Household hazardous waste
It is important to dispose of household hazardous waste safely. Household hazardous waste includes everyday products. These can include bleach, garden and pool chemicals, and cleaning solvents purchased from supermarkets and hardware stores. Find out how you can safely dispose of hazardous household waste in Brisbane.
Storing household hazardous waste
Storing household chemicals around your home after you no longer need them, means you could:
- injure or poison someone if they drink, inhale or get burnt by them
- endanger yourself and your property if the chemicals ignite, explode or release toxic fumes in the event of fire
- receive a fine for damaging the environment if the chemicals leak while stored or handled.
Disposing of household hazardous waste
Disposing of hazardous materials in your general waste or recycling bin is not safe. They can be flammable, corrosive, explosive or toxic. Hazardous materials can cause fires in bins or garbage trucks, creating a safety hazard for truck drivers, the community and environment.
Use the safe disposal methods table to dispose of your household hazardous waste correctly. Council offers free household hazardous waste disposal days throughout the year. These disposal days are for items that cannot be disposed via sewers, rubbish bins or Council facilities during general operations.
Free drop-off days
Throughout the year, Brisbane residents can drop off the items indicated in the safe disposal methods table. You can do this for free on designated collection days. Items must remain in their original containers and not be mixed.
A 20 litre limit for each chemical or product applies per customer per visit. The following items are accepted at Council's resource recovery centres:
- batteries (household and lead acid batteries)
- empty gas bottles (a maximum of six bottles of up to nine kilograms)
- electronic waste
- fluorescent light bulbs and tubes.
Paint and engine oil (hydrocarbon oil) quantities up to 100 litres per customer per visit are accepted at Council’s resource recovery centres. Due to workplace health and safety, paint and oil containers must not exceed 20 litres per container.
The list below is the projected dates for free drop-off days for 2022. You can also view the What's on in Brisbane calendar to see dates and times of upcoming drop-off days.
| Date | Time | Resource recovery centre |
|---|---|---|
| 28 May 2022 | 7.30am-3.30pm | Willawong |
| 4 June 2022 | 7.30am-3.30pm | Ferny Grove |
| 3 September 2022 | 7.30am-3.30pm | Chandler |
| 3 December 2022 | 7.30am-3.30pm | Nudgee |
Safe disposal methods for potentially hazardous household waste
Read how to dispose of waste from your:
Bathroom
| Material | Sewer * | Resource recovery centre | Rubbish bin * | Free drop-off days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aftershaves, perfumes and other lotions | Yes | No | No | No |
| Bathroom cleaners and disinfectants | Yes | No | No | No |
| Hair care products | Yes | No | No | No |
| Medicines (past use by date) | No + | No | No | No |
| Wet wipes | No ++ | No | Yes | No |
| Cotton buds | No | No | Yes | No |
+ medicines - while it is acceptable to dispose of small quantities of medicines to sewer, it is better to return them to the pharmacy where they were purchased
++ wet wipes - although commonly marked 'flushable' the majority of wet wipes are unsuitable for disposal to sewer. Dispose wet wipes in your rubbish bin instead
* sewer - after mixing the chemical with lots of water, you can put small quantities of these products down the sewer (through your toilet or sink). Never put these chemicals into septic tanks or down stormwater drains because they will harm the environment
* rubbish bin - you can only put small amounts of household hazardous waste in your rubbish bin. Small amounts of liquid, such as hair products and paint, can be dried and solidified by adding a material to soak up the liquid such as kitty litter, soil or grass clippings. Alternatively, pour liquids onto newspaper and cover them with absorbent material. You can place empty hair product containers and paint tins with minimal paint residue in your recycling bin.
Kitchen
| Material | Sewer * | Resource recovery centre | Rubbish bin * | Free drop-off days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cooking oil | No | No | Yes | No |
| Insect sprays | No | No | No | Yes |
| Drain cleaner/disinfectant | Yes | No | No | No |
| Floor care products | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Metal polish with solvent | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Window and ammonia based cleaners | Yes | No | No | No |
* sewer - after mixing the chemical with lots of water, you can put small quantities of these products down the sewer (through your toilet or sink). Never put these chemicals into septic tanks or down stormwater drains because they will harm the environment
* rubbish bin - you can only put small amounts of household hazardous waste in your rubbish bin. Small amounts of liquid, such as paint, can be dried and solidified by adding a material to soak up the liquid such as kitty litter, soil or grass clippings. Alternatively, pour liquids onto newspaper and cover them with absorbent material. You can place empty paint tins with minimal paint residue in your recycling bin.
Garage
| Material | Sewer * | Resource recovery centre | Rubbish bin * | Free drop-off days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antifreeze | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| Car batteries | No | Yes (lead acid type only) | No | Yes |
| Brake fluid | No | No | No | Yes |
| Motor oil, sump oil and gear oil | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Petrol and marine fuel | No | No | No | Yes |
| Windshield washer solution | Yes | No | No | No |
* sewer - after mixing the chemical with lots of water, you can put small quantities of these products down the sewer (through your toilet or sink). Never put these chemicals into septic tanks or down stormwater drains because they will harm the environment
* rubbish bin - you can only put small amounts of household hazardous waste in your rubbish bin. Small amounts of liquid, such as paint, can be dried and solidified by adding a material to soak up the liquid such as kitty litter, soil or grass clippings. Alternatively, pour liquids onto newspaper and cover them with absorbent material. You can place empty paint tins with minimal paint residue in your recycling bin.
Garden
| Material | Sewer * | Resource recovery centre | Rubbish bin * | Free drop-off days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fungicide/insecticide | No | No | No | Yes |
| Herbicides and weed killers | No | No | No | Yes |
* sewer - after mixing the chemical with lots of water, you can put small quantities of these products down the sewer (through your toilet or sink). Never put these chemicals into septic tanks or down stormwater drains because they will harm the environment
* rubbish bin - you can only put small amounts of household hazardous waste in your rubbish bin. Small amounts of liquid, such as paint, can be dried and solidified by adding a material to soak up the liquid such as kitty litter, soil or grass clippings. Alternatively, pour liquids onto newspaper and cover them with absorbent material. You can place empty paint tins with minimal paint residue in your recycling bin.
Other
| Material | Sewer * | Resource recovery centre | Rubbish bin * | Free drop-off days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Batteries | No | Yes+ | No | Yes |
| Paints and mediums | No | Yes (maximum 20 litres per container and 100 litres per customer) | Yes (only dried small quantities) | Yes (maximum 20 litres per container and 100 litres per customer) |
| Dry-cleaning solvents | No | No | No | Yes |
| Fibre glass resins | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Ink cartridges** | No | No | Yes (only if empty) | Yes |
| Empty gas bottles | No | Yes (maximum of six bottles of up to nine kilograms) | No | Yes (maximum of six bottles of up to nine kilograms) |
| Swimming pool chemicals | No | No | No | Yes |
| Photographic chemicals | No | No | No | Yes |
| Smoke detectors | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Fire extinguishers | No | No | No | Yes |
| Compact fluorescent light bulbs | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Asbestos | No | No | No | No |
+ batteries - some retailers offer a free battery recycling service all year round. Find more information about battery recycling at Planet Ark.
* sewer - after mixing the chemical with lots of water, you can put small quantities of these products down the sewer (through your toilet or sink). Never put these chemicals into septic tanks or down stormwater drains because they will harm the environment
* rubbish bin - you can only put small amounts of household hazardous waste in your rubbish bin. Small amounts of liquid, such as paint, can be dried and solidified by adding a material to soak up the liquid such as kitty litter, soil or grass clippings. Alternatively, pour liquids onto newspaper and cover them with absorbent material. You can place empty paint tins with minimal paint residue in your recycling bin.
** ink cartridges - you can recycle your ink cartridges through one of the many drop-off points coordinated by Planet Ark. Printer cartridges are made up of many different materials including plastic, metal, foam, ink and toner, and using a collection point helps ensure any recoverable materials are not sent to landfill. Find your nearest collection point by selecting 'Where to Recycle' on the Planet Ark catridges webpage.
More information
For further information about hazardous waste, Contact Council.
For trade waste, contact Urban Utilities.