Chemical disposal
Disposing of unwanted chemical products in your general waste or recycling bin is not safe as they can be flammable, corrosive, explosive, or toxic.
Chemicals incorrectly disposed of in your general waste or recycling bin can cause fires in bins or garbage trucks, creating a safety hazard for our staff, the community, and the environment.
Put into landfills untreated they can pollute the environment and affect ground water. Sent to recycling centres they are a safety hazard for our staff who hand-sort recycling and may cause recyclables to be sent to landfill as a result of the contamination.
What are domestic chemicals?
Domestic chemicals are everyday products you buy from supermarkets and hardware stores, for example:
- paint and solvents including aerosol spray paints
- household cleaning products and bleach
- garden chemicals
- pool chemicals
- car-care products
- medicine
- engine and cooking oils
What about my empty chemical containers?
Once your domestic chemical containers have been cleaned (well rinsed, with no chemical residue on the inside or outside) you can recycle these through your yellow lid recycling bin or place them in your general waste bin if they are not recyclable.
How to dispose of household chemicals
Kitchen
Bathroom
Garage
Outdoors
Council has a number of methods for disposal of different domestic chemical wastes:
- treatment through the sewer system (After mixing the chemical with water, tip small quantities down the sewer through your toilet or sink. Never put these chemicals into septic tanks or stormwater drains as they will harm the environment.)
- recycling programs (customer drop-off at waste facility)
- treatment before landfilling (customer drop-off at waste facility)
- direct to landfill (household general waste bin)
Waste facility tips
- always declare your chemicals at the gatehouse
- if it’s not in the original container, make sure you label it
- never store chemicals in food or drink containers
- make sure your chemicals are safe before you drop them off – leaking or broken containers will not be accepted until they have been made safe for our staff to handle
Commercial chemical disposal
There are several recyling schemes available for unwanted commercial AgVet chemicals or empty commercial chemical containers, including ChemClear and DrumMuster. For all other commercial chemical waste please contact your local commercial chemical waste service provider.
