What can and can't I recycle?

What can I and cant recycle

A list of what we can and can't accept, and advice on getting it right.

The recycling bin in Darebin is 240 litres in capacity.

What can I recycle?

Recycle Right

The Recycle Right campaign aims to help you become a better recycler. This will help stop valuable resources from going to landfill, which saves energy and protects the environment. You can read more about the benefits of recycling in our Recycling FAQs(PDF, 177KB).

Recycle right by doing these things:

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 plastic is any plastic that bounces back into shape when you try and scrunch it in your hand. You can recycle hard plastic items like:

  • milk bottles - Place in your recycling bin
  • soft drink bottles - Place in your recycling bin
  • ice cream tubs - Place in your recycling bin
  • takeaway containers - Place in your recycling bin
  • laundry and bathroom bottles - Place in your recycling bin
  • plant pots - Place in your recycling bin
  • soft plastics - Do not use your recycling bin for any plastic that loses its shape when you scrunch it in your hand, like cling wrap, bread bags and chip wrappers

Soft plastic is any plastic that loses its shape when you scrunch it in your hand, like cling wrap, bread bags and chip wrappers. You can't recycle soft plastic items in your recycling bin. Soft plastics must go in your general waste bin at home.

Tip: don't let the triangle and number stamp on plastic products trick you. This only says what type of resin the plastic product is made from, not whether it can be recycled.

Recycling paper and cardboard

Common paper and cardboard items that you can recycle include:

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

Recycling glass

Common glass items that you can recycle include jam jars and soft drink bottles.

You can't recycle any of these glass items. Donate them if they are reusable, or place them in your general waste bin if they are broken:

  • drinking glasses - Donate if still usable, put in general waste if broken
  • 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 any of these aluminium and steel items:

  • 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

What can't I recycle?

  • 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.
  • polystyrene also known as styrofoam
  • disposable coffee cups and lids
  • food scraps or green waste put in your green waste bin
  • fabric and clothing
  • foil-lined packaging long life juice or milk, such as Tetra Pak® containers
  • light globes recycle at a Darebin Customer Service Centre recycling station
  • batteries recycle at a "bcycle" drop off point at your local supermarket or hardware store
  • electrical goods
  • ceramics and crockery includes Pyrex™
  • glass products includes drinking glasses, wine glasses or window glass
  • mirrors
  • nappies
  • tissues, napkins or paper towel
  • 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
  • general waste

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