Tips for visiting a waste facility

A little planning before you visit can save you time, reduce disposal costs and make your visit easier. Whether you're taking general waste, recyclables or green waste, these tips will help you prepare before you arrive.

An image of a cartoon monster holding a pointer, in front of a blackboard with various material types pictures in a drawn trailer.

Before you visit

Check what you can dispose of without charge

The following can be disposed of free of charge and do not count towards your annual disposal limit:

If your load contains other materials, the entire load may be classified as general waste. This will count towards your annual disposal limit.

Make the most of your annual disposal limit

To make the most of your annual disposal limit, consider:

  • bringing garden waste, recyclable and recoverable materials, and household hazardous waste in one trip
  • bringing general waste in a separate trip.

Separating your loads can help reduce disposal costs and make unloading quicker and easier.

Check your local facility

Before leaving home, check:

  • opening hours
  • accepted items
  • disposal fees
  • current queue length where available.

Different facilities accept different materials, so it is important to check.

Find a waste and recycling facility

Sort your load

Sorting your load before you leave home makes unloading quicker and helps staff direct you to the correct drop-off areas.

Redcliffe, Bunya, Dakabin and Caboolture waste management facilities accept concrete, asphalt and bitumen. Before packing your load, check with the facility to confirm the location of the designated disposal area, as this may vary between facilities and can help make unloading quicker and easier when you arrive.

When you are bringing a combination of free to dispose materials, pack your vehicle or trailer in this order:

  1. Green waste: pack first so it can be unloaded last.
  2. Recyclable materials in the middle: pack next so they can be unloaded after household hazardous waste and before green waste.
  3. Household hazardous waste: pack last so it can be unloaded first.

This allows you to unload materials in the order they are typically encountered at waste facilities.

Remember to:

  • secure your load before travelling
  • transport household hazardous waste in sealed, upright containers where possible.  

Check the conditions of entry

To keep everyone safe, waste facilities have conditions of entry.

These include wearing enclosed shoes and providing photo identification upon entry.

Review the conditions of entry

Loading and unloading safely

Prepare to unload your own waste.

For everyone’s safety, you are responsible for unloading items from your vehicle or trailer. Staff and site machinery cannot assist with unloading.

Bring help for large items.

If you're disposing of heavy, bulky or awkward items, make sure you have enough people and suitable equipment to unload them safely and avoid injury.

When you arrive

Follow these tips to make your visit faster and safer:

  • declare your load correctly
  • follow staff directions and facility signage
  • dispose of items in the designated drop-off areas
  • keep batteries out of general waste and scrap metal bins
  • take paint, oil, gas bottles and other hazardous materials to the designated hazardous waste area
  • separate polystyrene from cardboard to help ensure cardboard is recycled correctly.

Every visit makes a difference

By sorting your waste and recycling as much as possible, you help:

  • reduce waste sent to landfill
  • recover valuable materials
  • make recycling more efficient
  • support a cleaner and more sustainable city.

Learn how you can send less to landfill

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