - Leave the lids on if possible. Plastic: Recycle bin (yellow lid) |
| Soil (less than 3 cubic metres) | Resource Recovery Centres |
| Spirit & wine bottles | Glass bin (purple lid) - Leave the lids on if possible. |
| Steel cans | Recycle bin (yellow lid) |
| Sticky tape | Landfill bin (red lid) |
| Straws (plastic) | Landfill bin (red lid) |
| Straws (paper) | FOGO Compost bin (green lid) |
| Syringes/sharps | Please dispose of these through Council’s safe-disposal containers, or as a last resort, in your Landfill bin (red lid) |
| Sawdust & wood shavings | FOGO Compost bin (green lid) |
| Sporting goods | Landfill bin (red lid) or donate |
| Sports tape | Landfill bin (red lid) |
| Styrofoam | Landfill bin (red lid) |
| Suitcases/baggage | Donate or Resource Recovery Centres for a cost |
| Sweet wrappers | Soft plastics or Landfill bin (red lid) |
T
| Material | Disposal Method |
|---|---|
| Take away containers (plastic) | Recycle bin (yellow lid) |
| Take away containers (cardboard) | FOGO Compost bin (green lid) |
| Tampons (and other disposable sanitary products, eg. pads) | Landfill bin (red lid) |
| Teabags/tea leaves | FOGO Compost bin (green lid) |
| Telephone books | Recycle bin (yellow lid) |
| Televisions | Resource Recovery Centres |
| Tetra packs | Recycle bin (yellow lid) |
| Textiles (old clothes and shoes) | See "Clothing". |
| Timber/treated wood | Resource Recovery Centres for a cost or Landfill bin (red lid) |
| Tin cans (rinsed) | Recycle bin (yellow lid) |
| Tissues | FOGO Compost bin (green lid) |
| Toilet paper rolls | Recycle bin (yellow lid) |
| Tools | Donate or Resource Recovery Centres |
| Toothpaste tubes & toothbrushes | Landfill bin (red lid) |
| Toys (without battery) | Donate or Landfill bin (red lid) |
| Toys (battery operated) | Donate or Resource Recovery Centres for a cost |
| Transmission fluid | Detox Your Home event - Read our page about chemicals |
| Treated pine | Resource Recovery Centres for a cost or Landfill bin (red lid) |
| Tree Branches (under 100mm round) | FOGO Compost bin (green lid) |
| Tree Branches (under 300mm round) | Resource Recovery Centres for a cost |
| Turpentine, thinners and paint strippers | Detox Your Home event - Read our page about chemicals |
| Tyres | Resource Recovery Centres |
| Tyre tubes | Resource Recovery Centres |
U
| Material | Disposal Method |
|---|---|
V
| Material | Disposal Method |
|---|---|
| Vacuum | Resource Recovery Centres |
| Vacuum cleaner dust | FOGO Compost bin (green lid) |
| Vegetable scraps | FOGO Compost bin (green lid) |
| Vinyl (eg. Old school bags) | Landfill bin (red lid) |
W
| Material | Disposal Method |
|---|---|
| Washing powder boxes | Recycle bin (yellow lid) |
| Washing machines | Resource Recovery Centres for a cost |
| Water tanks (steel) | Resource Recovery Centres |
| Waxed paper & cardboard | Landfill bin (red lid) |
| Weeds (including noxious weeds) | FOGO Compost bin (green lid) |
| Weed killers/herbicides | Detox Your Home event - Read our page about chemicals |
| Whitegoods (excluding fridges & aircons) | Resource Recovery Centres |
| Window glass | Landfill bin (red lid) or Resource Recovery Centres |
| Wine bottles | Glass bin (purple lid) - Leave the lids on if possible. |
| Wood | Resource Recovery Centres |
| Wood preservative chemicals and finishes | Detox Your Home event - Read our page about chemicals |
| Wrapping paper | Recycle bin (yellow lid) |
X
| Material | Disposal Method |
|---|---|
| X-rays | Landfill bin (red lid) |
Y
| Material | Disposal Method |
|---|---|
| Yoghurt containers/tub (rinsed) | Recycle bin (yellow lid) |
| Yoghurt pouches (rinsed with tops cut off) | Soft plastics or Landfill bin (red lid) |
Z
| Material | Disposal Method |
|---|---|
Have you heard of the Recycle Mate app? It’s a great, fits-in-your-pocket resource that can help you figure out which bin to put unwanted items into! Simply type in the name of the item, or take a photo of it, and this app will try and help you make the most environmentally friendly decision! It’s available for Apple and Android, and aims to empower everyone in the community to recycle more and keep as much waste out of landfill as possible. Check it out.