Confused as to what to do with your unwanted goods? Fret no more – our rubbish removal services can dispose of almost anything except hazardous waste.
This article provides an overview of the different types of waste and where they can be disposed of.
Hard rubbish
Examples of hard rubbish include:
- Books
- Clothing
- Toys
- Mattresses
- Furniture
- Appliances (e.g. fridges, hair dryers and washing machines)
Donate to charity or dispose via a council pick-up or rubbish removal service.
Building materials
Examples of building materials include:
- Bricks
- Tiles
- Windows
- Wood
- Doors
- Concrete
- Plasterboard
- Carpet
Consider selling or donating your building materials; alternatively, rubbish removal services can remove them for you.
Organic waste
Examples of organic waste include:
- Grass clippings
- Twigs and small branches
- Weeds
- Plants and flowers
- Prunings
- Food waste
Dispose of this waste in your green bin where it will be taken to a compost facility. Note: Only some councils accept food waste in green bins, so check first.
Metals
Examples of metals include:
- Aerosol cans
- Foil
- Aluminium, tin or steel cans
- Beer bottle lids
- Cooking oil tins
- Metal lids
- Metal cutlery
- Scrap metal
- Batteries
Most metals can be put in your yellow recycling bin, where they will be taken to a recycling plant. However, things like batteries, pots & pans and scrap metal should be taken to the appropriate disposal facility, or be picked up by a rubbish removal service.
E-waste (electronics)
Examples of e-waste include:
- Mobile phones
- Tablets
- Laptops
- Televisions
- Video game consoles
- Keyboards
- Lamps
- Calculators
- Cameras
Recycle e-waste by booking a council pick-up service or drop them off at a council collection facility on an e-waste drop off day.
Hazardous
Examples of hazardous waste include:
- Household cleaners and solvents
- Pesticides and herbicides
- Pool chemicals
- Motor fuel
- Poisons
- Asbestos
- Fluorescent globes
- Smoke detectors
- Paints
- Fire extinguishers
- Gas bottles
You cannot dispose of these in landfill or recycling. You can take them to an EPA household chemical CleanOut event or use a commercial waste disposal service.
Sharps
Examples of sharps include:
- Needles
- Syringes
- Razor blades
- Televisions
- Video game consoles
- Keyboards
- Lamps
- Calculators
- Cameras
Dispose of your sharps in a special sharps bin and take them to a public hospital or community sharps disposal facility.
Plastics
Plastics are a tricky one, as there are different types of plastic. A simple way to remember is to consider whether your plastic is ‘hard’ or ‘soft’. If you can easily scrunch your plastic into a ball (e.g. with a plastic bag), it’s soft, and will need to be put in your red bin or recycled in a participating supermarket’s plastic recycling bin. If it’s hard, chuck it in your yellow bin. Non-disposable plastics like polystyrene and snack wrappers should also go in your red bin.
Hard
- Plastic bottles and caps
- Yogurt pots
- Ice cream tub
Soft
- Plastic bags (e.g. grocery shopping bags)
- Bread bags
- Bubble wrap
Paper and cardboard
Examples of paper and cardboard products include:
- Egg cartons
- Laundry powder boxes
- Greeting cards and envelopes
- Cereal boxes
- Shoe boxes
- Office paper
- Drink cartons
- Junk mail
Dispose of paper and cardboard (except for grease-proof paper, single-use coffee cups and paper towels, which should go in your red bin) in your yellow bin.
Glass
Examples of glass products include:
- Jam, pickle or sauce jars
- Glass bottles
- Windows
- Drinking glasses
- Ceramics
Glass bottles and jars can be placed in your yellow bin. Toughened glass like ceramics and drinking glasses should be disposed of using a rubbish removal service or taken to an appropriate recycling facility. Broken glass should be carefully wrapped and put in your red bin.
Conclusion
Before enlisting the help of rubbish removal services, consider donating some of your unwanted goods to charity to get the most life out of them
