A-Z of recycling and disposing of items

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 at 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, and Sustainability Victoria for more information.

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

Putting batteries in your household or kerbside bin can cause fires. This could be in the trucks that collect them or at recycling facilities or landfills. Batteries also contain toxic substances that are harmful to you, your family and the environment. Batteries and electronics are banned from landfill in Victoria. 

Where can I take my batteries to dispose of them correctly?

Batteries (household such as regular AA or other size batteries, button batteries rechargeable batteries and easily removable batteries) can be dropped to:

• Council’s customer service centres/hubs (Creswick, Clunes, Daylesford, Trentham)
• Transfer stations (Creswick, Daylesford, Trentham)

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

If you take used batteries to a drop-off point for recycling, you are giving them a new life and keeping harmful chemicals out of your bins and the environment. The valuable resources recovered from recycled batteries are used to make new products like metal tools, computer parts or new batteries. 

Find a list of commercial battery recycling services.

For more information on Lithium-ion battery safety visit Energy Safe Victoria.

How to safely store batteries until I am ready to take them to drop-off point?

You can safely store batteries by:

• covering the terminals of used batteries with clear sticky tape to prevent sparking and reduce the risk of fire
• storing taped batteries in a glass or plastic container that is not airtight (like a jam jar or ice cream tub). Do not store batteries in a metal container or with other metal objects
• storing batteries in a cool, dry place, away from heat sources
• keeping batteries away from children and pets.

What are some common items that have an embedded battery?

Items with embedded batteries are more common than you’d think. Before you dispose of any electronic item it’s important to check if it has an embedded battery. These items should not be put in any bin and need to be taken to electronics recycling drop-off point instead. Common household items* that can contain embedded batteries include:

• Bluetooth speakers and headphones
• electric toothbrushes
• e-scooters, e-bikes and hover boards
• power tools
• flashing/light up toys – particularly wands or other hard plastic products
• personal care devices (e.g. shavers)
• powerpacks and portable charging devices
• remote controlled and ride-on toys
• vacuum cleaners (cordless hand-held and robotic)
• vapes
• wearable devices such as smart watches, trackers and medical aids.

*This list has been sourced from the NSW EPA website.

Mobile phones are considered e-waste and contain hazardous but valuable materials. They are banned from landfill. Hepburn Shire Council recycles mobile phones through local contractor Rixon's Recycling.

Australian plastic recycler Transmutation has teamed up with Aussie Bread Tags for Wheelchairs to turn plastic bread tags into  bowls to raise funds to buy wheelchairs in South Africa. Find out more at Oz Bread Tags for Wheelchairs. 

Lions Recycle for Sight Australia is part of the Lions Clubs International Worldwide Eyeglass Recycling Program. Spectacles are refurbished and distributed globally.

Find out more at Lions Club.

Find out more at Terracycle.

Many light globes contain mercury which is toxic and can harm the environment. They require specialised recycling to ensure the  elements and materials are separated correctly.

Cartridges are made up of a complex mix of materials that can be turned into new products, including plastics, metal, inks and  toners.

Planet Ark has teamed up with Close the Loop and participating manufacturers Brother, Canon, Cartridge World, Epson, HP & Kyocera to ensure these valuable resources are recycled.

For more information visit Planet Ark.

Collections now available at Creswick, Daylesford and Trentham transfer stations. 

Did you know, Australians send 220,000 tonnes of clothing to landfill each year? Our transfer stations now have textile collection bins. Residents are encouraged to find local solutions or unwanted items in good condition, such as friends, online markets and op shops. This service is best for textile items which would have otherwise gone to landfill. 

What is accepted?

Clothing

• All clothing including swimwear, sleepwear, formal wear. Note: no wet or soiled clothing, or underwear. 

Accessories

• Belts, ties, bows
• Purses, briefcases, backpacks
• Hats, caps, bonnets
• Scarves, shawls, jewelry

Shoes: All shoes including boots and gumboots, single shoes too

Home textiles

• Tea towels, tablecloths
• Bath towels, robes
• Linen, bed sheets 

What is not accepted?

No: underwear or socks.

No: curtains, cushions, doona/duvets and pillows.

No: items that are damp or soiled.

No: toys - hard and soft.

No: books, CDs, DVDs

No: furniture

What happens to the textiles?

SCR Group collects the textiles placed in the bins at the transfer stations. Their aim is re-use first, if it can't be re-used re-purpose is the next option followed by recycling. They are ISO140001:2025 certification and B-corp status. They aim to redistribute wearable clothing into global communities in need and recycle tricky household items responsibly. About 80 per cent is re-used. 19 per cent re-purposed or recycled and less than 1 per cent ends up in landfill. Solutions are managed through onshore and integrated offshore solutions. Local solutions and infrastructure struggles with demands. SCR Group uses partner facilities in Malaysia and Dubai.

drumMuster

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.

AgSafe manages the ChemClear program and has a step-by-step guide, which includes calling them to register the chemicals for collection (1800 008 182). 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 that are still in good quality but are no longer required. However, these items are accepted at transfer stations - they even might be accepted at the Resource Recovery Shops (aka tip shops) at discretion of staff. Please see our transfer stations page for fees and opening hours.  

Township properties can use their lime green-lidded food and garden organics bin for garden materials. Green waste is also accepted at our transfer stations. Noxious weeds are not accepted in either location.

If bringing green waste to the transfer station, please ensure your load of green waste is separated from other waste before you arrive. The green waste must also be free of rubbish. See transfer stations for fees, noxious weed guide and opening hours. 

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. Future dates will be communicated. 

Disposing of these items correctly:

• reduces the risk to the environment and human health
• helps keep our waterways clean
• prevents chemicals from ending up in landfill
• reuses precious resources.

Chemicals dropped at the event are immediately sorted by qualified chemists. They are placed in sealed drums and transported to a specialist waste treatment facility. Every effort is made to recycle chemicals or use them for other purposes. Some chemicals are used to create energy.

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.