Bins and Collections

General waste refers to general everyday household waste that can be placed in your general waste wheelie bin. General waste wheelie bins have a red lid or superseded green lid. 

• Bakery/ Meat trays
• Garden clippings (ONLY when bagged). Preferred to be disposed at any Waste Management Facility for FREE.
• Disposable nappies
• Plastic bags, cling wrap, bubble wrap, cellophane, sachets, snap lock bags, food pouches and wrapping film. Preferred to be disposed of at a REDcycle bin at any Coles or Woolworths.
• Disposable coffee cups
• Laminated paper, carbon paper
• Coat hangers
• Lids (less than 5cm wide)
• Garden hoses, fishing line, rope
• Small electrical appliances (kettle, hair dryer, blender, vacuum etc) 
• Pens, pencils and stationery items
• Food waste. Preferred to be disposed of in compost.
• Kitty litter
• Small broken household items
• Christmas tinsel, ribbon, balloons, sticky tape
• Plastic plates, cups, cutlery, straws
• Broken ceramics, crockery, pyrex glassware and drinking glasses (wrapped for safety)
• Broken window/ glass, light bulbs and mirrors (wrapped for safety)
• Broken pots, pans, ovenware
• Toys
• X-rays, photographs
• Polystyrene / Styrofoam
• Any moulded plastic container without a recycling symbol
• Smoke detectors
• Used tissues and paper towels
• Waxed cardboard
• Household medical waste and sanitary products. Preferred disposal of needles/syringes ONLY in sharps containers, and take to a community sharps disposal bin.
• Items contaminated with food/ liquid making them unsuitable for recycling
• Shredded paper (bagged ONLY). Preferred to be disposed of in compost/ garden weed mat/ chicken bedding.

Do not put the following items in your general waste wheelie bin - take them to a Waste Management Facility:

• Items weighing over 85kg
• Hazardous waste and chemicals. Please phone ahead to arrange.
• Fluorescent light tubes
• Car parts
• Timber

Residents receive a weekly general waste collection service and a fortnightly recycling collection service of their bins. Wheelie bins are collected every day of the year, including Christmas Day.

As recycling wheelie bins are collected fortnightly, your property is scheduled as a Week 1 or Week 2.  Use the Recycling Collection Calendar as a helpful reminder of which week we are up to.  

Find out your scheduled collection bin day by typing in your street address on the My Neighbourhood page.

Place your bins out the night before collection, and bring them back in after 6pm on the day of collection.  Storage of wheelie bins permanently on the street is not permitted.

Ensure you:

• Place bins at least 30cm apart on the kerbside
• Make sure the wheels are facing your property in two way streets
• Place bins at least 1 metre away from parked vehicles and other obstacles
• Place bins away from low hanging trees
• Place bins out the night before the day of collection.

Your bin will not be collected if it is:

• Overfull (the lid cannot be closed or the waste is not wholly contained)
• Unable to be accessed due to incorrect positioning or obstacles
• Heavier than 85kg and unable to be lifted
• Not presented for collection at the time of service
• Contaminated with hazardous waste
• Contains unacceptable items
• Missing the appropriate identification sticker.

During the collection service, every effort will be made to empty the mobile bin. However, if the mobile bin has been packed in a way that prevents emptying of the contents, the resident will be responsible for the cost of an additional service.

If your bin was presented correctly and you did not receive your scheduled collection service, please call us on 07 4932 9000 within one working day to arrange a missed service collection.

Upon approval of your request, your bin will be serviced within the next two working days.

The following items can be dropped off for free at most Waste Transfer Stations/ Waste Management Facilities;

• Garden green waste 
• Car batteries
• Fridges, Freezers, Air Conditioners
• Stoves, Washing machines, Microwaves
• Scrap metal
• Engine and cooking oil (up to 20L)
• Paint (up to 20L of architectural, deck, varnish, stains)
• Gas bottles and cylinders, flares and EPIRBS
• Fire extinguishers (water, CO2 and powder ONLY)
• E-waste (computers, printers, TVs, keyboards, cables, mobile phones etc)
• Preloved household items suitable for donation
• drumMUSTER approved clean Ag and Vet chemical containers

Rockhampton Regional Waste and Recycling provides an assisted service to residents who are unable to place their wheelie bins out for collection due to medical conditions. The service includes the retrieval and return of the bin from an agreed location within the property boundary.

To receive this service, please provide us with a current medical certificate/letter from a general practitioner or medical professional indicating that you are unable to place the mobile bin out for collection. An updated medical certificate/letter must be provided each financial year for ongoing services.

The assisted service will commence within ten working days of the application being approved by Council.

Please  call 07 4932 9000 should you wish to submit an application.

If your wheelie bin is either stolen, removed, vandalised or is damaged, please call 07 4932 9000 to organise a repair or replacement.

Domestic and commercial customers may request additional general waste and/or recycling services or additional bins, or may request to cancel a service or additional bin - charges may be incurred accordingly.

All bin and service changes can be applied for by completing and submitting the Wheelie Bin Collection Services Form to one of Council’s Customer Service Centre's.

Adding a one off additional wheelie bin collection

• Must be paid up front, prior to the scheduled collection date

Adding a brand new wheelie bin service for a new property

• Charges will be included in your rates notice
• Must be located within a declared collection area.

Adding an additional wheelie bin service

• Charges will be included in your rates notice
• Available only to those who already receive a kerbside waste collections service
• Residents renting a property must have their form submitted by the property owner or delegated Property Manager
• Domestic properties can only receive the extra collection on the same day as their current service.

Bin collections and services can also be cancelled by completing and submitting the Mobile Bin Kerbside Collection Services Form to one of Council’s Customer Service Centres. A minimum of 10 working days is required to cancel the service, upon receipt of application. Charges will cease from the date the bins are removed.

Cancelling a domestic wheelie bin service

• The minimum service of one waste and one recycling bin must remain for a domestic residence, OR
• The domestic premise must be declared as an uninhabitable dwelling by Council, or demolished.

Cancelling a commercial wheelie bin service

• Must submit proof with the application that an approved waste removal entity has been engaged to replace Council’s waste service
• If recommencing the service an establishment fee will be included in the rates notice.

Council's Local Law No. 8 (Waste Management) 2018, outlines the use and care of a waste container. Go to the Local Laws web page to view this law and for further information.

Any issues relating to a person who is not residing at that address, found rummaging through wheelie bins which are located within private property boundary's, should be referred to the Queensland Police Service. Or if the bin is located on the kerb at the time of the rummaging, please contact Rockhampton Regional Council's Local Laws team on 07 4932 9000.

Wheelie bins should be in place no longer than 24 hours before or after the scheduled collection day for the collection of waste. If left longer, complaints will be investigated by Rockhampton Regional Council's Local Laws team.

Residents receive a weekly general waste collection service and a fortnightly recycling collection service of their bins. Wheelie bins are collected every day of the year, including Christmas Day.