Recycling and waste guide

What materials can I place in my garbage bin?

• Household waste, non-compostable food waste, (meat, fish, poultry, scraps and bones)
• Nappies
• Polystyrene or foam trays
• Broken glassware and crockery
• Broken mirrors, incandescent light bulbs and glass

What materials can’t I place in my garbage bin?

DO NOT place any of the following items in your garbage bin:

• Garden clippings, lawn clippings or weeds
• Syringes
• Gas bottles
• Paints or solvents
• Bricks, rubble, timber or tiles
• Pesticides or chemicals

What can I recycle?

• Steel cans including aerosol cans, aluminium cans and aluminium foil
• Milk, juice and egg cartons (NOT Tetra Paks)
• Cardboard and paper
• Glass bottles and jars
• Rigid plastic containers and bottles

Tip: Give your recyclables a quick scrape or rinse before they go in the bin, just to remove excess food.

What can’t I recycle?

DO NOT place any of the following items in your recycling bin:

• Plastic wrap, bags or packaging
• Syringes
• Food waste
• Clothing and material
• Polystyrene
• Household waste
• Green waste - garden or lawn clippings
• Broken glass, mirror or ceramics
• Light globes
• Nappies
• Tetra Pak containers e.g. plasticized cardboard cartons like long life milk containers
• E-waste any item with a plug, battery or power cord that is no longer working or wanted e.g. keyboard, laptop, power drill
• Gas bottles

There are some items that cannot go in your household recycling bin that can still be recycled if you take them to the right place. See a list of these items and their drop off locations below.

E-waste: Castlemaine and Maldon Transfer Stations (fees apply)
Batteries: Castlemaine Transfer Station
Light bulbs: Council office, Mount Alexander Sustainability Group and Castlemaine Transfer Station
White goods: Take to Castlemaine Transfer Station for recycling (fees apply)
Gas bottles: Take to Castlemaine Transfer Station for recycling (fees apply)
Plastic bags: For a list of locations collecting plastic bags visiting Recycling Near You

If you would like more information about recycling, please read our Guide to Residential Recycling and Waste Services. It has a comprehensive list of waste products and how to dispose of them.