Skip to main content

Recycling in Brisbane

Link copied

Use this guide to help you recycle more in Brisbane and send less waste to landfill.

Man putting egg carton in bin at home.
potted plant

152,000 tonnes of recycling materials were collected and processed from Brisbane’s recycling wheelie bins in 2023-24.

What can be recycled in Brisbane?

A stack of newspapers and cardboard.

Paper
Different metals materials.

Metals (aluminium/steel)
A stack of cardboard boxes.

Cardboard
A group of different coloured glass and bottles.

Glass (unbroken)
A group on multi - coloured plastic bottles.

Plastics (firm)

Important things to know

When placing items in your recycling bin, please: 

  • empty bottles and containers - you don't have to wash them out
  • leave lids on bottles, containers and jars - loose lids are too small to be processed 
  • do not put items in plastic bags before they go in the bin. 

Do you want to check if an item is recyclable?

Use our handy interactive tool to find out what goes in your recycling bin. 

Check what goes in each bin

Master the art of recycling at home

Download the free Brisbane Bin and Recycling app to find out how to improve your recycling at home.
 

Find out more
Woman holding the Brisbane Bin and Recycling app in her left hand. Bins (general and recycling) for multi-unit dwelling complex in background.

What happens to my recycling?

After you place your recycling bin on the kerbside, the following process takes place.

1 Bin is collected

Your recycling bin is collected, and the content is emptied into one of Council’s dedicated fleet of recycling trucks.

2 Bin contents are transported to the recovery facility

The content is taken to Visy’s (Council’s recycling partner’s) Material Recovery Facility on Gibson Island.

3 Bin contents are sorted

Visy sorts the content into the material streams of paper, cardboard, plastics, glass, steel and aluminium. Items that are deemed non-recyclable are separated and sent to landfill.

4 Ready for reprocessing

The material streams are now ready to be reprocessed into new products.

lightbulb

Did you know?

Council’s resource recovery centres are a great way to recycle or dispose of household items. The resource recovery centres accept:

  • bulk recycling (in a vehicle under 4.5 tonnes combined gross vehicle mass)
  • green waste
  • e-waste
  • Treasure Trove donations
  • general waste
  • most hazardous waste.
information outline

Note

Disposal fees may apply. You can use Council’s waste vouchers to cover the cost of these fees or you can pay at the weighbridge when you exit. There are no fees to drop off recycling.

For more information on what is accepted or upcoming special drop-off events, visit the resource recovery centres page.

Frequently asked questions

You can recycle your coffee cups at a participating location, or dispose of them in your general waste bin. Coffee cup lids can be recycled in your household recycling bin.  
 
However, we encourage residents to use a reusable cup whenever possible

Polystyrene cannot be recycled in your yellow-lid recycling bin. However, you can drop off household quantities (maximum 5 cubic metres) of polystyrene free from paint and glue at one of Council’s resource recovery centres, where it can be processed for recycling.

You can recycle your coffee pods via the Nespresso coffee capsule recycling program. Drop off any brand of coffee pod to your nearest Nespresso store or participating florist or garden centre.

Alternatively, you can purchase an Australia Post Recycling Satchel.  

If you use plastic coffee pods, check with the manufacturer to see if they offer a recycling service for customers

Unfortunately, broken glass is a safety risk to staff at recycling facilities. Please do not place any broken glass in the recycling bin. Broken glass should be wrapped and placed in the red-lid general waste bin.

In Brisbane you can place empty and intact aerosol cans into your yellow-lid recycling bin. If you are unable to safely empty aerosol cans you can dispose of them at a Council resource recovery centre.

information outline

Note

Butane gas cans cannot be placed in your recycling bin and should be taken to a Council resource recovery centre.

Big W has partnered with TerraCycle to create a free national toy recycling program. You can take your pre-loved toys to any participating Big W store.

Toys in good condition can also be donated to Council’s Treasure Troves, as well as toy libraries and op-shops. 

Most household batteries such as those found in TV remotes and toys, as well as car batteries can be dropped off at Council’s resource recovery centres. Alternatively, you can drop off old and easily removable batteries at a B-cycle drop off point.