Let’s Get It Sorted Burdekin!
All households are provided with a yellow-lid recycling bin, which is collected fortnightly on the same day as your general waste bin.
Not sure where an item belongs?
Recycle Mate can help you find the right disposal option for thousands of household items. Simply search for an item or take a photo using the app to find out whether it belongs in your recycling bin, general waste bin, green waste bin, a drop-off location, or another recovery program.
For more information and download links, visit Council's Recycle Mate page.
What can go in your recycling bin?
- Aluminium cans, steel cans, foil trays and empty aerosol cans
- Paper and cardboard
- Clean pizza boxes
- Empty glass bottles and jars (no lids)
- Rigid plastic bottles and containers
Battery Safety
Batteries, vapes, power banks, e-scooter batteries, and electronic devices containing batteries must never be placed in any household bin.
These items can cause fires in collection vehicles and recycling facilities. Visit Council's battery disposal page or use Recycle Mate to find a safe disposal option.
Handy Tips:
- Never bag your recyclables. Keep them loose in the recycling bin.
- Rinse or wipe out containers. Clean containers help reduce odours and vermin.
- Soft plastics such as plastic bags, bread bags, cling wrap, chip packets, bubble wrap and lolly wrappers should not be placed in your recycling bin. These items can become tangled in sorting equipment and disrupt the recycling process.
- Small loose items can be difficult to sort at recycling facilities. If an item is smaller than a credit card, place it in your general waste bin.
- Crushing containers and flattening cardboard can help create more space in your recycling bin.
What CAN'T Go in Your Recycling Bin?
Not everything that looks recyclable can go in your yellow-lid bin. Putting the wrong items in your recycling is called contamination. Contamination can affect the quality of recyclable materials, damage sorting equipment and create safety risks for workers.
Keep these items out of your yellow-lid recycling bin:
- Food waste – place food waste in your red-lid general waste bin or consider composting suitable food scraps at home.
- Green waste – use your green-lid bin for suitable garden waste.
- Disposable nappies – place these in your red-lid general waste bin.
- Clothing and textiles – if they're still in good condition, consider donating, selling or reusing them. Otherwise, check Recycle Mate for disposal options.
- Soft plastics – plastic bags, bread bags, cling wrap, chip packets, bubble wrap and other soft plastics do not belong in your recycling bin. Check Recycle Mate for available disposal options.
- Polystyrene and foam packaging – keep polystyrene cups, trays and packaging out of your yellow-lid bin.
- Disposable coffee cups – these cannot be processed through your household recycling collection.
- Crockery and ovenware – drinking glasses, Pyrex, ovenware, plates, cups and crockery do not belong in your recycling bin.
- Mirrors and window glass – these are different from the container glass accepted through household recycling.
- Batteries and battery-powered devices – these must never be placed in any household bin. Use Council's battery disposal information or Recycle Mate to find a safe drop-off option.
Not sure? Search Recycle Mate before you bin it.
Let's Help the Helpers
The machinery used in sorting and recycling facilities can process bottles, jars, cans, paper, cardboard, and containers. However, it is important to think about the people who work there too.
Items such as batteries, hoses, wires, ropes, clothing, plastic bags, and polystyrene can damage equipment, cause breakdowns, and create serious safety risks for workers.
By recycling right, you can help keep recycling facilities operating safely and efficiently.
Take a virtual tour of the recycling facility
Ever wondered what happens to your recycling after it is collected?
Take a virtual tour of Townsville’s Materials Recovery Facility (MRF), where recyclables collected from yellow-lid recycling bins across the Burdekin Shire are taken for processing. Discover how specialised technology and machinery help sort, separate and bale recyclable materials, ready for their next use.
The facility processes recyclable materials from Townsville, Burdekin, Hinchinbrook and Mackay
Let's Get It Sorted
Getting recycling right is easy when you know how. Watch these short videos to learn what can go in your yellow-lid recycling bin, how to prepare your recycling, and what items need to stay out.
Keep it simple – only recycle hard plastics and containers, steel and aluminium cans, glass bottles and jars and paper and cardboard in your yellow-lid recycling bin.
Keep it loose – don’t bag or box any recyclables in your yellow lid recycling bin. It’s important to keep them loose so they can be easily sorted.
Keep it clean – rinse or wipe out food containers and keep food scraps, nappies, general waste and fabric out of your yellow-lid recycling bin.
Keep it Safe - No hazardous items or harmful items that might damage the machines. Items include electrical cords, wire, hose, nettings, fabrics etc.
Keep out Soft Plastics - This means no plastic, degradable, biodegradable or compostable bags.
Keep out Small Items - Any items that are smaller than a credit card. Items can include bottle top lids or small pieces of paper or cardboard. Place these in your red-lid general waste bin.