Dangerous and hazardous waste
Safely get rid of household chemicals, paint, gas bottles, batteries and more
Drop off household chemicals and other types of hazardous waste for FREE
How to safely dispose of hazardous waste
Some products – like chemicals, paint, gas bottles, batteries, motor oils and fluorescent lights – are hazardous and should not be put in your household bins. These items must be taken to designated collection points so they can be safely disposed of or recycled.
Household Chemical CleanOut Days
Council works with the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) to provide residents with two FREE Chemical CleanOut events each year. The project is a Waste Less, Recycle More initiative funded from the waste levy.
Electrical and electronic waste
Each year, Council holds two FREE recycling events for electrical and electronic waste (e-waste). You can drop off most types of products including TVs, computers, modems, speakers and printers. Find out more here.
Community Recycling Centres
At any time of the year, NSW residents can take household chemicals and other types of hazardous waste to one of the many permanent Community Recycling Centres. The items that are accepted can vary between facilities, so always check before dropping them off.
The closest location for most residents is the Liverpool Community Recycling Centre or the Inner West Community Recycling Centre.
Recycling schemes
Some types of hazardous waste have their own recycling schemes with designated drop-off points:
- Batteries can be recycled through B-cycle
- Printer cartridges and toners can be recycled through Cartridges 4 Planet Ark
- Mobile phones and their accessories can be recycled through MobileMuster
- TVs, computers, printers, scanners and computer accessories can be recycled through the National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme
- Paint, deck coatings, primers, sealers, wood coatings, stains and shellacs can be safely disposed of through Paintback
- Expired or unwanted medicines can be taken to your local pharmacy for safe disposal
Is it a fire hazard?
Some types of hazardous waste can explode and start fires in waste trucks, putting lives in danger.
The following items are dangerous and should not be put in household bins:
- Aerosol cans with liquid inside
- Butane gas/aerosol cans
- Batteries including batteries inside toys, headphones, laptops and e-bikes
- Gas bottles and cylinders
- Nitrous Oxide (N2O) canisters
Keep your family and community safe by dropping these items off at a Chemical CleanOut Day or a Community Recycling Centre.
Batteries
All kinds of batteries are hazardous and potentially dangerous – do not put them in any household bins. Learn how to safely store and recycle batteries here.
N2O canisters
Nitrous Oxide (N2O) canisters – commonly known as nangs – cannot be placed in any household bins. They can explode and ignite, which is dangerous for your family, neighbours and your garbos.
Take your empty N2O canisters to the next Chemical CleanOut Day or a Community Recycling Centre. The closest location for most residents is the Liverpool Community Recycling Centre or the Inner West Community Recycling Centre.
Some metal recyclers will also accept empty N2O canisters – call ahead to check their requirements.