Resource recovery centres
Find out what you can take to a resource recovery centre, also known as the ‘rubbish tip’. View locations and disposal fees.
What is a resource recovery centre?
Resource recovery centres are facilities where you can take waste and recycling that can’t go in your household bins.
This includes bulky items, recyclables, green waste and some hazardous waste.
We have 4 resource recovery centres across Brisbane to help you dispose of waste in the right way and reduce landfill.
Disposal options and fees
You can drop off many recyclable and reusable items for free at resource recovery centres.
General waste and green waste can be disposed of using waste vouchers or by paying a fee.
Residential quantities of recycling and reusable items are free to drop off at the undercover recycling area. This applies to vehicles under 4.5 tonne combined gross vehicle mass.
Mattress disposal costs $35 per mattress. You can use one waste voucher for up to 3 mattresses. Learn more about mattress disposal.
Locations and opening hours
There are 4 resource recovery centres in Brisbane, located at:
- Nudgee and Willawong (major centres)
- Chandler and Ferny Grove (minor centres).
Only the major centre locations can accept vehicles over 4.5 tonne combined gross vehicle mass.
All 4 centres are open:
- 7 days a week, including all public holidays
- 6.30am to 5.45pm (gates close strictly at 5.45pm).
Look inside the our centres with our virtual tours to help you find your way around on your visit:
Recyclable items
Recycling facilities at our resource recovery centres accept residential quantities of a wide range of materials free of charge.
This includes some hazardous items that are accepted year-round.
Once on site, follow the yellow lines for correct disposal.
Recyclable items include:
- batteries and items containing batteries (e.g. sizes AAA-D, button batteries, rechargeable, lithium, lead acid car batteries, regular solar batteries, power bank batteries, vapes and toys)
- cardboard and paper
- clean polystyrene (blocks only)
- cooking oil (up to 20 litres)
- electronic waste (up to 15 items)
- engine oil (up to 100 litres in total and 20 litres per container)
- fluorescent lighting tubes and bulbs
- gas bottles (butane, LPG, propane, fire extinguishers, CO2 cardon dioxide food grade bottles only). Bottles must not exceed 9kg and only 6 per visit.
- hard plastics (e.g. buckets, chairs, crates, containers, gardening pots, tubs)
- metal (e.g. steel, tin, iron, copper, aluminium, cast-iron pipes, trailers)
- machinery (e.g. whipper snippers, lawn mowers)
- mattresses ($35 per mattress)
- mobile phones
- paint (up to 100 litres in total and 20 litres per container)
- paper (document destruction)
- plastic wrap (HDPE, clear plastic sheets)
- recyclable household items (e.g. aluminium cans, cardboard, paper, glass bottles, jars)
- small household appliances and equipment with a power source (e.g. toasters, kettles)
- smoke alarms and detectors
- trailers (metal)
- white goods and large appliances (e.g. fridges, washing machines, dryers, freezers, air conditioners, ovens, cooktops).
Visit Recycle Mate for information about other recycling and disposal options.
General waste items
If your general waste can’t fit in your red bin, take it to a resource recovery centre.
You can use a waste voucher or pay a fee.
Green waste
Green waste material comes from your garden and includes:
- cuttings from shrubs and trees
- grass clippings
- leaves, palm fronds, twigs and branches
- loose bark
- weeds, ivy, creepers and vines.
If your green waste doesn’t fit in your bin or you don’t have one, take it to a resource recovery centre. You can use a waste voucher or pay a fee.
Hazardous waste
Some hazardous waste is accepted at resource recovery centres every day. These items are included in the accepted items list above.
Other hazardous items can be taken to free hazardous waste drop-off days.
Resource recovery centres do not accept:
- ammunition, fireworks and flares
- asbestos or materials containing asbestos
- commercial quantities of recyclable materials
- engineered stone and bagged crushed concrete
- hazardous waste not included in the accepted items list above or not accepted at free hazardous waste drop-off days
- lithium car batteries
- quantities exceeding a ute load of soil, concrete, bricks, rocks and masonry
- radioactive material
- tyres.
Prepare your waste
Learn how to efficiently pack your load before visiting a resource recovery centre.
When visiting your local resource recovery centre, it’s important to plan your trip before you arrive.
Sorting your load by grouping similar items together can save you time, money. And reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill.
Pack your general waste items first, towards the front of your vehicle or trailer.
Next, pack your green waste items, such as palm fronds and garden clippings.
Group hazardous waste items, such as paint and oil.
Split up your e-waste, batteries and hard plastic items.
Flatten cardboard boxes and separate metals.
Finally, pack your Treasure Trove donations last, as this will be your first stop at the centre.
Make sure to cover and secure your load and bring a mate along to help unload heavy items.
Remember to wear enclosed shoes and protective clothing, such as gloves and glasses, to the resource recovery centres.
When you arrive, you’ll be directed by the gatehouse staff to the various drop-off points. Children under 12 and family pets must remain in your vehicles at all times.
Fees and charges
There are different charges for domestic and commercial waste services.
Disposal fees are charged according to:
- vehicle type
- load weight.
Domestic waste
| Waste type | Load weight | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| General waste (mixed general waste and green waste) | Up to 500kg | $23 |
| Green waste only | Up to 500kg | $15.20 |
| More than 5 cubic metres of polystyrene (or similar lightweight material) |
$1,544.20 per load plus $326.40 per tonne |
|
| Mattress disposal | $35 per mattress |
| Waste type | Load weight | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| General waste (mixed general waste and green waste) | Up to 100kg | $23 |
| 100kg to 500kg | $74 | |
| Each tonne above 500kg | $238.20 | |
| Green waste only | Up to 100kg | $15.20 |
| 100kg to 500kg | $25.40 | |
| Each tonne above 500kg | $124.80 | |
| More than 5 cubic metres of polystyrene (or similar lightweight material) |
$1,544.20 per load plus $326.40 per tonne |
|
| Mattress recycling | $35 per mattress |
| Waste type | Load weight | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| General waste (mixed general waste and green waste) | Each tonne | $238.20 |
| Green waste only | Each tonne | $124.80 |
| More than 5 cubic metres of polystyrene (or similar lightweight material) |
$1,544.20 per load plus $326.40 per tonne |
|
| Mattress disposal | $35 per mattress |
Commercial waste
| Waste type | Load weight | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| General waste (mixed general waste and green waste) | Up to 100kg | $32 |
| 100kg to 500kg | $113.40 | |
| Each tonne above 500kg | $326.40 | |
| Green waste only | Up to 100kg | $15.20 |
| 100kg to 500kg | $25.40 | |
| Each tonne above 500kg | $124.80 | |
| More than 5 cubic metres of polystyrene (or similar lightweight material) |
$1,544.20 per load plus $326.40 per tonne |
|
| Mattress disposal | $35 per mattress |
| Waste type | Load weight | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| General waste (mixed general waste and green waste) | Each tonne | $326.40 |
| Green waste only | Each tonne | $124.80 |
| More than 5 cubic metres of polystyrene (or similar lightweight material) |
$1,544.20 per load plus $326.40 per tonne |
|
| Mattress disposal | $35 per mattress |
Demolition and Asbestos Industry Association (Qld) Inc members (DAIA)
DAIA members can access fees and charges for uncontaminated green waste only. Members cannot use waste and green waste vouchers.
The following fees and charges apply.
All vehicles with a 4.5-tonne combined gross vehicle mass (CGVM) and under:
-
up to 100 kg of waste: $14.60
-
100 kg to 500 kg of waste: $24.20
-
each tonne of waste above 500 kg: $96.60.
All other vehicle combinations with a CGVM more than 4.5 tonnes:
- each tonne of waste: $96.60.
Payment options
Resource recovery centres accept payment by cash, cheque, EFTPOS or credit card (Mastercard or Visa only). A surcharge applies for credit and debit cards.
You can also set up a commercial account for your business. A commercial account allows you to pay:
- online
- at Australia Post
- by visiting a Customer Centre
- by phone pay (Visa or Mastercard - phone 1300 309 311 and follow the prompts)
- by BPAY (contact your bank to set up BPAY)
- by cheque or money order to:
Brisbane City Council
GPO Box 1090
Brisbane Qld 4001
To set up a commercial account:
Frequently asked questions
You can take certain recyclable items to Council's resource recovery centres for free.
You can also use waste vouchers to dispose of general and green waste, free of charge.
Find more information about what you can take to the centres.
Yes, there are vehicle load size limits at Council's resource recovery centres. This helps to ensure fair use of our centres and reduce wait times.
Vehicles over 4.5 tonnes combined gross vehicle mass (CGVM) can only access the Nudgee and Willawong centres.
Find more information about vehicle load limits and fees.
You can dispose of e-waste at a resource recovery centre in Brisbane. This includes batteries, vapes, large appliances, lighting, mobile phones and small household appliances.
Don’t dispose of e-waste in red, yellow or green bins at home.
Learn more about e-waste disposal.
You can recycle paint through the Paintback Australia program.
Up to 100 litres of liquid paint (lead or other) can be disposed of at resource recovery centres. A maximum limit of 20 litres per container.
Empty paint tins can go into the metal recycling area at resource recovery centres. They can also be placed in household rubbish or recycling bins.
Small quantities of leftover paint can be solidified by using the following methods:
- add the remaining paint to an absorbent such as kitty litter, grass clippings, soil, or sand. Dry out in a well-ventilated and secure area
- pour it onto newspaper, cover it with an absorbent material and leave it to solidify.
You can dispose of hazardous waste at Council’s during free household hazardous waste drop-off days.
Learn more about household hazardous waste disposal.
You can recycle the following empty gas bottles at Council's resource recovery centres:
- butane
- CO2 carbon dioxide food grade
- fire extinguishers
- LPG
- propane.
You can drop off up to 6 standard bottles up to 9kgs. Bottles exceeding 9kg will not be accepted. They must be in good condition (not damaged or leaking).
Nitrous oxide, helium, and CO2 industrial bottles can only be accepted during free household hazardous waste drop-off days.
The cost to dispose of green waste in Brisbane depends on the amount of waste you're getting rid of. You can also use waste vouchers to dispose of green waste for free.
Find out about fees for disposing of green waste.
No. Residents cannot dispose of any materials at the Brisbane landfill as there is no public access.
Yes. Council’s kerbside waste collection trucks take waste to resource recovery centres before it is transferred for processing.
Waste and recycling dropped off at a resource recovery centre is sorted for recovery and processing.
Materials that can be recycled are recovered, and the remaining waste is disposed of appropriately.
Mattress disposal
Due to the rising cost of waste management, the mattress recycling fee helps:
- to support the cost of mattress shredding
- the metal recovery process.
The fee is a cost recovery initiative to cover the transportation and recycling service undertaken by Council’s contractor.
No, the $35 fee is a flat fee. It does not differ depending on the size of the mattress being disposed of.
Residents can use their waste vouchers to cover the cost of mattress disposal. One voucher can be exchanged for up to 3 mattresses.
Mattresses are transported to our contractor’s facility and placed in a mechanical shredding machine. This machine recovers the steel from mattresses and shreds the residual foams and fabrics into smaller quantities.
Shredding these residual fabrics reduces the volume of waste sent to landfill compared to burying a complete mattress.
Mattresses contain resources such as steel, foam, and textiles which take a long time to break down. When placed in landfill as a whole, mattresses take up valuable landfill space.
Recycling mattresses at resource recovery centres, or other local mattress recycling facilities, helps:
- reduce the amount of waste going to landfill
- promotes the recovery of reusable materials.
