Yellow lid recycling bin

Paper, cardboard, plastics, bottles and cans

Recycling helps preserve scarce resources and reduces the amount of waste going to landfill.

Did you know? Materials collected from your 240 litre yellow lid recycling bins are used to make new products such as bottles, paper, car parts, street furniture, fleecy jackets and more!

What can go in my yellow lid recycle bin?

Paper and cardboard (including empty pizza boxes)
Aluminium, steel and aerosol cans
Plastic bottles, tubs and containers
Milk and juice cartons
Glass bottles and jars

For a list of accepted items see Planet Ark's RecyclingNearYou

What cannot go in my yellow lid recycle bin?

The following items should not be placed in your yellow lid recycling bin:

Building materials: Find out how to dispose of building waste
Car parts: Visit Planet Ark's RecyclingNearYou for options to recycle car parts
Garden waste: This should go in your green lid garden organics bin
Household waste: This should go in your red lid rubbish bin
Medical waste: Find out how to dispose of Medical waste
Needles and syringes: Find out how to dispose of Sharps
Paints and poisons: Find out how to dispose of Hazardous waste
Plastic bags and soft plastic packaging: Find out how to recycle plastic bags and soft plastic packaging

Plastic bags are not acceptable in the recycling bin because they jam and cause breakdowns to recycling machinery.

Please note: If some of the items above are found in your bin, your bin will be considered contaminated. It may result in your bin not being collected until the contamination has been removed.

How should I present my bins for collection?

To help ensure your bin collection runs smoothly and enable our drivers to pick up, empty and replace your bins safely, it's important to:

Put bins on the kerb the night before or by 5.30am on the collection day
Position the bin with the handles facing your residence
Leave at least a 30cm gap between your bins
Leave at least one metre between your bin and any obstructions (such as trees, cars or poles)
Not overfill your bin
Ensure the bin lid is shut to avoid spills

Bins should be returned to your property as soon as possible and not left on the kerb or on the road after collection. Bins that are placed on the road pose a risk for drivers and pedestrians and disrupt traffic.

How can I reduce my rubbish?

You can reduce the amount of rubbish going into landfill by:

Choosing products that come in refillable or reusable packs
Choosing goods that are reusable, rechargeable or recyclable rather than disposable
Using your own shopping bags at the supermarket
Donating unwanted items to not-for-profit organisations
Reusing goods via The Bower Reuse and Repair Centre or Reverse Garbage
Taking your extra recyclable materials to the Recycling Centre.

Want to know more?

Can plastic bags be recycled? Any recyclables in plastic bags will go straight to landfill- make your recycling count and leave it loose. Recycle plastic bags separately at the Randwick Recycling Centre .

Can I recycle used tissues and paper towel? Used tissues and paper towels cannot be recycled and these need to be disposed in your red lid rubbish bin.

Can I recycle pizza boxes? Yes, empty pizza boxes can be recycled in your yellow lid recycle bin. Other paper and cardboard are also recyclable and will continue to go in the yellow-lid bin. Kindly ensure that there is no pizza in the pizza boxes.

Do I need to wash my recycling? You do not need to wash or rise out containers before recycling. Just make sure they are empty, dry and free of any food or liquid (as far as possible) before placing them into the yellow recycling bin.

My bin is overflowing, what should I do? Maximising the space in your yellow-lid bin is easy. Crush cans and plastic bottles, disassemble cardboard boxes or cut them into smaller pieces so they can fit in the bin. Doing this simple task can save up to 30% of the capacity of your yellow lid bin allowing you to recycle even more! You can also order an extra yellow recycle bin (contact Council) at no extra charge.

Should I look for recycling symbols? Recycling symbols and triangles are put on the container during manufacturing and are used to identify the type of plastic the container is made from, not whether or not it is recyclable in Randwick. A good way to remember what plastic items are recyclable is if it is a plastic bottle, tub or container that is designed to be used once, then it should be put in your yellow lid recycling bin. These items could come from your kitchen, bathroom and laundry and include shampoo bottles, yogurt tubs and strawberry (berries) punnets.

What should I do with batteries? Batteries can be dangerous if not disposed of properly. Batteries do not go into ANY bin. Keep your batteries out of landfill by dropping them off to the Randwick Recycling Centre or Council's Customer Service Centre.

What should I do with lightbulbs? Fluorescent globes and tubes including LED, Halogen and Incandescent bulbs don’t belong in any of your kerbside bins but can be taken to the Randwick Recycling Centre or to the Chemical CleanOut events for safe disposal.

What can I do with old shoes and clothing? Clothes are meant to be worn, not thrown in the yellow-lid recycling bin. Why not donate your old clothes and shoes that are in good condition? Take them to a local charity of your choosing or you can take them to our Randwick Recycling Centre. Otherwise clothing and any cloth/synthetic materials which are damaged or unsuitable for reuse should be placed in the red lid rubbish bin.

Last Updated: 22 February 2023