Other waste

E-waste refers to any item with a plug, battery or cord that is no longer working or wanted. The Victorian Government banned e-waste from landfill as of 1 July 2019.

Recycling your e-waste is important, but if we can avoid creating it, that is even better. If you have an item that still works, consider trying to find a new home for it first – friends, family, sell it, donate it (check they are happy/can accept).

You can recycle your e-waste (but not in your kerbside recycling bin). Please drop to your local transfer station or, if the item is small, you can take it to your local customer service centre/hub.

Our transfer stations accept e-waste for free from residents.

Items that are considered e-waste:

• Televisions, printers, computer equipment (including monitor and mouse)
• Small appliances – irons, toasters, kettles
• DVD players, microwaves
• Phones, chargers, tablets
• Light bulbs
• Toys with batteries

Please note there is a fee for refrigerators and freezers at the transfer stations. See transfer stations for fees.

You can’t put batteries in your rubbish or recycling bin

Most batteries contain hazardous materials that can pollute the environment when disposed of in landfills or when thrown out elsewhere. Materials like lead, cadmium and mercury can poison people and animals and contaminate soils and water, and they stay in the environment for a long time. Discarded batteries also pose a safety risk in garbage trucks as they can start fires.

Batteries (household) can be dropped to:

• Council’s customer service centres/hubs
• Transfer stations

Please note large batteries such as car batteries can ONLY be taken to our transfer stations.

Find a list of commercial battery recycling services.

Our transfer stations do not accept household chemicals for disposal, and they are not accepted in kerbside bins.

Detox Your Home is a safe, free and easy-to-use service to dispose of highly toxic, unwanted household chemicals. This includes solvents, poisons and cleaning products. For a list of upcoming events and items they accept visit Detox Your Home.

The City Of Ballarat Transfer Station on Gillies Street South is a close, permanent drop-off site for the Detox Your Home program. Ballarat Transfer Station currently does not accept pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and nail polish remover, or chemicals used by businesses for industrial and commercial purposes.

Drum-Muster

Council participates in the national drumMuster program and is providing a safe way to dispose of eligible agricultural and vet chemical containers.

There are drumMuster cages at the Creswick and Daylesford Transfer Stations. Agvet chemical drums can now be dropped off if they are empty and triple rinsed with no chemical residue on or in the drum. Drums carrying the drumMuster label/embossing will be accepted free of charge. Find out the materials accepted by drumMuster along with details of how to clean your drums.

ChemClear

Another option for the disposal of unwanted farm chemicals is ChemClear.

Visit the ChemClear website or call them on 1800 008 182 to register chemicals for collection. Note that these collections occur in local runs so encourage your neighbours to participate as well.

It is best to try to sell or donate larger items from home that are no longer required. However, these items are accepted at transfer stations. Please see our Transfer Stations page for fees and opening hours.

Green waste is accepted at our transfer stations. Noxious weeds are not. Please ensure your load of green waste is separated from other waste before you arrive at the transfer station. The green waste must also be free of rubbish. See Transfer Station for fees and opening hours. A trial kerbside organics collection is underway in Clunes. 

While soft plastics can't go in your yellow-lid recycling bin, it doesn't mean they can’t be recycled. Bags of soft plastics can be dropped off at REDcycle collection points at participating supermarkets.

REDcycle accepts all scrunchable soft plastics, such as re-usable shopping bags, newspaper wrapping, bubble wrap, plastic bags, zip-lock bags, biscuit wrapping (not the trays), lolly packs, bread bags, pasta and rice bags, courier satchels, cereal box liners, chip and cracker packets.

Please ensure all soft plastics are dry and as empty as possible. 

Your soft plastics will be recycled into furniture, bollards and signage. Find out more about REDcycle.

Soft plastics should go in your red-lid waste bin if they can't be dropped off at a REDcycle collection point. 

Milk and drink plastic lids are not accepted in the kerbside bin. We accept clean plastic lids at our customer service centres/hubs and also our transfer stations.