Problem Waste
Some types of waste are difficult to get rid of responsibly, like chemicals, asbestos and medical waste. Many of these items need to be handled carefully so they don't damage the environment.
Common types of problem waste
More types of waste
If your house was built before 1990, there’s a good chance it contains asbestos somewhere. Common places you might find asbestos include walls, roofs and eaves, vinyl tiling, drains and oven or heating flues.
Visit the Asbestos in NSW website to learn more and get tips on how to protect yourself.
The Asbestos Awareness website also has great resources to help you understand the risks of this material.
Handling and disposing of asbestos
Strict rules apply to handling and disposing of asbestos. If you’re removing more than 10 square meters of asbestos, you must use a licensed asbestos removalist.
See the NSW EPA website for more information about dealing with asbestos waste.
It is illegal to put asbestos in a household garbage bin or to dump it.
You cannot take asbestos to our waste disposal depot.
Local asbestos waste disposal
P&D Envirotech is a local company which can accept asbestos waste. You should check with them directly to confirm pricing and other details.
You can find other facilities in New South Wales that accept household asbestos on the EPA website.
Our waste depot at Whytes Gully does not accept building waste.
Building waste includes, but is not limited to:
- Bricks
- Concrete
- Mortar
- Fibro Sheeting
- Galvanised Iron Sheeting
- Tiles
- Hardboard
- Gyprock
- Plaster Sheeting
- Timber
- Excavation Materials (including clean and unclean fill).
There are some private businesses in our local area that accept building waste. Please search the internet for 'building waste Wollongong' to find available options.
The NSW Government has a program to help boaters safely dispose of expired marine flares.
Most flares have a use-by date of three years. Penalties can apply if flares are not replaced before the expiry date.
Flares contain explosive matter which makes it difficult to dispose of them safely and legally. It is an offence to set off flares except in an emergency, so they must be disposed of safely.
Lightbulbs should be handled carefully as they can contain dangerous gases. Read more on the Recycling Near You website.
You can take fluorescent globes and tubes to our Community Recycling Centre.
IKEA stores also accept most kinds of light globes for recycling, even if you didn’t buy them there.
Lead can be found in many parts of your home - especially in older homes.
Some of the places you might find lead include:
- old interior and exterior paint
- in dust found in ceiling cavities, carpets or furniture
- soil around your home
- fumes from tools like heat guns or soldering irons that have come into contact with lead surfaces
- water pipes
- leadlight windows
- PVC products
- lead sheeting.
You can read more about lead and how to protect your health on the NSW EPA website or by downloading the Lead Safety brochure.
You can also buy lead test kits from most hardware stores.
VegeSafe soil testing program
Macquarie University has a free Vegesafe program tests soil for metals. If you’d like to know more, visit Macquarie University’s website.
Old medicine
Old medicines can be dangerous to you and your family, and bad for the environment.
Get rid of old or unwanted medicines at your local pharmacy through the Return Unwanted Medicines (RUM) program.
Syringes
If you find needles or syringes on public or private land, call the Needle Exchange on (02) 4275 1529. They operate between 8 am and 5.30 pm Monday to Friday, and can quickly arrange collection by a qualified person in most cases during these hours.
If you feel ok about handling the discarded needle or syringe safely, follow these steps:
- Place the needle in a strong puncture-proof container with a lid. Don't use a glass container as it can break.
- Carry the container to the needle, place the needle inside the container and make sure the lid is on tightly.
- Call the Needle Exchange to arrange for pick up or take it to a drop off location.
See these websites to learn more about disposing of needles or syringes:
Kidney dialysis patients
Council offers a Kidney Dialysis Residual Waste Service for households that have excessive residual waste associated with kidney dialysis which can't be managed using the standard collection service.
To apply for this service, please visit the Wollongong Waste website
Disposable nappies have a big impact on our environment. They can take over 400 years to start breaking down in landfill.
Using cloth nappies is an environmentally friendly alternative, and it doesn't have to be hard. Find our more on our Nappies page.
Soft plastics should not go in your yellow recycling bin.
Soft plastics include any plastic packaging you can easily scrunch into a ball, like bread bags, rice packets, plastic bags, lolly and biscuit wrappers, frozen food bags and even old green bags.
Please note, the Redcycle soft plastics collection program through major supermarkets has been suspended until further notice.
In the meantime, you will need to put soft plastics in your red lidded waste to landfill bin.
You can include up to six car or motorbike tyres in the free On-Call Household Cleanup.
Fees for disposing of tyres at our Waste Depot are shown below.
| Fee NameFee Name | GSTGST | Current Fee (incl. GST)Current Fee (incl. GST) |
|---|---|---|
| Fee NameCar and motorcycle tyres (each) | GSTY | Fee incl. GST$10.50 |
| Fee NameCar and motorcycle tyres (each) with rim | GSTY | Fee incl. GST$22.00 |
| Fee NameLight truck and 4WD tyres (each) [Truck and Tractor Tyres are not accepted] | GSTY | Fee incl. GST$19.00 |
| Fee NameLight truck and 4WD tyres (each) with rim [Truck and Tractor Tyres are not accepted] | GSTY | Fee incl. GST$36.00 |
Ask a waste expert
Unsure how to get rid of something not covered here? Use the button below to ask a waste expert for advice.