Re-use & Recycling Hub
The re-use and recycling hub was purpose-built to accept some household items that cannot be placed in the recycling bin at home. These items will be re-used or recycled when dropped off at the Re-use and Recycling Hub.
The hub is located at the Burnside Civic Centre, outside the library, and is available during business hours.
Click each waste stream below to see what we do and don’t accept in our hub.
It is important to not leave items outside of the hub. Material left outside of the hub does not get sorted and disposal costs Council money.
Household Light Bulbs
What we accept:
- Any household light globe with a diameter of 11 cm or less
- Light bulbs need to be intact and not broken
- Residents can dispose a maximum of 10 light globes per drop off
What we don’t accept:
- Light bulbs with a diameter more than 11 cm
- Fluorescent tubes that are more than 20 cm in length
- Lighting fixtures
- Broken glass
- Business waste
- Any packaging such as cardboard and plastic
Who recycles it?
Ecocycle
How is it recycled?
With specialty recycling, valuable materials, such as, glass, metals, and phosphor powder can be recovered from a variety of globes. These materials are then made into new products such as aluminium cans and insulation batts.
Other drop off locations:
Ikea and Mitre 10 stores accept a variety of household light globes. Please contact your nearest store prior to drop off to check what type they accept.
X-Rays
What we accept:
- Household disposal of x-ray films that are no longer in use
- X-rays can be left in an envelope or put in loose
What don’t we accept:
- Business disposal of x-rays
Who recycles it?
Ecocycle
How is it recycled?
X-ray films are processed in a refinery to extract the silver. The silver can then be reused for things such as silver solder, jewellery, and electrical components.
Blister Packs
What we accept:
- Empty mixed-composite blister packs from medication and vitamins. For example:
- Blister packs that are made with plastic and aluminium foil lining
- Blister packs that are made with mixed paper and aluminium
- Less than 2 litres equivalent or approximately 100 blister packs per drop off
What we don’t accept:
- 100% Aluminium only blister packets
- These blister packets can be added to other aluminiums such as alfoil and rolled into a ball to be placed in your yellow lidded recycling bin
- Cardboard or other packaging
- Blister packs containing medication or vitamins (these may be accepted by pharmacists – check with your local pharmacy)
- Large quantities (more than 2 litres or approximately 100 blister packs) per drop off
Who recycles it?
Pharmacycle
How is it recycled?
Specialty recycling separates the paper, plastic and aluminum. Once these materials are separated the aluminum and plastic is sent for further recycling.
Other drop off locations:
Most National Pharmacies offer a Pharmacycle collection point.
Find your nearest location
Printer Cartridges
What we accept:
- Loose laser and inkjet cartridges, toner cartridges, toner bottles
- Cartridges with a diameter of 5 cm or less
What we don’t accept:
- Cartridges left in packaging such as cardboard or plastic
- Cartridges with a diameter more than 5 cm
- Cartridges that are more than 30 cm in length
Who recycles it?
Cartridges for Planet Ark
How is it recycled?
With specialty recycling the ink, metals, and plastics are separated. Then, with further refinement, they are recycled into new items like, pens, new cartridges, and road additive.
Other drop off locations:
All Officeworks stores and participating Australia Post, Cartridge World, the Good Guys, and JB Hi-FI.
Find your nearest location
Mobile Phones
What we accept:
- Broken or unwanted mobile phones
- Phone batteries and sim cards (within the phone)
What we don’t accept:
- Loose mobile phone batteries or sim cards
- Packaging such as carboard or plastic bags
Who recycles it?
Mobilemuster
How is it recycled?
Mobile phones are sorted and disassembled into components such as batteries, printer circuit boards and screens. These components are separately processed which recovers materials such as glass, aluminium, steel, plastic and small volumes of gold, silver, and copper.
Donate your phone for re-use for domestic violence survivors in Australia
Phones can be donated at Councils customer service desk, located in the Civic Centre. For your privacy, please remove any personal data prior to donating.
Who recycles it?
DV Safe Phones
How is it re-used?
Donated phones to go DV safe phones who collect, repair and give free mobile phones to domestic violence survivors, through over 200 Domestic Violence and Law Enforcement Agencies, Safe Houses and Hospitals Australia wide.
Small e-waste, cords and chargers
What we accept:
Any small electrical item with a cord, switch or that uses batteries that is broken, unrepairable or no longer useful
Items such as:
- smart watches
- portable speakers
- alarm clocks
- headphones
- electric shavers (without razors)
- electric toothbrushes (without the brush head)
- computer cords
- phone chargers
What we don’t accept:
- Items larger than 18 cm in diameter
- Items with batteries (remove batteries when possible)
- Packaging such as paper, cardboard or plastic
View disposal options for larger e-waste items
Who recycles it?
Ecocycle
How is it recycled?
Materials are separated to recover metals, copper, glass, and plastic. Hazardous components are safely captured including lead, mercury and phosphorous. The recyclable components are then sent to be made into new products.
Eye Glasses
What we accept:
- Prescription or reading eyeglasses
- Prescription sunglasses
What we don’t accept:
- non-prescription sunglasses
- Empty glasses cases
Who recycles it?
Glasses are collected by Burnside Lions Club for the Lions Recycle for Sight Program.
How is it recycled?
The program distributes refurbished or reused glasses to people in need in many parts of the world.
Loose CDs and DVDs
What we accept:
- loose CDs and DVDs (not in their cases)
What we don’t accept:
- Cases
- Plastic or paper covers
Who recycles it?
Ecocycle
How is it recycled?
CDs and DVDs go through a shredding process. Materials are extracted and separated such as aluminium and plastic that can be reused. Any leftover plastic is used as a fuel for waste-to-energy.
Visit our other re-use and recycling options page for information on how to dispose of batteries and reuse tips.