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Last Updated: Thursday, 17 April 2025 13:38

70% wasted

Did you know that 70% of the waste in the average kerbside general waste bin in the Toowoomba Region can be avoided, reused or recycled?

That’s:

  • 33% food waste
  • 24% green waste
  • 13% recyclables.

That’s around 30,000 tonnes of materials that shouldn’t be going to landfill.

Do the right thing, choose the right bin! And fight food waste! 

 

Your general waste bin, serviced weekly, has a red lid or nature green lid (same colour as the bin body). General waste bins are available in 240L (standard) and 140L (optional) sizes. Items put in this bin are buried in landfill at a waste management facility. Read below to find out which items are not compatible with our waste collection trucks or landfill and should not be put in your general waste bin. Remember, your bin is too heavy to service if it weighs more than 70kg. 

Quick links:

 

Materials that can be placed in the general waste bin

Items that can be disposed of in your general waste bin:

  • general household waste - waste that can be 'bagged' but no large items like furniture
  • plastic bags
  • plastic wrap
  • nappies - disposable and cloth
  • ceramic, china, pottery
  • styrofoam, polystyrene (make sure foam boxes are broken into smaller pieces otherwise they will form a suction between the bin wall and the box restricting complete emptying of your bin)
  • pyrex and ovenproof glass
  • drinking glasses
  • light bulbs, fluorescent lamps 
  • mirrors, window and automotive glass and safety glass
  • garden waste (green waste)
  • food scraps
  • clothing
  • disposable/single-use coffee cups should be placed in the general waste bin and the plastic lid in the recycle bin
  • COVID 19 - rapid antigen home test kits. Regardless of the information provided with the test instructions, they can only be placed in the general waste bin. Some tests come with a plastic bag to place the contents of the test into (including the swab). This bag is then placed into another bag for disposal with the household rubbish. If no bags are provided, you can place the used items from the test into a small plastic bag that can be sealed. Then place into another bag, seal it and dispose of in the general waste bin.

Keep in mind there are many charitable organisations that may want your good, usable household items such as crockery, glassware and clothing. Look for these organisations in the White Pages or through a Google search.

 

Materials that should not be placed in the general waste bin

  • items longer than 50cm. Make sure items are broken or cut up into smaller pieces before placing them in your bin. If throwing out an old broom or mop please cut it up before you place it in your bin
  • building/renovation waste - e.g. large pieces of PVC pipe, fixtures, fittings, plasterboard
  • car motor or parts
  • liquid waste, chemicals and oil
  • Paint tins - empty and still containing paint (paint can be recycled at your waste facility)
  • bricks, concrete, masonry, tiles, rocks, etc. Large pieces are too heavy and will damage the internal paddles in the collection vehicles
  • hot ashes - make sure ashes are cold and completely soaked through with water and dried out before disposing of them in the bin.  Better still, dig them into your garden
  • asbestos
  • gas cylinders
  • white goods
  • dead animals
  • tyres
  • furniture
  • TV's
  • mattresses
  • batteries - all types
  • e-waste (there are recycling alternatives around Toowoomba for your e-waste)
  • treated timber - e.g. cabinetry, laminates, fence palings.

Many of our waste facilities offer disposal options for these items. For further information read the Waste facilities article.

 

Wheelie bin maintenance

Should your wheelie bin be damaged or have broken parts (e.g. cracked or missing lids, pins, wheels and/or axles), refer to bin maintenance - repairs, stolen or lost bins or contact us and report the issue.