Recycling
Report a missed bin collection or a damaged, stolen or abandoned bin.
Let’s Get it Sorted
Ipswich City Council is proud to participate in the Queensland Government’s ‘Let's Get it Sorted’ (LGIS) initiative, a community education program to help enhance recycling practices and reduce waste. Join us in making Ipswich a cleaner, greener place to live by sorting your recyclables correctly and minimising items lost to landfill. Together, we can create a real change in how we recycle and reduce waste to landfill!
This initiative is supported by the Queensland Government’s Recycling and Jobs Fund.
Resource Recovery Experience
Council’s current recycling rate is 34%, falling short of the 50% target set for 2025. To improve this, better use of yellow-lid recycling bins is essential, as many recyclable items are still ending up in red-lid general waste. Council is working to address this through the state government's ‘Let's Get it Sorted’ (LGIS), which aims to reduce waste and improve recycling through behaviour change. Community feedback from phase one has informed service improvements, and a second phase of engagement is now underway to assess the impact of these changes.
Resource Recovery Experience Terms and Conditions(PDF, 175KB)
Ipswich City Council Household Waste Search
Ever been confused on what things go in which bin? Use council's household waste search to assist you with getting it sorted when it comes to resource recovery.
Recycle 5
Ipswich residents can help protect our environment by recycling 5 key types of household waste in their yellow lid recycling bin:
Glass
Glass recovered through the yellow-lid recycling bins is sent to our recycling contractor in Brisbane where it is sorted into various recoverable grades. The recycled glass is utilised in everything from new glass bottles and jars through to sand substitutes in roads and drainage.
As glass is made from only three natural ingredients – sand, limestone and soda ash – it doesn’t break down into harmful chemicals, making glass the most earth, ocean and animal-friendly packaging option.
How is glass recycled?
Council is committed to investigating and implementing innovative waste and recycling services and has proudly partnered with the world’s leading glass recycling company Visy Glass. The company collects empty glass bottles and jars from designated glass recycling stations in Ipswich and processes the used glass into brand new bottles and jars.
Closed loop recycling system
Glass disposal
- Disposing of glass correctly ensures that it can be recycled and reused over and over again – infinitely.
- Glass bottles and jars can either be dropped off at Riverview or Rosewood Resource Recovery Centres or disposed of in your yellow lid recycling bin at home.
- Give bottles and jars a light clean if necessary and remove lids (plastic or metal lids can also go in your yellow-lid recycle bin) and any plastic/metal rings or tabs.
Recyclable vs. non-recyclable glass
Not all types of glass are accepted for recycling. In order to keep recyclable glass pure, it’s important that you don’t mix non-recyclable and recyclable glass types:
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Do go in your yellow lid bin
- sauce bottles
- jam jars
- oil and vinegar bottles
- alcohol bottles (beer, wine)*
- juice and soft drink bottles*
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Don’t go in your yellow lid bin
- drinking glasses
- glass cookware
- lightbulbs
- windows or mirrors
- ceramics
- oven-proof and heat-treated glass (e.g. Pyrex)
Dispose of these items by wrapping in newspaper and placing in your red-lid general waste bin.
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*Remember that eligible containers can be returned to Containers for Change for a 10 cent refund.
Metal
Recycling aluminium and steel saves resources and uses less energy than producing these metals from raw materials. Aluminium can be recycled over and over again without losing its quality.
Steel and aluminium recycling items are sent to our recycling contractor in Brisbane, where they are processed and sent locally and overseas. The steel items are shredded and transformed into new steel products, while the aluminium is shredded and melted down to create aluminium coils.
Some of the common metal household items you can put in your yellow lid recycle bin are:
Steel
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Do go in your yellow lid bin
- baby formula tins
- coffee tins
- food tins
- pet food tins
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Don’t go in your yellow lid bin
- scrap metal
- paint tins
- batteries
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Aluminium
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Do go in your yellow lid bin
- aerosol deodorants (empty)
- aerosol hair sprays (empty)
- aerosol cooking sprays (empty)
- insect sprays (empty)
- foil (clean tray/foil wrap scrunched into a ball)
- drink cans*
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Don’t go in your yellow lid bin
- aluminium saucepans
- aluminium window frames
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*Remember that eligible containers can be returned to Containers for Change for a 10 cent refund.
Plastic (firm/hard only)
If you can scrunch it in your hands, then it’s a soft plastic. This includes food packaging, plastic film, bags and bin liners.
Soft plastics cause contamination and may lead to recyclable materials being sent to landfill.
Soft plastics can be returned to some Coles and Woolworths supermarkets for recycling, please check your local stores for their soft plastic recycling bins. Otherwise, please put soft plastics in the general waste bin or avoid them altogether.
Hard plastics are sent our recycling contractor in Brisbane, where the products are sorted and bailed. PET and HDPE plastics are delivered to a recycling facility, where they are cleaned and pelletized for reuse in new food-grade containers.
Other plastic types are sent to third-party suppliers, where they are remanufactured into new products like plumbing pipes.
Hard plastics can also be recycled into new products, such as garden furniture, piping, and decking.
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Do go in your yellow lid bin
- milk bottles
- butter, yoghurt and ice cream tubs
- skin care and shampoo bottles
- cleaning, detergent and soap bottles
- soft drink and juice bottles.*
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Don’t go in your yellow lid bin
- plastic toys
- plastic "Tupperware" type containers
- plant pots
- PVC pipes
- soft plastics including plastic bags or plastic packaging.
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*Remember that eligible containers can be returned to Containers for Change for a 10 cent refund.
Cardboard
Cardboard is sent our recycling contractor in Brisbane, where they sort and bail the cardboard before sending it to paper mills across Australia, where is it recycled and remade into new paper reels. These reels are then used to make new cardboard boxes.
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Do go in your yellow lid bin
- non-greasy pizza boxes
- toilet rolls
- cereal boxes, snack food boxes and carboard boxes
- egg cartons
- milk cartons (NOT long-life).
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Don’t go in your yellow lid bin
- biodegradable cups and plates.
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Paper
Paper is sent to our recycling contractor in Brisbane, where they sort and bail the paper before sending it to paper mills across Australia, where is it recycled and remade into new paper reels.
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Do go in your yellow lid bin
- office paper
- newspapers, magazines, brochures and catalogues
- wrapping paper (no foil/glitter).
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Don’t go in your yellow lid bin
- tissues and paper towels.
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Important: Recycle empty containers only, keep it loose and don’t bag it.
Recycling Resources
What CAN go in your recycle bin? What CAN’T go in your recycle bin?(PDF, 655KB)
Print cartridges
Residents can drop off used or empty laser and inkjet cartridges at all Officeworks and participating Australia Post, Harvey Norman, The Good Guys and JB Hi-Fi outlets. Find a recycler near you by using the Cartridges 4 Planet Ark search.
Household batteries
Many Aldi, Coles, and Woolworths supermarkets offer a free recycling service for household batteries in store. To dispose of used batteries, drop them into the dedicated bins at your nearest store. Any AA, AAA, C, D and 9V batteries (rechargeable and non-rechargeable) are accepted.
Battery World also offers a free battery recycling service for their domestic battery disposal. Charges may apply for businesses or community groups. The following types of batteries are accepted: lead acid batteries (e.g. batteries for cars, boats and motorbikes), mobile phone batteries, general purpose batteries (e.g. batteries for toys, calculators, rechargeable, and games).
Bunnings Warehouse have a battery recycling program which is free and easy to use. Their stores have battery recycling bins, making it convenient to drop off used batteries with confidence, knowing they will be recycled. The following types of batteries are accepted: all power tool batteries (e.g. drills, etc.) and general purpose batteries (e.g. standard household batteries).
Recycling FAQs
Do I need to wash my plastic bottles and containers before placing them in the yellow lid recycling bin?
Food containers, pizza boxes and all other items need to be empty and have scraps removed before they go into the yellow lid bin. All that council requires for bottles and/or containers is for them to be empty. If you would like to give them a rinse to keep smells out of your bin that is okay.
Where does Ipswich’s recycling currently go?
It goes to Visy Recycling which is a materials recovery facility (MRF) for sorting and bailing and is then sent to Australian and overseas markets. Heavily contaminated loads may go to landfill.
Can we upgrade our recycle bin to the larger 360L size?
Yes, residents with families of four (4) or more people can apply to upsize/upgrade their recycling bin to a 360-litre bin. To request a recycling bin upgrade, please call council on (07) 3810 6666.
Can I bag my recyclables?
Please do not put recyclable items in the yellow lid bin inside plastic bags. Recyclable items that are bagged before going into the yellow lid bin may end up in landfill.
Where do I find further information about what can and cannot be recycled?
View our ‘Let’s Get it Sorted’(PDF, 1MB) brochure for details on what items can go in each bin and find further detailed recycling information on council’s Ipswich Bin App. Please focus on the items that are listed as being accepted in the recycling bin. If it is not on the list, please do not place it in the recycling bin. Also, regularly check this page for updated information.
What number do I call if I have further questions about recycling in Ipswich?
Please call the Ipswich City Council Contact Centre on (07) 3810 6666.
Sort your waste with the Ipswich Bin App
Download the Ipswich Bin App to find out what items can go into your recycling, general waste and GO bins. The app takes the confusion out of waste sorting so you can be confident your waste is going in the right bin.
The app also reminds you when your rubbish bin gets collected and if it's your recycling or GO waste week. To download, please visit the Bin Collections page.