Rubbish and recycling

It is free to recycle the following at Council refuse transfer stations and community recycling centres.

• Aluminium/tin cans.

Please rinse cans. No foil food containers.

• Plastics numbered 1.

Clear and coloured bottles, clean clear meat trays. Please note, these must have the number 1 recycling symbol.

• Plastics numbered 2.

Milk and cream bottles (including Anchor products), opaque, non-coloured cleaning product containers and coloured plastics, such as cleaning product and cosmetic containers. Please note these must have the number 2 recycling symbol.

• Plastics numbered 5.

Examples include some grocery packaging.

Note: The number identifying the plastic is normally found on the bottom of the bottle or container. All other plastics not listed above should be included in household rubbish.

• Cardboard and paper.

Please flatten cardboard, no Tetra Pak food or drink containers, and no plastic-coated or wax-coated cardboard.

• Glass bottles and jars.

Please separate colours: brown, green and clear.

Note: Window, frosted, crystal or reinforced glass cannot be accepted.

• Waste oil. 

• Whiteware and scrap metal.

Note: Whiteware and scrap metal are accepted at Site class 1 and 2 refuse transfer stations and landfill facilities only.

• Wet cell and dry cell batteries.

General waste

• Per bag (standard 65L) $3.00
• Oversized bag (130L) $6.00
• Wheelie bin (240L) $11.00
• Loose material (per m3) $46.00
• Compacted and heavy material (per m3) $74.50

eWaste

The Council subsidises the recycling of eWaste because it contains heavy metals and other toxic materials we want to keep out of our environment.

Refuse transfer station charges for eWaste are:

• TV’s / computer CRT screens $10
• TV’s Flat Screen $10
• Monitors LCD $5
• PC’s  Desktop/laptop/server $5 each
• Uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) $5
• Laptop batteries $5
• Network equipment $5.

Greenwaste

Greenwaste is accepted at some refuse transfer stations at a cost of $22 per cubic metre. Please refer to our Rubbish and recycling stations page to see which facilities accept green waste.

Note: branch diameter cannot exceed 75mm. We cannot accept flax, toi toi, bamboo, pampas grass, phoenix palm or cabbage tree.

Tyres

Tyres are accepted for recycling for a fee, depending on the size (see below). Whole tyres cannot be accepted as general rubbish because they are unsuitable for landfill.

Charges at refuse transfer stations are per tyre:

• Motorcycle tyres $3.50
• Passenger car tyres $5
• Light truck and 4x4 tyres $8
• Truck tyres $16
• Tractor and super single $23
• Earth mover tyres are not accepted.

It is free to recycle the following at Council refuse transfer stations and community recycling centres.

• Aluminium/tin cans.

Please rinse cans. No foil food containers.

• Plastics numbered 1.

Clear and coloured bottles, clean clear meat trays. Please note, these must have the number 1 recycling symbol.

• Plastics numbered 2.

Milk and cream bottles (including Anchor products), opaque, non-coloured cleaning product containers and coloured plastics, such as cleaning product and cosmetic containers. Please note these must have the number 2 recycling symbol.

• Plastics numbered 5.

Examples include some grocery packaging.

Note: The number identifying the plastic is normally found on the bottom of the bottle or container. All other plastics not listed above should be included in household rubbish.

• Cardboard and paper.

Please flatten cardboard, no Tetra Pak food or drink containers, and no plastic-coated or wax-coated cardboard.

• Glass bottles and jars.

Please separate colours: brown, green and clear.

Note: Window, frosted, crystal or reinforced glass cannot be accepted.

• Waste oil. 

• Whiteware and scrap metal.

Note: Whiteware and scrap metal are accepted at Site class 1 and 2 refuse transfer stations and landfill facilities only.

• Wet cell and dry cell batteries.

• Per bag (standard 65L) $3.00
• Oversized bag (130L) $6.00
• Wheelie bin (240L) $11.00
• Loose material (per m3) $46.00
• Compacted and heavy material (per m3) $74.50
• Green waste (per m3) $22.00

Rubbish disposal is a user-pays service. This means that people who generate the most rubbish also pay the most. For the three months over the summer holiday season, the rubbish volume in the Far North almost doubles. User-pays also means that visitors pay their fair share for rubbish disposal.

Prices for rubbish bags at transfer stations are set by the Council at $3 per bag. This charge goes toward waste disposal at landfill, processing of recycling, staff costs, and maintenance of the transfer station. The money from prepaid bags goes to the waste company, not to the Council.

Kerbside collections don’t cover all rural roads. If the waste company doesn’t pick up from outside your property, you can put your bag at the nearest approved collection point – usually a road intersection or lay-by listed below. These are marked by collection point signs. Click here to view or download a PDF version of the collection point list.

Kerbside rubbish and recycling collections in the Far North are a user-pays service provided by waste companies that decide what fee to charge for collection services they provide. The Council fee must also cover the cost of providing a free recycling service at community recycling centres and refuse transfer stations, staff costs and facility maintenance.

The Council subsidises the recycling of eWaste because it contains heavy metals and other toxic materials we want to keep out of our environment.

Refuse transfer station charges for eWaste are:

• TV’s / computer CRT screens $10
• TV’s Flat Screen $10
• Monitors LCD $5
• PC’s  Desktop/laptop/server $5 each
• Uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) $5
• Laptop batteries $5
• Network equipment $5.

Greenwaste is accepted at some refuse transfer stations at a cost of $22 per cubic metre. Please refer to our Rubbish and recycling stations page to see which facilities accept green waste.

Note: branch diameter cannot exceed 75mm. We cannot accept flax, toi toi, bamboo, pampas grass, phoenix palm or cabbage tree.

Tyres are accepted for recycling for a fee, depending on the size (see below). Whole tyres cannot be accepted as general rubbish because they are unsuitable for landfill.

Charges at refuse transfer stations are per tyre:

• Motorcycle tyres $3.50
• Passenger car tyres $5
• Light truck and 4x4 tyres $8
• Truck tyres $16
• Tractor and super single $23
• Earth mover tyres are not accepted.

The Council encourages all businesses to minimise waste going to landfill through recycling and recovery.

The Council recommends the Agricultural Plastic Recycling scheme run by Plasback.