Dos and Don'ts

Check your local council requirements

What you can recycle in your green bin - green waste

  • Garden prunings, grass clippings and weeds
    Garden prunings, grass clippings and weeds

What you can recycle in your green bin - food waste

(check with your council first before recycling your food waste in the green bin, if they don’t accept it, set up a home compost bin)

  • Fruit and vegetable scraps
    Fruit and vegetable scraps
  • Seafood, meat scraps and bones
    Seafood, meat scraps and bones
  • Bread, cereal, rice, noodles and pasta
    Bread, cereal, rice, noodles and pasta
  • Leftovers
    Leftovers
  • Citrus, onion and garlic
    Citrus, onion and garlic
  • Cheese
    Cheese
  • Egg shells
    Egg shells
  • Coffee grounds and loose leaf tea leaves
    Coffee grounds and loose leaf tea leaves

What you can't recycle in your green bin

  • All plastic bags
    All plastic bags
  • Pet poo and droppings
    Pet poo and droppings
  • Syringes and sharps containers
    Syringes and sharps containers
  • Takeaway coffee cups (including compostable)
    Takeaway coffee cups (including compostable)
  • Compostable, biodegradable, degradable items
    Compostable, biodegradable, degradable items
  • Cooking oils, sauces and liquids
    Cooking oils, sauces and liquids
  • Food packaging
    Food packaging
  • Juice boxes, milk cartons and other Tetrapaks
    Juice boxes, milk cartons and other Tetrapaks
  • Plastic wrap
    Plastic wrap
  • Aluminium foil and trays
    Aluminium foil and trays
  • Recyclables
    Recyclables
  • Plastic packaging
    Plastic packaging
  • Polystyrene
    Polystyrene
  • Packaging
    Packaging
  • Fruit stickers
    Fruit stickers
  • Old clothing
    Old clothing
  • Tea bags and coffee pods
    Tea bags and coffee pods
  • Cardboard
    Cardboard
  • Bagged recyclables
    Bagged recyclables
  • Rubber bands
    Rubber bands
  • Garden rubbish
    Garden rubbish
  • Bagged green waste
    Bagged green waste
  • Fake grass and artificial turf
    Fake grass and artificial turf
  • Biodegradable and degradable bags*
    Biodegradable and degradable bags*
  • General rubbish
    General rubbish
  • Nappies (including compostable)
    Nappies (including compostable)

*Some councils accept compostable bags (certified to Australian standard AS4736). Check with your council first before using them.

Why can’t compostable packaging go in your green bin? Can you recycle mussel shells? Find the answers to these and lots of other questions about using your green bin.

All participating council collection services allow grass clippings, weeds (including ivy), vines, leaves, plant cuttings and small branches to be recycled. Check your local council’s program for other items accepted in your green waste bin. 

Check your council's website to see what you can or can’t recycle.