# Where does it go? — Australian household disposal
# Checked 2026-09-12. Source: https://wheredoesitgo.au/
# Council-level data (verge dates, bin days, tip fees) is deliberately absent: it changes annually and is linked, never copied.

## Canonical facts
E-waste landfill bans: SA (September 2013), VIC (1 July 2019), WA (1 July 2024). Everywhere else e-waste goes to a drop-off point, never a kerbside bin: lithium cells cause truck fires.
Container deposit: all 8 states/territories, 10c. ACT 2018 (ACT Container Deposit Scheme), NSW Dec 2017 (Return and Earn), NT 2012 (the NT container deposit scheme), QLD November 2018 (Containers for Change), SA 1977 (the South Australian container deposit scheme), TAS 1 May 2025 (Recycle Rewards), VIC 1 November 2023 (CDS Vic), WA Oct 2020 (Containers for Change).
Batteries: B-cycle, national, free drop-off for small loose undamaged batteries at supermarkets, hardware chains, Officeworks and councils; call first above 1 kg, 5 kg limit. Never kerbside. Tape the terminals of every battery with clear tape (both ends of AA/AAA, both top terminals of 9V, button cells all sides). Swollen, bulging or badly damaged batteries are not B-cycle: jar them in a non-airtight fire-resistant container and contact your council or transfer station. A leaking battery that otherwise looks normal: gloves, zip-lock bag, then B-cycle. Vapes and built-in batteries are not B-cycle: for a vape, contact your council or transfer station to find a safe disposal option; devices with built-in batteries go to e-waste.
Paint: Paintback, national, free for households, generally up to 20L per container. Never down a drain.
Medicines: Return Unwanted Medicines (RUM), free at every Australian community pharmacy. Never flush, never bin.
Soft plastics: never the kerbside recycling bin. Woolworths hosts soft-plastics bins at more than 700 stores with Soft Plastics Stewardship Australia, not in WA, NT or TAS and not in some regional areas. Elsewhere: the general waste bin.
Drinking glasses, Pyrex, ceramics: not kerbside recyclable anywhere in Australia. General waste, wrapped if broken.
CDs and DVDs: not kerbside recyclable anywhere in Australia. General waste unless a specialist takes them.
Tax records: keep five years from lodgement (ATO, federal).

## State facts
ACT (Australian Capital Territory, state facts only, checked 2026-09-09): bins Red lid — general; Yellow lid — recycling; Lime lid — garden waste. E-waste: Drop-off, never kerbside. CDS: ACT Container Deposit Scheme since 2018, 10c. Soft plastics: check supermarket. Household chemicals: Household hazardous waste drop-off at the ACT resource management centres. Verge: The ACT has no councils and runs no verge collections. Every Canberra household can book one free bulky waste collection of up to 2 cubic metres each financial year, online up to six months ahead, with bookings closing 14 days before the collection date.
NSW (New South Wales, state facts only, checked 2026-09-09): bins Red lid — garbage; Yellow lid — recycling; Green lid — organics. E-waste: Drop-off, never kerbside. CDS: Return and Earn since Dec 2017, 10c. Soft plastics: check supermarket. Household chemicals: Community Recycling Centres and Household Chemical CleanOut. Verge: Most NSW councils run a bulky household clean-up, 75 of them at the 2024-25 EPA count. Whether it is booked or scheduled, and how many collections a household gets, is set by each council.
NT (Northern Territory, state facts only, checked 2026-09-09): bins General waste bin; Recycling bin. E-waste: Drop-off, never kerbside. CDS: the NT container deposit scheme since 2012, 10c. Soft plastics: no scheme, general waste bin.
QLD (Queensland, state facts only, checked 2026-09-09): bins Red lid — general waste; Yellow lid — recycling; Green lid — garden organics. E-waste: Drop-off, never kerbside. CDS: Containers for Change since November 2018, 10c. Soft plastics: check supermarket.
SA (South Australia, state facts only, checked 2026-09-09): bins Red or blue lid — general; Yellow lid — recycling; Green lid — organics. E-waste: Banned from landfill since September 2013. CDS: the South Australian container deposit scheme since 1977, 10c. Soft plastics: check supermarket. Household chemicals: Green Industries SA chemical and paint depots. Verge: Many South Australian councils run hard waste collection, either as a pre-arranged booking or a dedicated collection week. Dates, limits and accepted items come from the council. Batteries and CO2 cylinders are never accepted.
TAS (Tasmania, state facts only, checked 2026-09-09): bins Red lid — general; Yellow lid — recycling; Lime lid — organics. E-waste: Drop-off, never kerbside. CDS: Recycle Rewards since 1 May 2025, 10c. Soft plastics: no scheme, general waste bin. Household chemicals: Statewide Household Hazardous Waste Collection. Verge: There is no statewide hard waste collection in Tasmania. Some councils run hard waste collection days or free tip disposal days, so check your own council.
VIC (Victoria, state facts only, checked 2026-09-09): bins Red lid — general rubbish; Yellow lid — mixed recycling; Purple lid — glass recycling; Lime green lid — FOGO. E-waste: Banned from landfill since 1 July 2019. CDS: CDS Vic since 1 November 2023, 10c. Soft plastics: check supermarket. Household chemicals: Detox Your Home. Verge: Hard waste is not universal in Victoria. Councils run it as a scheduled kerbside pick-up for the whole municipality or as an on-call booking, and some run none at all.
WA (Western Australia, researched to council level, checked 2026-09-08): bins Red lid — general; Yellow lid — recycling; Lime lid — FOGO. E-waste: Banned from landfill since 1 July 2024. CDS: Containers for Change since Oct 2020, 10c. Soft plastics: no scheme, general waste bin. Household chemicals: Household Hazardous Waste drop-offs. Verge: Most councils run two verge collections a year — one bulk, one green waste. Dates vary by suburb.

## Pages
/where-does-it-go/batteries/ — Where to recycle batteries in Australia: Anywhere in Australia, loose batteries must never go in a kerbside bin, recycling or general waste. Tape the terminals of every battery, AA and AAA included, then drop undamaged ones free at a B-cycle point: most major supermarkets, hardware chains and Officeworks. A swollen, bulging or badly damaged battery must not go to B-cycle; jar it and ask your council.
/where-does-it-go/books-dvds/ — Where to donate books, DVDs and CDs in Australia: Anywhere in Australia, books in good condition can go to an op shop, but ring first: many have stopped taking them and pay to dump the excess. Street libraries, schools and nursing homes are often better. Unwanted paperbacks go in the recycling bin. CDs, DVDs and their cases are not kerbside recyclable and go in general waste.
/where-does-it-go/clothes-textiles/ — Where to donate clothes in Australia: Anywhere in Australia, clothes you would hand to a friend go to an op shop, clean and folded, during opening hours. Stained, torn or stretched textiles cannot be sold, so use a textile recovery bin or cut them into rags. Underwear, socks and single shoes go in general waste. Never leave bags outside a closed shop.
/where-does-it-go/kids-toys-gear/ — Can you donate a car seat in Australia?: Anywhere in Australia, complete and clean toys are welcome at almost any op shop; bag the pieces so sets stay together. Car seats, cots, prams and helmets are mostly refused: safety standards change, and car seats carry an expiry date moulded into the shell. An expired or crash-involved seat must be destroyed, not passed on.
/where-does-it-go/kitchenware-glass/ — Can you recycle drinking glasses in Australia?: Anywhere in Australia, drinking glasses, Pyrex, ovenware and ceramics cannot go in the recycling bin. They melt at a different temperature to bottle glass and ruin the batch, so they go in general waste, wrapped in newspaper if broken. Sound pots, pans, plates and utensils sell fast at op shops. Only bottles and jars are recycled at the kerb.
/where-does-it-go/medicines/ — How to dispose of old medicines in Australia: Anywhere in Australia, unwanted or expired medicines go back to a community pharmacy for free through the Return Unwanted Medicines program. Every pharmacy takes part, there is no appointment and no charge. Leave medicines in their packaging and hand over the lot. Never flush or bin them: flushed medicines reach waterways and binned ones are a poisoning risk.
/where-does-it-go/paperwork/ — How long to keep tax records in Australia: Anywhere in Australia, tax records must be kept for five years from the date you lodged the return, under federal ATO rules. After that they are just paper. Shred anything with an account number, tax file number, Medicare number, date of birth or signature, and put the shreds inside a paper bag before they go in the recycling bin.
/where-does-it-go/sentimental/ — How to declutter sentimental things: Anywhere in Australia, sentimental things have no bin and no scheme, only a decision. Photograph the object and keep the photograph. Keep one from the set, displayed where you will see it, rather than twelve in a box in the garage. Anything precious deserves a real home. Never sort a loved one's belongings while grieving.
/act/ — Waste and disposal in Australian Capital Territory.
/act/where-does-it-go/drink-containers/ — Container deposit in ACT: what you can return: In the ACT, the Container Deposit Scheme has paid a 10 cent refund since 2018 on most drink containers between 150 millilitres and 3 litres: cans, glass and plastic bottles, and cartons. Plain milk, wine and spirit bottles and cordial are excluded. Empty each container, take the lid off, and keep the label and barcode readable.
/act/where-does-it-go/electronics/ — E-waste disposal in Canberra: In the ACT, electrical items and electronic devices must not go in the recycling bin, and anything battery powered must not go in any household bin. Drop-off is free at the Mitchell and Mugga Lane resource management centres, so the bin is never the answer. Wipe every device before it leaves the house.
/act/where-does-it-go/furniture-mattresses/ — Mattress disposal in Canberra: In Canberra, a mattress cannot go in any bin. Every ACT household can book one free bulky waste collection of up to 2 cubic metres each financial year, but mattresses and bed bases on that booking attract a fee. Soft Landing at Hume and the two resource management centres also take them for a fee.
/act/where-does-it-go/paint-chemicals/ — Paint and chemical disposal in Canberra: In the ACT, wet paint and household chemicals never go in a bin or down a drain. Small household quantities go free to the hazardous waste area at the Mitchell and Mugga Lane resource management centres, within the published per-visit limits. Dried water-based paint can go in the red lid general waste bin.
/act/where-does-it-go/soft-plastics/ — Soft plastics recycling in ACT: In the ACT, soft plastic must not go in the household recycling bin, because it tangles the machinery at the materials recovery facility. Bread bags, pasta packets and courier satchels go in the red lid general waste bin. As at September 2026 Woolworths hosts in-store bins at some Canberra stores, so check your nearest participating store.
/act/need-it-gone/furniture/ — Furniture removal in Canberra: In Canberra, sound furniture is worth giving away before you pay to move it. Goodies Junction at both resource management centres takes anything with reuse value, and Vinnies and Salvos collect larger donations. What nobody wants goes on your one free bulky waste collection each financial year, or to the tip. Paid removal is fastest and dearest.
/act/need-it-gone/green-waste/ — Green waste removal in Canberra: In the ACT, the lime green lid garden waste bin is optional and collected fortnightly, taking lawn clippings, prunings and leaves. Food scraps only belong in it in the FOGO pilot suburbs. Timber up to 2 metres goes on the free annual bulky waste collection. A paid crew cuts, chips and clears a big job in an afternoon.
/act/need-it-gone/house-clearance/ — Deceased estate and house clearance in Canberra: Canberra has no councils, so a clearance runs on territory services. Valuables and paperwork out first. Goodies Junction, Vinnies and Salvos take what has reuse value. Then use your household's one free bulky waste collection for the financial year, and a skip or a clearance team for whatever is left.
/act/need-it-gone/mattress/ — Mattress removal in Canberra: In Canberra, there is no free route for a mattress. Soft Landing Mattress Recycling at Hume takes them, as do the Mugga Lane and Mitchell resource management centres. A booked bulky waste collection will take one, and a retailer will often take the old mattress when the new one is delivered. A fee applies on all four.
/act/need-it-gone/skip-bin/ — Skip bin hire in Canberra: before you book: In Canberra, check your bulky waste collection first: one booked collection each financial year is free and takes most of what a small skip would. If you still need a skip, a smaller one loaded yourself over a weekend is cheaper than most people expect. Mattresses, paint and e-waste are usually excluded.
/act/need-it-gone/whitegoods-ewaste/ — Fridge and whitegoods removal in Canberra: In Canberra, a fridge, washing machine or television cannot go in a household bin. The free route is the Mitchell or Mugga Lane resource management centre: televisions and computers under the national scheme, and anything more than 80 per cent metal through metal recycling. A booked bulky waste collection takes white goods from the kerb, free.
/act/bin-night/ — Reader-configured bin night tool for ACT. No council database; the reader sets their day and bin cycle; state lives in the URL hash.
/nsw/ — Waste and disposal in New South Wales.
/nsw/where-does-it-go/drink-containers/ — Container deposit in NSW: what you can return: In New South Wales, Return and Earn pays a 10 cent refund on most aluminium, glass, plastic and carton drink containers between 150 millilitres and 3 litres, and has run since December 2017. Wine bottles, spirit bottles, plain milk and cordial bottles are excluded until the scheme expands from mid-2027. Keep containers whole, empty and uncrushed.
/nsw/where-does-it-go/electronics/ — E-waste disposal in Sydney: In New South Wales, electronics do not go in a kerbside bin. The National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme takes televisions, computers, printers and computer products free at designated access points, and councils run their own collection and recycling services, so ask yours what it takes. Wipe every device first.
/nsw/where-does-it-go/furniture-mattresses/ — Mattress disposal in Sydney: In New South Wales, a mattress or a sofa cannot go in a kerbside bin. Most councils run a bulky household clean-up, either booked or scheduled, and the EPA's 2024-25 survey counted 75 councils offering one. Sound furniture is worth giving away first. For a mattress, a council clean-up or a commercial recycler is the route.
/nsw/where-does-it-go/paint-chemicals/ — Paint and chemical disposal in Sydney: In New South Wales, paint and household chemicals never go in a kerbside bin or down a drain. Leftover paint goes free to Paintback or to one of the 100-plus Community Recycling Centres. Household cleaners, pool and hobby chemicals and pesticides need a Household Chemical CleanOut event instead, which is mobile and runs on set dates.
/nsw/where-does-it-go/soft-plastics/ — Soft plastics recycling in NSW: In New South Wales, soft plastics stay out of the yellow-lid recycling bin. A small number of councils collect them: the NSW EPA's 2024-25 survey found 28 councils doing so state-wide, collecting 391 tonnes, under 1 per cent of municipal waste. Check your own council first. Otherwise soft plastics go in the red-lid general waste bin.
/nsw/need-it-gone/furniture/ — Furniture removal in Sydney: In Sydney, sound furniture is worth listing free before you pay to remove it. Vinnies NSW, Salvos Stores, Anglicare and Lifeline take clean, resellable goods, and Vinnies and Salvos will collect larger items. What nobody wants goes out on your council's bulky clean-up, or to a waste facility. Paid removal is fastest and dearest.
/nsw/need-it-gone/green-waste/ — Green waste removal in Sydney: In Sydney, garden waste goes in the green-lid organics bin where your council provides one: the NSW EPA's 2024-25 survey counted 55 councils offering FOGO and 41 offering garden organics only. Where there is no organics bin, ask your waste facility what it charges for a clean green load. Paid removal is chipped and gone.
/nsw/need-it-gone/house-clearance/ — Deceased estate and house clearance in Sydney: A Sydney clearance costs less when it happens in stages. Valuables and paperwork out first. Then Vinnies NSW or Salvos take the sellable furniture, subject to assessment. Then the chemicals go to a Community Recycling Centre. A skip suits a family with time, a clearance team suits a deadline.
/nsw/need-it-gone/mattress/ — Mattress removal in Sydney: In Sydney, a mattress goes out on your council's bulky household clean-up, which is the free route where the council accepts mattresses and has booked or scheduled one for you. Next cheapest is a waste facility or a mattress recycler, per item. A paid pickup is the same-day option. Keep it dry: wet mattresses get rejected.
/nsw/need-it-gone/skip-bin/ — Skip bin hire in Sydney: before you book: In Sydney, check your council's bulky household clean-up before you hire a skip. If one is booked or due it costs nothing and takes most of what a skip would. A smaller skip for a weekend, loaded yourself, is cheaper than people expect. Mattresses, tyres, paint and e-waste are usually excluded or surcharged.
/nsw/need-it-gone/whitegoods-ewaste/ — Fridge and whitegoods removal in Sydney: In Sydney, a fridge, washing machine or television does not go in a kerbside bin. Televisions, computers and printers go free to a national scheme access point. Whitegoods sit outside that scheme, and councils run their own collections for larger appliances, so ask yours. Never bin a battery, whatever it came out of.
/nsw/bin-night/ — Reader-configured bin night tool for NSW. No council database; the reader sets their day and bin cycle; state lives in the URL hash.
/nt/ — Waste and disposal in Northern Territory.
/nt/where-does-it-go/drink-containers/ — Container deposit in NT: what you can return: In the Northern Territory, eligible drink containers earn a 10 cent refund under the Container Deposit Scheme, which has run since 2012. Since 1 July 2026 it covers all beverage containers of 3 litres or less, including wine and spirit bottles and plain milk. Return them empty, clean, uncrushed and sorted by material.
/nt/where-does-it-go/electronics/ — E-waste disposal in Darwin: In the Northern Territory, electronics do not belong in a kerbside bin. Televisions and computers, including printers and peripherals, are taken free at collection points under the National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme. Those points are run at council level, so ring yours first. Wipe every device before it leaves the house.
/nt/where-does-it-go/furniture-mattresses/ — Mattress disposal in Darwin: In the Northern Territory, a mattress or a sofa cannot go in a kerbside bin. Sell or give away anything sound first, then ask your council what it accepts: kerbside collection is a council service and is not provided everywhere in the Territory. Ring the transfer station before you drive.
/nt/where-does-it-go/paint-chemicals/ — Paint and chemical disposal in Darwin: In the Northern Territory, wet paint and household chemicals never go in a bin or down a drain. Leftover paint goes free to a Paintback drop-off, which operates in every state and territory. For solvents, pool chemicals, pesticides and unlabelled bottles, ring your council or transfer station: the Territory has no household chemical program of its own.
/nt/where-does-it-go/soft-plastics/ — Soft plastics recycling in NT: In the Northern Territory, as at September 2026, no soft plastics collection scheme operates. Bread bags, pasta packets, bubble wrap and courier satchels go in the general waste bin, never the recycling bin. Woolworths states its in-store soft plastics collection is not yet viable in the NT, and no NT store appears in the participating store list.
/nt/need-it-gone/furniture/ — Furniture removal in Darwin: In Darwin, sound furniture is worth listing free before paying to shift it: Marketplace, a Buy Nothing group, or an op shop that collects. Vinnies takes furniture at its NT stores, and Salvos Stores books free home collections through its site. What nobody wants goes to the transfer station or a paid removal.
/nt/need-it-gone/green-waste/ — Green waste removal in Darwin: In Darwin, green waste is a council service, and what is offered differs across the Northern Territory. Ask your council or transfer station whether it takes garden waste separately, and what it charges. A neighbour with chickens will take clean scraps. Paid removal cuts and loads it in an afternoon.
/nt/need-it-gone/house-clearance/ — Deceased estate and house clearance in Darwin: In Darwin, the order saves money. Valuables and paperwork out first. Vinnies takes sound furniture at its Darwin, Katherine, Tennant Creek and Alice Springs stores, and Salvos books home collections. No Territory-wide hard waste collection is published, so the rest goes to a council waste facility, a skip, or a clearance team.
/nt/need-it-gone/mattress/ — Mattress removal in Darwin: In Darwin, a mattress is a council question: the Northern Territory publishes no mattress recycling scheme, so ask your council or transfer station what it accepts and what it charges. A genuinely as-new mattress may suit a charity, though most refuse used ones. A paid pickup is the same-day option. Keep it dry.
/nt/need-it-gone/skip-bin/ — Skip bin hire in Darwin: before you book: In Darwin, ask your council what bulk or hard waste service it runs before you hire a skip: services differ council by council in the Northern Territory, and kerbside collection is not provided everywhere. A small skip loaded yourself is cheaper than most people expect. Mattresses, tyres, paint and e-waste are usually excluded.
/nt/need-it-gone/whitegoods-ewaste/ — Fridge and whitegoods removal in Darwin: In Darwin, a fridge or washing machine cannot go in a kerbside bin. Televisions and computers go free to a National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme collection point, but whitegoods sit outside that scheme. Where they go is a council matter, so ring your transfer station. Fridges and air conditioners must be degassed by someone licensed.
/nt/bin-night/ — Reader-configured bin night tool for NT. No council database; the reader sets their day and bin cycle; state lives in the URL hash.
/qld/ — Waste and disposal in Queensland.
/qld/where-does-it-go/drink-containers/ — Container deposit in QLD: what you can return: In Queensland, Containers for Change has paid a 10 cent refund since November 2018 on most aluminium, glass, plastic, steel and liquid paperboard drink containers between 150 millilitres and 3 litres. Glass wine and pure spirit bottles were added on 1 November 2023. Plain milk containers are excluded. Empty each container and keep the barcode readable.
/qld/where-does-it-go/electronics/ — E-waste disposal in Brisbane: In Queensland, batteries and battery-operated devices must never go in any kerbside bin. Take screens, computers and printers to a free National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme point, batteries to a B-cycle drop-off, and larger e-waste to a council resource recovery centre. Wipe every device before it leaves the house.
/qld/where-does-it-go/furniture-mattresses/ — Mattress disposal in Brisbane: In Queensland a mattress or a lounge cannot go in a kerbside bin, and there is no state-wide hard waste pattern: collection is set by each council, where one is offered. Sell or donate anything sound first. Otherwise check your council, or take it to a resource recovery centre, where fees usually apply.
/qld/where-does-it-go/paint-chemicals/ — Paint and chemical disposal in Brisbane: In Queensland there is no state-branded household hazardous waste program. Leftover paint goes free to a Paintback drop-off, which takes up to 100 litres a visit in containers of 20 litres or less. Solvents, pool chemicals and pesticides go to your council's resource recovery centre or a council drop-off day. Never down a drain.
/qld/where-does-it-go/soft-plastics/ — Soft plastics recycling in QLD: In Queensland, soft plastics cannot go in the yellow-lid recycling bin: the state government lists plastic bags and plastic packaging among the things that do not belong there. There is no Queensland soft plastics scheme. As at September 2026, supermarket in-store collection runs in parts of the state, so check whether your own store has a bin.
/qld/need-it-gone/furniture/ — Furniture removal in Brisbane: In Brisbane, sound furniture is worth giving away before you pay to move it. Lifeline Queensland op shops offer free pick-up for large items by request, and Salvos book home collections through their site, typically three to four weeks ahead. What nobody wants goes to a council resource recovery centre, or a paid removal.
/qld/need-it-gone/green-waste/ — Green waste removal in Brisbane: In Queensland, only eleven councils offered a green lid garden organics bin in 2024-25, covering about 680,000 households, so most people have no green bin. Clean garden waste goes to a council resource recovery centre, or to a neighbour with chickens. A paid crew cuts, chips and loads a big job in an afternoon.
/qld/need-it-gone/house-clearance/ — Deceased estate and house clearance in Brisbane: A Brisbane clearance is never free, but staging it cuts the bill. Valuables and paperwork out first. Then Lifeline Queensland picks up bulk items by request and Endeavour Foundation tip shops take reusable goods. Hard waste is a council service here, so the rest goes to a resource recovery centre, a skip or a team.
/qld/need-it-gone/mattress/ — Mattress removal in Brisbane: In Queensland there is no state mattress take-back scheme, though mattresses are named a priority waste in the Less Landfill, More Recycling 2035 strategy. Free routes are thin: a council kerbside collection where one runs, or a retailer taking the old mattress on delivery. A council resource recovery centre usually charges per item.
/qld/need-it-gone/skip-bin/ — Skip bin hire in Brisbane: before you book: In Brisbane, ask your council first whether it runs a kerbside large item collection, because Queensland sets no state-wide pattern and one may be close. A smaller skip loaded yourself is cheaper than most people expect. Mattresses, tyres, paint and e-waste are commonly excluded or surcharged, so ask the operator before you book.
/qld/need-it-gone/whitegoods-ewaste/ — Fridge and whitegoods removal in Brisbane: In Queensland, a fridge or a washing machine does not belong in a bin or at the tip face. Televisions and computers are taken free at National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme points. Whitegoods go to a council resource recovery centre, or back with the delivery driver when the new one arrives.
/qld/bin-night/ — Reader-configured bin night tool for QLD. No council database; the reader sets their day and bin cycle; state lives in the URL hash.
/sa/ — Waste and disposal in South Australia.
/sa/where-does-it-go/drink-containers/ — Container deposit in SA: what you can return: In South Australia, containers carrying the approved refund marking and bought in SA earn 10 cents at a collection depot. The scheme has run since 1977 and is regulated by the EPA. Wine and spirit bottles, cordial, and juice or flavoured milk containers of 1 litre and above are not eligible. Keep containers whole.
/sa/where-does-it-go/electronics/ — E-waste disposal in Adelaide: In South Australia, electronics cannot go in any kerbside bin. E-waste has been banned from direct landfill disposal across the state since September 2013, covering screens, computers, whitegoods, appliances, power tools and mercury lighting. Take it to a drop-off, listed on Which Bin SA. Wipe every device before it leaves the house.
/sa/where-does-it-go/furniture-mattresses/ — Mattress disposal in Adelaide: In South Australia, a mattress cannot go in a kerbside bin. Which Bin SA says to drop it at a local waste transfer station or put it out in the next hard waste collection, with restrictions set by your council. Accredited recyclers collect in Greater Adelaide and across the state for a fee. Keep it dry.
/sa/where-does-it-go/paint-chemicals/ — Paint and chemical disposal in Adelaide: In Adelaide, wet paint and household chemicals never go in a kerbside bin or down a drain. Leftover paint goes free to a Paintback drop-off. Solvents, pool and garden chemicals, batteries and gas bottles go to the free Green Industries SA household chemicals and paint depots. Water-based paint dried solid can go in general rubbish.
/sa/where-does-it-go/soft-plastics/ — Soft plastics recycling in SA: In South Australia, as at September 2026, soft plastics are collected through Soft Plastics Stewardship Australia at dedicated bins at the front of metropolitan Woolworths stores, according to Which Bin SA. That is metro only. Without a store nearby, bread bags go in the red or blue landfill bin, never the yellow recycling bin.
/sa/need-it-gone/furniture/ — Furniture removal in Adelaide: In Adelaide, list sound furniture free before paying to remove it: Marketplace, a Buy Nothing group, or Goodwill, Vinnies and Salvos, which take clean resellable pieces. What nobody wants goes out in your council's hard waste collection, or to a waste transfer station by the trailer load. Paid removal is the fastest and the dearest.
/sa/need-it-gone/green-waste/ — Green waste removal in Adelaide: In Adelaide, garden waste goes in the green organics bin, which South Australian councils provide alongside the recycling and landfill bins. Bigger loads go to a waste transfer station, and prunings can go out in a hard waste collection cut to length and bundled. Paid removal chips and clears a big job in an afternoon.
/sa/need-it-gone/house-clearance/ — Deceased estate and house clearance in Adelaide: Adelaide clearances go faster when the hazardous items come out early, because South Australia bans most of them from landfill. Take the valuables and paperwork out first. Goodwill, Vinnies SA and Salvos take what sells. Then a skip if the family can lift, or a clearance team that empties the house.
/sa/need-it-gone/mattress/ — Mattress removal in Adelaide: In Adelaide, the cheapest route for a mattress is your council's hard waste collection, either booked or in a set collection week, with restrictions set by the council. Next is your local waste transfer station, if you can get it there. A recycler that collects costs more and takes the job off your hands. Keep it dry.
/sa/need-it-gone/skip-bin/ — Skip bin hire in Adelaide: before you book: In Adelaide, check your council's hard waste collection before hiring a skip: many South Australian councils run one, either pre-arranged or as a set collection week, and it takes most of what a skip would. A small skip loaded yourself is cheaper than people expect. Mattresses, tyres, paint and e-waste are usually excluded, so ask first.
/sa/need-it-gone/whitegoods-ewaste/ — Fridge and whitegoods removal in Adelaide: In South Australia, a fridge, washing machine or television cannot go in a kerbside bin: e-waste has been banned from direct landfill disposal since September 2013. Which Bin SA lists the drop-off routes, including Electronic Recycling Australia's Unplug n' Drop and council e-waste points. Some councils accept whitegoods in hard waste, with fridge doors removed.
/sa/bin-night/ — Reader-configured bin night tool for SA. No council database; the reader sets their day and bin cycle; state lives in the URL hash.
/tas/ — Waste and disposal in Tasmania.
/tas/where-does-it-go/drink-containers/ — Container deposit in TAS: what you can return: In Tasmania, Recycle Rewards has paid a 10 cent refund on eligible drink containers since 1 May 2025. Most 150 millilitre to 3 litre glass, plastic, aluminium, steel and carton containers qualify. Glass wine and spirit bottles, plain milk and cordial bottles do not. Do not crush them: the barcode has to be scannable.
/tas/where-does-it-go/electronics/ — E-waste disposal in Hobart: In Tasmania, electronics do not belong in a kerbside bin. Televisions, computers, monitors, printers, keyboards, power supplies and cables are recycled at council waste transfer stations, though services vary by council and small fees are sometimes charged. Ring yours before you drive. Wipe every device before it leaves the house.
/tas/where-does-it-go/furniture-mattresses/ — Mattress disposal in Hobart: In Tasmania, a mattress cannot go in a kerbside bin, and there is no statewide hard waste collection. Participating council waste facilities and transfer stations across southern and eastern Tasmania take end-of-life mattresses for recycling through Southern Waste Solutions. Elsewhere in the state, ask your council. Keep it dry: wet mattresses get rejected.
/tas/where-does-it-go/paint-chemicals/ — Paint and chemical disposal in Hobart: In Tasmania, wet paint and household chemicals never go in a kerbside bin or down a drain. Leftover paint goes free to a Paintback drop-off, up to 100 litres a visit in containers of 20 litres or less. Solvents, pesticides and unlabelled chemicals go to a free regional hazardous waste event or a transfer station.
/tas/where-does-it-go/soft-plastics/ — Soft plastics recycling in TAS: In Tasmania, as at September 2026, there is no supermarket soft plastics collection operating. Bread bags, pasta packets, bubble wrap and courier satchels go in the general waste bin. Never put them in the kerbside recycling bin: soft plastics wrap around the sorting machinery and stop the facility while someone cuts them out.
/tas/need-it-gone/furniture/ — Furniture removal in Hobart: In Hobart, sound furniture is worth listing free before you pay to remove it. Vinnies Tasmania and Hobart City Mission op shops resell clean, undamaged pieces, and some locations collect. What nobody wants goes to a council waste transfer station by the trailer load, or to a paid removal, which is fastest and dearest.
/tas/need-it-gone/green-waste/ — Green waste removal in Hobart: In Hobart, garden waste goes in the lime green organics bin where your council runs one. More Tasmanian councils are introducing kerbside food and garden organics collection, and services vary across the state. Bigger loads go to a council waste transfer station. A neighbour with chickens will take clean scraps. Paid removal is chipped and gone.
/tas/need-it-gone/house-clearance/ — Deceased estate and house clearance in Hobart: In Hobart, line the disposal routes up before anyone starts lifting. Valuables and paperwork out first. Vinnies and City Mission take what is clean and sound. Tasmania has no statewide hard waste collection, so the rest goes to a transfer station, a skip, or a clearance team that empties the house.
/tas/need-it-gone/mattress/ — Mattress removal in Hobart: In Hobart, a mattress goes to a participating council waste facility or transfer station in southern or eastern Tasmania, which passes it to Southern Waste Solutions for recycling. Fees are set by each council, so ring first. A paid pickup is the only same-day option. There is no statewide hard waste collection to wait for.
/tas/need-it-gone/skip-bin/ — Skip bin hire in Hobart: before you book: In Hobart, before you hire a skip bin, ring your council: Tasmania has no statewide hard waste collection, but some councils run hard waste collection days or free tip disposal days that would take most of the pile. A smaller skip loaded yourself is cheaper than expected. Mattresses, paint, tyres and e-waste are usually excluded.
/tas/need-it-gone/whitegoods-ewaste/ — Fridge and whitegoods removal in Hobart: In Hobart, a fridge, washing machine or television does not go in a kerbside bin. Council waste transfer stations take electronic waste, with services varying by council and small fees sometimes charged. Retailers such as Officeworks also sometimes collect e-waste. Fridges must be degassed by someone licensed before they are scrapped.
/tas/bin-night/ — Reader-configured bin night tool for TAS. No council database; the reader sets their day and bin cycle; state lives in the URL hash.
/vic/ — Waste and disposal in Victoria.
/vic/where-does-it-go/drink-containers/ — Container deposit in VIC: what you can return: In Victoria, CDS Vic has paid a 10 cent refund on eligible drink containers since 1 November 2023. Most aluminium, glass, plastic and carton drink containers between 150 millilitres and 3 litres qualify. Plain milk, wine, spirits and cordial do not. Leave the lids on and do not crush them.
/vic/where-does-it-go/electronics/ — E-waste disposal in Melbourne: In Victoria, e-waste has been banned from landfill since 1 July 2019, so anything with a plug, battery or power cord is barred from every household bin. Take it to a council transfer station or resource recovery centre, or to a product scheme such as B-cycle for loose batteries. Wipe every device before it leaves the house.
/vic/where-does-it-go/furniture-mattresses/ — Mattress disposal in Melbourne: In Victoria, furniture and mattresses cannot go in any kerbside bin. Sound pieces are worth giving away first: several Melbourne charities collect. What is finished goes on your council's hard waste collection, which may be scheduled or booked on call, or to a transfer station. Keep mattresses dry, because wet ones are rejected.
/vic/where-does-it-go/paint-chemicals/ — Paint and chemical disposal in Melbourne: In Victoria, paint and household chemicals never go in a kerbside bin or down a drain. Leftover paint goes free to a Paintback drop-off, up to 100 litres a visit in containers of 20 litres or less. Cleaning products, solvents, pool chemicals and pesticides go to a Detox Your Home event.
/vic/where-does-it-go/soft-plastics/ — Soft plastics recycling in VIC: In Victoria, as at September 2026, there is no kerbside soft plastics collection. Woolworths hosts in-store bins at more than 700 stores nationally with Soft Plastics Stewardship Australia, though not in some regional areas. Check your nearest participating store. Everything else goes in the red-lid general waste bin, never the yellow-lid recycling.
/vic/need-it-gone/furniture/ — Furniture removal in Melbourne: In Melbourne, list sound furniture free before paying to remove it. Sacred Heart Mission and Salvos Stores collect resellable pieces at no charge, and Brotherhood of St Laurence takes furniture in sellable condition. What nobody wants goes on your council's hard waste, if it runs one, or to a transfer station. Paid removal is fastest.
/vic/need-it-gone/green-waste/ — Green waste removal in Melbourne: In Melbourne, small amounts of green waste go in the lime green FOGO bin where your council has rolled one out. Victoria has committed to food and garden organics collections in every council area by 2030, so not everyone has one yet. Bigger loads go to council hard waste or a transfer station.
/vic/need-it-gone/house-clearance/ — Deceased estate and house clearance in Melbourne: Melbourne clearances run cheapest when the valuables come out first and the charities come next. Sacred Heart Mission collects large donations free in inner Melbourne, but Vinnies does not collect from private homes in Victoria. A skip suits a family that can sort and lift. A clearance team leaves the house empty.
/vic/need-it-gone/mattress/ — Mattress removal in Melbourne: In Melbourne, the cheapest mattress route is your council's hard waste collection, if your council runs one and takes mattresses. Soft Landing recycles mattresses in Melbourne for a drop-off fee, or a higher fee to collect. A paid pickup costs most and is the only same-day option. Wet mattresses get rejected.
/vic/need-it-gone/skip-bin/ — Skip bin hire in Melbourne: before you book: In Melbourne, check your council's hard waste service before you hire a skip: if a collection is due, or you can book one on call, it costs nothing and takes most of the load. A small skip loaded yourself is cheaper than people expect. Mattresses, tyres, paint and e-waste are usually excluded.
/vic/need-it-gone/whitegoods-ewaste/ — Fridge and whitegoods removal in Melbourne: In Melbourne, a fridge, washing machine or television cannot go in a kerbside bin: Victoria banned e-waste from landfill on 1 July 2019, and the ban names white goods. Take it to a council transfer station or resource recovery centre. TVs and computers are also covered by the National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme.
/vic/bin-night/ — Reader-configured bin night tool for VIC. No council database; the reader sets their day and bin cycle; state lives in the URL hash.
/wa/ — Waste and disposal in Western Australia.
/wa/where-does-it-go/drink-containers/ — Container deposit in WA: what you can return: In Western Australia, eligible drink containers earn a 10 cent refund through Containers for Change, running since October 2020. Since 1 July 2026 that covers most drink containers between 150 millilitres and 3 litres, including wine and spirit bottles, cordial and juice. Plain milk is excluded. Empty them, lids on or off, and keep them whole for a vending machine.
/wa/where-does-it-go/electronics/ — E-waste disposal in Perth: In Western Australia, electronics cannot go in any kerbside bin. Regulated e-waste, meaning screens, computers, printers, whitegoods, fridges, air conditioners and loose batteries, has been banned from WA landfill since 1 July 2024. Take it to an e-waste drop-off, free at most council and retailer sites. Wipe every device before it leaves the house.
/wa/where-does-it-go/furniture-mattresses/ — Mattress disposal in Perth: In Western Australia a mattress can't go in any kerbside bin. You have three options: a council bulk verge collection, which is free but only inside your council's window; a mattress recycler, which charges a small per-item fee and strips out the steel, foam and timber; or a paid pickup, which is same-day. Keep it dry: wet mattresses get rejected.
/wa/where-does-it-go/paint-chemicals/ — Paint and chemical disposal in Perth: In Western Australia, wet paint and household chemicals never go in a kerbside bin or down a drain. Leftover paint goes free to a Paintback drop-off. Solvents, pool chemicals, pesticides and anything unlabelled go to a Household Hazardous Waste drop-off, free at several Perth transfer stations. Dried-solid water-based paint can go in general waste where your council allows.
/wa/where-does-it-go/soft-plastics/ — Soft plastics recycling in WA: In Western Australia, as at September 2026, there is no supermarket soft-plastics collection scheme operating. Bread bags, pasta packets, bubble wrap and courier satchels go in the red-lid general waste bin. Never put them in the yellow-lid recycling bin: soft plastics wrap around the sorting machinery and shut the facility down while someone cuts them out by hand.
/wa/need-it-gone/furniture/ — Furniture removal in Perth: In Perth, sound furniture is worth listing free before you pay to remove it: Marketplace, a Buy Nothing group or a collecting charity will usually take it within days and carry it out. What nobody wants goes on the council verge collection inside the window, or to the tip by the trailer load. Paid removal is fastest and dearest.
/wa/need-it-gone/green-waste/ — Green waste removal in Perth: In Perth, green waste goes free on your council's green waste verge collection, which most councils run once a year alongside a separate bulk collection, on dates that vary by suburb. A neighbour with chickens will often take clean scraps. Transfer stations set their own fees for clean loads. Paid removal is chipped and gone in an afternoon.
/wa/need-it-gone/house-clearance/ — Deceased estate and house clearance in Perth: In Perth, clearing a whole house, including a deceased estate, is never free, but order matters. Get the paperwork, jewellery and anything of value out first. Then a charity collects the sellable furniture at no charge. Then a skip for a week if the family can sort it, or a clearance team that sorts, removes and leaves the house empty.
/wa/need-it-gone/mattress/ — Mattress removal in Perth: In Perth, the cheapest way to get rid of a mattress is your council's bulk verge collection, free inside the window if your council accepts mattresses. Next is a mattress recycler or transfer station, which charges a per-item fee. A paid pickup costs most and is the only same-day option. Keep it dry: recyclers and verge crews reject wet mattresses.
/wa/need-it-gone/skip-bin/ — Skip bin hire in Perth: before you book: In Perth, before you hire a skip bin, check your council's verge collection dates: if a bulk collection is close it costs nothing and takes most of what a skip would. A smaller skip for a weekend, loaded yourself, is cheaper than most people expect. Mattresses, tyres, paint and e-waste are usually excluded or surcharged, so ask first.
/wa/need-it-gone/whitegoods-ewaste/ — Fridge and whitegoods removal in Perth: In Perth, a fridge, washing machine or television cannot go in a kerbside bin: WA banned regulated e-waste from landfill on 1 July 2024. The free route is an e-waste drop-off, which most councils run. Retailers often take the old unit on delivery for a small fee. A paid collection lifts the fridge nobody else can.
/wa/bin-night/ — Reader-configured bin night tool for WA. No council database; the reader sets their day and bin cycle; state lives in the URL hash.
/need-it-gone/professional-organiser/ — Professional organisers: when you need one: A professional organiser works alongside you, sorting and deciding, then sets up systems that hold after they leave. They are not a rubbish removal service. Book a few hours on one room before a full day. Look for members of IOPO, the Institute of Professional Organisers, the Australian professional body.
/declutter/kids-chores/ — Family tasks: chores by age from two to thirteen and up, every job in three steps, and what makes chores stick.
/declutter/15-minute-challenges/ — Fourteen fifteen-minute decluttering challenges: one spot each, what done looks like, three steps, where the bag goes.
/keeping-on-top/ — Keeping on top of it: the upkeep rhythm in four layers, daily, weekly, monthly, seasonal, each with its printable sheet.
/printables/ — Free A4 printables: room-by-room decluttering checklist, keep/sell/donate/recycle/bin sorting sheet, 100 things to declutter, fifteen-minute challenge cards, thirty-day challenge, cleaning checklists, home resets, chores by age.
/printables/decluttering-checklist/ — The decluttering checklist, room by room: Ten rooms, the order that works in each, and the trap that stalls everyone. One A4 page; PDF by email.
/printables/sorting-sheet/ — Keep, sell, donate, recycle, bin: One rule per pile and space to write what went where. One A4 page; PDF by email.
/printables/100-things-to-declutter/ — 100 things to declutter: Ten per room in a hundred boxes. Cross them out as they leave. One A4 page; PDF by email.
/printables/15-minute-challenges/ — Fifteen-minute challenge cards: Kitchen drawer, bathroom cupboard, handbag, junk drawer, fridge door, toy box and more. One A4 page; PDF by email.
/printables/30-day-challenge/ — The thirty-day challenge: One small task a day. Bags out every seventh day. One A4 page; PDF by email.
/printables/daily-reset/ — The daily ten-minute reset: Five things in the morning, five in the evening, and a four-week grid. One A4 page; PDF by email.
/printables/weekly-cleaning-checklist/ — The weekly cleaning checklist: One zone a day with its tasks, a lighter day, and a month of ticks. One A4 page; PDF by email.
/printables/monthly-cleaning-checklist/ — The monthly cleaning checklist: One deeper job each week of the month, plus the any-week list and a year grid. One A4 page; PDF by email.
/printables/weekly-home-reset/ — The weekly home reset: Thirty minutes: surfaces, bags out, paper, food, the week ahead. Then stop. One A4 page; PDF by email.
/printables/sunday-family-reset/ — The Sunday family reset: Everyone, forty-five minutes, jobs by age, then the week at the table. One A4 page; PDF by email.
/printables/monthly-home-reset/ — The monthly home reset: Paper, the donation run, the phone, the medicine shelf, the smoke alarm. One A4 page; PDF by email.
/printables/seasonal-home-reset/ — The seasonal home reset: Four lists for an Australian year: summer, autumn, winter, spring. One A4 page; PDF by email.
/printables/12-week-home-reset/ — The twelve-week home reset: One zone a week for twelve weeks, with what done looks like. One A4 page; PDF by email.
/printables/family-chores/ — Family tasks: chores by age: Manageable jobs from two to thirteen and up, and a blank weekly chart. One A4 page; PDF by email.
/printables/bond-clean/ — The end-of-lease bond clean: Room by room to the standard of the entry report, with what to book before and what to photograph after. One A4 page; PDF by email.
/printables/outdoor-areas/ — Keeping the outdoor areas clean: Weekly, monthly and seasonal jobs for the verandah, yard, bins, BBQ, gutters and shed. One A4 page; PDF by email.
/subscribe/ — Email signup for the printable PDFs: all sixteen sheets, and one short email a month. Double opt-in; unsubscribe from the monthly list in any monthly email.
/tools/hotspot-timer/ — The timed reset: pick an area of the house, 5 to 30 minutes, prompts that step through as the countdown runs, muteable chime.
/tools/keep-or-go/ — Four questions, three verdicts: keep, box-and-date, let it go.
/weekly-rhythm/ — Weekly cleaning schedule: daily habits, one zone per day, monthly and seasonal rotations. Printable.
/about/ — Author, corrections, sources and changelog.
/legal/disclosure/ — How paid listings are labelled and separated from editorial options.
/legal/privacy/ — What is collected (an email address, plus the sheet and signup date for an address new to the email service, only for the newsletter), where it is held, and how to unsubscribe from the monthly list.