Get Your Waste Sorted

A-Z Guide

From July 2024 in Devonport, Kentish, Latrobe, Waratah-Wynyard Councils a fortnightly collection of the three kerbside bins, being:

  • Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO)

  • Recycling 

  • Landfill (General Waste)

Central Coast Council residents have had a 3-bin system since 2019, and Burnie and Circular Head residents will join the change in mid-2026.

If we all use the bins correctly, you will have less rubbish in your landfill bin, meaning less waste in landfill! 

Even the smallest piece of waste in the wrong bin causes big problems when being composted or recycled. 

So what can and can’t go in each kerbside bin?

Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) Bin

You can put food and organic garden waste in your FOGO bin. 

  • Food waste includes: 

    • All vegetable peelings

    • All fruit scraps (including citrus)

    • Cooked food, leftovers and spoiled food (removed from packaging)

    • Meat and bones (raw or cooked) 

    • Seafood waste

    • Dairy: milk, cheese, yoghurt etc 

    • Bread, cakes, pasta & rice

    • Eggs and eggshells 

    • Loose tea leaves & coffee grounds

    • Food soiled pizza boxes or paper bags

       

    Garden waste includes: 

    • Lawn clippings

    • Leaves 

    • All weeds - including noxious weeds 

    • Veggie patch waste 

    • Small branches 

    • Wood chippings (untreated) 

    You can also put newspaper, paper towel and shredded paper in the FOGO bin 

  • PLEASE DO NOT put any:

    • Biodegradable or compostable liners, containers, plastics or nappies

    • Pet waste and kitty litter

    • Dead animals or road kill

    • Tea bags or coffee bags/filters

    • Fireplace ash (put this on your garden instead to enrich the soil!)

    • Plastics, plastic bags, biodegradable plastics

    • Cling wrap

    • Glass

    • Tins and cans

    • Foil

    • Tetrapaks - like milk cartons

    • Nappies or wipes

    • Treated timber

    • Gravel

    • Rocks or building material

    Tip: Make sure to separate food waste from containers so only food and garden waste goes in FOGO. If the container is recyclable, then give it a rinse and it can go into the recycling bin.

Recycling Bin

Use this bin for recyclable common household items and make sure to leave them loose (don’t put your items in bin bags).

Extra gold star if you remove food waste, rinse out plastic containers and bottles (they don’t have to sparkle) and flatten out your boxes.

    • Hard plastics that have the identification code (the number in the triangle) of 1, 2 or 5. These include: 

      • #1 (PET Plastics): like single use water/soft drink bottles

      • #2 (HDPE Plastics): including cloudy milk bottles, washing detergent and spray bottles 

      • #5 (PP Plastics): such as yoghurt, butter or ice cream containers 

    • Aluminium cans including beverage cans 

    • Steel cans - like tinned vegetable cans and pet food cans 

    • Loose cardboard, newspapers, magazines, junk mail and office paper 

    • Glass bottles and jars

    • Gas bottles - LPG and butane 

    • Medical sharps and containers 

    • Landfill waste - including nappies, scrap waste, personal hygiene products 

    • Large Steel Items such as frying pans, oven trays, engine parts and garden equipment

    • Batteries

    • Flares 

    • E-waste including microwaves, toasters, TV’s and computers

    • Soft “scrunchable” plastics like shopping bags, food bags, bin liners and bagged recyclables

    • Small plastic pieces like bread bag tags and straws 

    • Paper towels, tissues, dishcloths

    • Coffee cups, disposable drinking cups and cutlery 

    • Compostable and fast food packaging 

    • Composite packaging - this is packaging made from a combination of different materials which is hard to recycle including: 

      • Foil-lined cartons / tetra packs: commonly found with juice, long life milk, soup, and other liquid foods.

      • Foiled lined bags like chip packets, coffee bags and dog food bags

      • Blister packs for medication, batteries or small electronics

      • Toothpaste tubes 

    • Building materials 

    • Polystyrene foam

    • Ceramics, porcelain or glass that isn’t bottles or jars

    • Metal coat hangers

Landfill Bin

Use this bin for all waste that cannot be recycled, reused or diverted.

    • Soft plastics, plastic bags and biodegradable bags

    • Disposable nappies and wipes

    • Personal hygiene products

    • Takeaway coffee cups

    • Foil-lined tetra packs - these are long life cartons and are generally found on shelves in supermarkets

    • Pet waste and kitty litter

    • Medical waste (if not collected/exchangeable at your local council or pharmacy)

    • Polystyrene foam

    • Batteries

    • E-waste including all electronic or battery powered devices

    • Light globes

    • Flares

    • Food scraps

    • Recyclable items

    • Garden organics and soil

    • Paints

    • Chemicals

Never put these in your kerbside bins

There are some items that can’t go in any of your kerbside bins - recycle these for free at your local waste transfer station.

These include: 

  • Batteries

  • Light globes

  • Paint

  • Steel posts

  • Flares 

  • E-waste 

For any large, bulky items of waste contact your local council to help find the best local solution. 

Keep a look out for regional initiatives, such as free annual household hazardous waste collection days, to dispose of things like chemicals safely.