What can and can't I recycle?

What can I and cant recycle

The recycling bin in Darebin is 240 litres in capacity. It's collected fortnightly, alternating with your Food and garden organics bin collection.

Recycling right is quick and easy, and helps stop valuable resources from going to landfill, which saves energy and protects the environment.

When you put the right items into your recycling bin, they can be turned into new products and used again and again. Find out more about what happens to your recycling.

Items that go in your recycling bin

Your mixed recycling bin is for recycling:

We also have recycling quick guide posters in English(PDF, 2MB), Arabic(PDF, 2MB), Chinese(PDF, 2MB), Farsi(PDF, 2MB), Greek(PDF, 2MB) and Hindi(PDF, 2MB).

If you want a printed copy of any of these, visit a Customer Service Centre or call 03 8470 8888 and ask us to mail one to you. Large print is available.

Recycling plastics

Hard/rigid plastic is sorted and baled, then sent to be recycled into new products like bottles, polar fleece or carpet. Hard plastic is any plastic that maintains its shape or bounces back into shape when you try and scrunch it in your hand.

Only hard plastics with a 1, 2 or 5 code inside the recycling symbol (triangle formed by 3 circling arrows) go into your recycling bin. 

You can recycle hard plastic items like:

  • milk bottles (remove lids and place in general rubbish bin)
  • soft drink bottles (remove lids and place in general rubbish bin)
  • ice cream tubs and lids
  • takeaway containers and lids
  • laundry and bathroom bottles (lids larger than a credit card can go in your recycling bin)

We can't recycle:

  • Batteries or electronics - take them to a battery recycling drop off 
  • Plastic bags or any soft plastic any plastic that loses its shape when you scrunch it into a ball, including plastic wrap, bread bags, pasta packets, muesli bar wrappers and chip bags
  • Plastic lids smaller than a credit card
  • Black coloured plastics
  • polystyrene also known as Styrofoam
  • disposable coffee cups and lids

  • foil-lined packaging long life juice or milk, such as Tetra Pak® containers

For a full list of disposal and recycling options see our A-Z waste and recycling guide.

Recycling paper and cardboard

You can recycle paper and cardboard items like:

  • office paper
  • envelopes
  • egg cartons
  • newspapers and magazines.
  • pizza boxes (must be empty)
  • clean paper towel and napkins

We can't recycle:

  • shredded paper
  • nappies
  • receipt paper/thermal paper
  • used tissues, napkins or paper towel

Recycling glass

You can recycle glass items like:

  • glass jars (unscrew lids and place in recycling separately)
  • glass bottles (unscrew lids and place in recycling separately)

We can't recycle:

  • broken glass of any kind
  • drinking glasses - donate if still usable, put in general waste if broken
  • perfume, cosmetics and medicine
  • household glass (such as vases) - donate if still usable, put in general waste if broken
  • Pyrex™ - donate if still usable, put in general waste if broken
  • mirrors - donate if still usable, put in general waste if broken
  • ceramics and crockery - donate if still usable, put in general waste if broken

Recycling aluminium and steel

You can recycle aluminium and steel items like:

  • cans - should be empty, but they don't need to be totally clean
  • tins - should be empty, but they don't need to be totally clean
  • foil trays - should be empty, but they don't need to be totally clean
  • aluminium foil - rolled as large as a golf ball
  • aerosol cans - make sure they're empty and remove plastic cap
  • lids - from jam jars or bottles

What can't I recycle?

  • food scraps or green waste put in your green waste bin
  • fabric and clothing
  • light globes - recycle at a community recycling station
  • electrical goods
  • smoke detectors - up to 10 household smoke detectors can be disposed of in your household waste bin.

For more than 10 smoke detectors, seek advice from the Department of Health.

Recycling tips

Here are some tips for recycling in Darebin:

  • Make sure you put your recycling in the bin loosely. If your recycling is in bags, the sorting facility may not sort it for you.
  • Recycling doesn't need to be squeaky clean. You can scrape any food and liquid out of containers and bottles, but you don't need to rinse them clean.
  • Squeeze, squash and flatten your recycling to fit more in your bin.
  • Don't put the wrong items in the recycling bin. It may not be collected if there are incorrect items inside.

More information

Customer Service
Call: 03 8470 8888
Email: mailbox@darebin.vic.gov.au

Back to top