Yellow lid Recycling Wheelie Bin
Rockhampton Regional Waste and Recycling provides fortnightly collection of yellow lid recycling wheelie bins for properties within declared collection areas, with your property scheduled as either Week 1 or Week 2. Use our handy ‘search your bin day’ tool and the Recycling Wheelie Bin Fortnightly Service Calendar as a helpful reminder.
Approximately 4,300 tonnes of recyclable materials are collected via yellow lid bins each year! By recycling right, we increase resource recovery, help build a local circular economy and reduce waste going to landfill.
Knowing what items can go in your yellow lid bin will help make sure we’re recycling as much as we can and recycling correctly.
Use the Household Recycling Reference Card and Household Bin System Labels to help sort your recycling.
Let’s get our recycling sorted Rockhampton Region!
What items can you recycle in your yellow lid bin?
Paper and Cardboard | Remove plastic wrap, polystyrene packaging and squash boxes flat.
- Cardboard (all except waxed)
- Clean pizza box lid
- Junk mail and newspapers
- Clean food and egg cartons
- Loose office paper
- Envelopes - plain or windowface
- Telephone directories, books and magazines
- Toilet paper rolls
- Matchboxes
- Wrapping paper and greeting cards (preferably low gloss)
- Empty milk and juice cartons
Aluminium and Steel | Scrape/ rinse out all content remnants.
- Softdrink cans
- Beer cans
- Coffee cans
- Food can/ tins
- Pet food tins
- Empty aerosol deodorant and paint cans
- Clean aluminium or tin foil (as scrunched ball 5cm wide)
- Metal lids over 5cm wide
Plastic containers | (On hard moulded plastics look for the numbered 1-7 recycling symbols)
The only exception to this rule is Styrofoam/Polystyrene items - they are not recyclable in CQ
- Detergent containers
- Ice cream containers and lids
- Juice bottles
- Milk bottles
- Household/ takeaway containers
- Lunchboxes
- Butter/ margarine tubs and lids
- Sauce bottles
- Shampoo/ toiletry bottles
- Softdrink bottles
- Yoghurt containers
- Plastic cups
Glass | All clear, green and amber glass bottles and jars.
- Oil, Sauce and Vinegar bottles
- Jam jars
- Juice and Soft drink bottles
- Alcohol bottles
- Medicine bottles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do my recyclable items go?
Recyclables can be placed in your yellow-lid recycling wheelie bin, or self-hauled to be dropped off for free in the Commingled recycling bin in the Recycling Area at all waste management facilities in the Rockhampton Region. In 2019, the Material Recovery Facility (MRF) which was located at Parkhurst and contracted to Rockhampton Regional Council and other surrounding councils, was destroyed by fire caused by the disposal of hazardous waste (batteries!!). Since then, kerbside recycling collection trucks have been unloading at Lakes Creek Road Waste Management Facility. From there, the recovered materials are loaded into bulk haul semi-trailers and transported to MRFs outside our region for processing.
As of 18 October 2022, Rockhampton Regional Council, on behalf Livingstone Shire Council, Gladstone Regional Council, Central Highlands Regional Council and Banana Shire Council (together, the 'Participating Councils'), are inviting submissions for tender for a regional solution for Recyclables Processing Services.
Delivery of the services may be from either:
- a MRF to be constructed within the Region;
- from an existing MRF(s); or
- any combination of MRF delivery solutions.
Tenders for this service will close in January 2023. Further updates will be provided once the tender has been awarded.
How does the Containers for Change program work?
To help reduce litter and encourage community recycling efforts the Queensland Government introduced the Containers for Change scheme which allows people to receive a 10 cent refund for each eligible container returned to a refund point.
What containers are eligible for a refund?
Most aluminium, glass, plastic, steel and liquid paperboard beverage containers between 150ml and 3 litres are eligible for a refund.
Drink containers generally consumed only at home (eg. cordial, plain milk, wine and spirit bottles, condiments and cleaning) are excluded.
Look for the refund mark; "10c refund at collection depot in participating state/ territory of purchase".
Visit Containers for Change website for frequently asked questions and to search for container refund points.