Canberra, we’ve answered your recycling questions.
21 May 2025
In brief:
- This article provides answers to frequently asked recycling questions.
- It includes information on local recycling and disposal options.
Whether it’s about cans, little fish-shaped soy sauce containers or bulky waste, recycling isn’t always straight forward.
We have answered some of Canberra’s most frequently asked recycling questions.
What can I put in my household recycling bin?
- Glass bottles and jars – clean and empty.
- Plastic bottles and containers – clean and empty, best if lids are removed.
- Meat trays – only the hard plastic bottom is recyclable. The thin film on top belongs in your landfill bin.
- Steel and aluminium cans – clean and empty.
- Paper – not shredded and no receipts.
- Cardboard – flattened.
What can’t I put in my household recycling bin?
- Disposable coffee cups and the lids belong in your landfill bin.
- Bagged recycling items – make sure items are loose.
- Soft plastics belong in your landfill bin – find out more below.
- Plant pots are reusable, but you can’t put them in your recycling bin. Find a location to donate, reuse or send to landfill.
- Nappies - belong in your landfill bin.
- Clothing/textiles are reusable but don’t belong in your recycling bin – find out more below.
You can check the A-Z guide to recycling and waste or the quick bin guide for information on how to dispose of specific items.
What’s the largest item I can recycle?
As long as the item is listed above under what you can put into your recycling bin and it fits in your bin with the lid closed, you can recycle it. Items like large cardboard boxes must be empty and flattened.
For items that are too big to fit in your recycling bin, you can:
- take them and any excess recycling to a recycling drop-off centre, located in Belconnen, Gungahlin, Mitchell, Phillip and Tuggeranong.
- book a bulky waste collection. Most Canberra households are eligible for one free bulky waste collection each financial year.
What’s the smallest item I can recycle?
Avoid placing anything smaller than the size of a credit card in your recycling. These can slip through the machines and won’t be recycled.
Oh, and those little plastic fish-shaped soy sauce containers belong in landfill, as they are made from different grades of plastic and are too small for the machines.
I saw someone rummaging through my recycling bin. What can I do?
Some individuals have reported that their recycling bins are being checked for containers eligible for the 10-cent refund container deposit scheme.
If you have experienced this, you can contact the ACT No Waste Team to request stickers for your bins, indicating that you do not have any eligible containers (such as 10-cent bottles).
What about containers with food or liquid remaining?
Make sure to wipe, scrape or rinse out any food or drink before placing containers in the recycling bin. Clean and empty containers are ideal.
Why can’t I recycle plastic or metal lids?
Metal and plastic lids smaller than a credit card will fall through the machines can’t be recycled.
If you group metal lids (and coat hangers) together, you can place them all together and take to the scrap metal area at the resource management centres at Mitchell or Mugga Lane.
Plastic lids can be recycled through Lids4Kids who have a range of options. Lids4Kids is a Canberra-based volunteer organisation that rescues plastic bottle lids, and lots of other small items from landfill and recycles them into new items which you can purchase.
They also have a local school program, so if your child's school participates in Lids4Kids, you can drop them off there.
Empty blister packs, and medicine packs can be dropped off at all ACT Chemist Warehouse stores.
For more disposal options visit the A-Z guide to recycling and waste.
What about polystyrene?
Polystyrene is not recyclable in ACT recycling bins or at recycling drop-off centres.
You can ask the retailer where you purchased your goods if they can take it back. If a retail take-back option is not available, please dispose of it in your rubbish (red or dark-green lid) bin.
For large quantities, you can dispose of polystyrene at the Mugga Lane Resource Management Centre or the Mitchell Resource Management Centre, fees apply.
Is there a recycling option for soft plastics?
Unfortunately, there is no soft plastic recycling in the ACT and they must be disposed of in your household landfill bin. This includes all plastics which can be easily scrunched such as chip packets, plastic bags, freezer bags, bread bags, bubble wrap and pasta bags.
The best thing you can do to recycle soft plastics like plastic shopping bags or freezer bags is to re-use them.
There are a few national services that provide paid soft plastic recycling options.
What is hazardous waste and why can’t it go in my bins?
If you’ve recently updated your house with a lick of paint, have left over fertiliser, or have an old gas bottle lying around these are classed as hazardous waste. These items cannot go in household landfill or recycling bins for safety and environmental reasons.
For the full list of hazardous waste items and how to dispose of them, check the A-Z guide to recycling and waste.
Why can’t I put batteries in my landfill or recycling bin?
It's important to keep batteries out of household landfill and recycling bins. This includes devices like phones, laptops, or toys if they contain embedded batteries.
When batteries are compressed and crushed in waste collection trucks and facilities, they can spark fires putting staff’s lives, collection trucks, facilities and the environment at risk.
Batteries also contain chemicals like lead which can be harmful to human health and the environment.
Find out where to safely dispose of your batteries through specialised battery recycling programs.
Can I recycle old paint brushes?
Brushes can be re-used for craft projects or if good condition, may be dropped off for free at Goodies Junction.
However, if the bristles of your paintbrush are stiff or don’t move, they should be disposed of in landfill.
Paint and paint tins are considered hazardous materials. A few options for them:
- Items secured in containers of 20 litres or less and empty paint tins can be dropped off free at the Mugga Lane Resource Management Centre and Mitchell Resource Management Centre.
- View Paintback to check eligible paint products.
How do I recycle my old clothes?
A huge number of textiles end up in landfill each year.
Clothing, blankets, and fabrics cannot be placed in your recycling bin. They can get tangled and damage the machinery, which is designed to recycle household packaging.
Canberra has a vibrant second-hand clothing community. You can find a store or organisation near you by checking for a drop-off location or consider donating through an online Buy Nothing page.
Where can I dispose of my car seats and prams?
Roundabout Canberra provides safe, high quality, essential baby and children's items to families in need. They take donations for a range of good quality second-hand children’s items especially car seats and prams.
Find out more about how you can donate your car seats, prams and children’s items.
Still have more recycling-related questions? Check the A-Z guide to recycling and waste or the quick bin guide for information on how to dispose of specific items.
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