Lane Cove Tips on Recycling, Donating and Disposing of Hard To Recycle Items

We have the lowdown on where to recycle, donate or dispose of items (including hard-to-recycle items) for Lane Cove Locals.

General Information

Four Free Council Pick Ups

Nearly every Lane Cove house/ individual apartment is entitled to four free council pickups a year. There are some exceptions, such as the Meriton Arise Development at 150 Epping Road. Items picked up as part of the general household pick up go to landfill. Details on how to book online here.

Organic Waste

In the Cove also receives numerous enquiries about reducing the amount of garbage going into the red bin and, in particular, food waste.

Lane Cove Council has a contract with a facility where food waste/organic matter is mixed with the non-organic waste in your red bin and turned into “soil” that’s used for mine rehabilitation. This differs from other councils that offer a compost/organic waste bin.  Lane Cove Council has recently been part of a pilot programme for Food and Organic Waste, at this stage the small compost bin and the purple bin for organic waste will not be introduced  – read more here.

RecycleSmart

Recycle without leaving the house.

The RecycleSmart program complements the existing kerbside collection in Lane Cove by managing four major categories of household waste:

• Soft Plastics
• E-waste (electronics, mobile devices)
• Textiles (clothing, fabrics)
• Small household items (batteries, light globes, coffee pods and many more)

Return and Earn

There is a return and earn machine located in the Little Street Car Park.  ITC has often watched people with numerous bottles and can loading them into the machine.  They would be better off taking them to Lane Cove Return and Earn in Lane Cove West Business Park.

They have a machine which quickly sorts the containers and they can quickly process your payment.

Furniture and Beds

Furniture and Beds are often hard to donate.  Recently ITC found out about Re-love which works with domestic violence refuges to provide furniture to set up new homes.

The following is on their website:

We support people to restart with great quality furniture to make their house a home to love.

Photos are needed to speed up the process by helping us to check the size and condition.

We are often moving people into smaller social housing apartments and may not be able to accept large, heavy or worn items.

*** We are seeking great quality bedside tables, coffee tables, chests of drawers, sofas (no sofa beds) and beds (mattresses must be completely free of marks or stains).  

We currently have enough dining tables and chairs.

Unfortunately we do not take washing machines or dryers.

Please deliver your donation to us at Botany

We are flat out doing deliveries to the people we are supporting and cannot collect furniture at this time.

Delivering items to our Botany warehouse is a huge help and gives us the ability to support more families in need.

 

A to Z Item List

Recycle

Item	Where to Recycle/Donate/Sell or Dispose of Correctly
Aerosol Cans	If empty in your Yellow Recycling Bin
Aluminium Cans	If empty in your Yellow Recycling Bin
Small Appliances with an Electrical Cord/charger (read this in conjunction with our notes on E-Waste)	Recycle Smart - check out this article here Community Recycle Centre Artarmon
Backpacks	Recycle Smart - Check out this article here
Balls (sports)	If you have used tennis and other sports balls that are worn or dirty but still intact and functional, Monika’s Rescue at Ingleside will happily accept them. Contact first 9486 3133.
Batteries (car)	Community Recycling Centre Artarmon
Batteries (dry cell)	Lane Cove Council accepts batteries. . Place these items in the recycling bin opposite the customer service desk at LCC Look for bins in Coles and Woolworths. Officeworks takes batteries as part of their recycling programme collection at Officeworks North Ryde and Chatswood. – details here Batteries cannot be put in household red-lidded garbage bins as they are a fire risk in the collection truck. Recyclesmart will also accept these.
Batteries Phone	Pop in the Mobile Muster boxes at the Lane Cove Council or Storage King Lane Cove. Batteries cannot be put in household red-lidded garbage bins as they are a fire risk in the collection truck. Recyclesmart will also accept these.
Beauty Products	Lane Cove Council offer beauty product recycling. Place these items in the recycling bin opposite the customer service desk. Recyclesmart will also accept these.
Blister Packs	RecycleSmart - find out more here.
Bikes	Revole Recycling – Your bikes and other PTVs will be collected from your address on a “contactless” basis by authorized workers, and used to develop safe and efficient processes for a future workforce of disadvantaged and disabled people. Contact them here. Renegade Cycles – they are a collection point for Recycle Cycles . Each week a volunteer from Recycle Cycles picks up the bikes and repairs them. They are located on Burns Bay Road near IGA Express (aka Agora) Donate to the Bower, and they will pick up for free.
Books	Drop them at one of the street libraries in Lane Cove The Lifeline Book Fair has several drop off points - find out more here The Gordon Drop off is 24/7 but please don't leave any book if the shed is full. The community radio station, Fine Music, run a CD and book fair twice a year at the Crows Nest Centre. You can request a pick up using their online form: https://finemusicsydney.com/bookandcdfair/ You can also drop them off at the three “op” shops in Lane Cove – see under clothes – but larger donations might need to be taken to some of the bigger op shop centres. Recyclesmart will accept 5 books per pick up but they must be able to be donated.
Bras	The Uplift Project used to collect used Bras – they have ceased operation in Australia and are NO longer collecting them. An organisation called Support The Girls collects new and used bras. Drop them off at Bluefit Gym a the Lane Cove Aquatic Centre – there is a basket located at their reception.
Bread Plastic Tags	RecycleSmart - find out more here.
Building Waste	Building Material and up to 5 Tyres at Ryde Transfer Station
Cardboard and Paper	Clean cardboard and paper in your blue recycling bin A larger amount of cardboard/paper can be taken to Cleanaway Artarmon Resource Recovery Centre in Artarmon (for free)
Carpet	Book a Lane Cove Household Collection Clean UP Service. Carpet must be no greater than 1.2m in length. Each house/apartment is entitled to four free clean-ups a year. Book online here
CD’s and CD Players	Community Recycling Centre Artarmon. (remove cases from CD’s) Officeworks takes CDs as part of their e-waste collection at Officeworks North Ryde and Chatswood. – details here For CD’s only drop them at Lindfield for Lifeline Book Fair. There is a 24/7 Drop off point at Ignatius and Ponting Roads Linfield The community radio station, Fine Music, run a CD and book fair twice a year at the Crows Nest Centre. You can request a pick up using their online form: https://finemusicsydney.com/bookandcdfair/
Chemicals	Drop them off at the following Household Chemical Cleanout event - a few are organised each year
Christmas Trees Live/Fresh	After Christmas each year, you can take your tree to the Lane Cove Council Depot, and they will mulch them up and use them around Lane Cove.
Clothing and Accessories and Handbags	Clothes can be dropped off at the following op shops in Lane Cove: St Vinnies – drop off at the back of the shop on Birdwood Lane. St Vinnies Crow’s Nest – have a bigger store and accept more goods – directions here Red Cross Shop – Longueville Road (note they have a curated collection, so they do not take children’s clothes) Life Line is now located on Burns Bay Road (opposite the Post Office – check signage on the door as to drop off) Recyclesmart will also accept these. Do not leave good at op shops when they are closed. Always do it when they are open. Drop off clothes at any H&M and Zara store (closest are Chatswood and Macquarie Centre) Give good quality clothing to Clothing Clean Up, who will collect the clothes from your house – however, this is a commercial enterprise. Clothing Clean-Up will collect for free: · All types of wearable clothing · All types of wearable shoes · Manchester (no doonas or pillows, please) · Handbags, purses & wallets · Accessories – belts, hats, scarves etc · Others reuse all items, so please ensure they are in decent condition. They don’t accept damaged, ripped/torn or stained items. Give clothes and accessories for recycling to Clothing Appeal and Family – they are a for-profit business that offers contactless pickup. They specifically state they are not a charity but do have a mission to reduce landfills. They also pick up footwear, handbags, accessories, manchester and plush toys.
Coat Hangers	Triple AAA Dry Cleaning Recycle Wire Coat Hangers
Coffee Cups	Recycle Smart - check out this article here
Coffee Pods – Nescafe	Recycle at Lane Cove Council chambers (note no longer able to recycle at Pure Flowers) Recyclesmart will also accept these.
Computer Games	Drop them at Lindfield for Lifeline Book Fair.
Computers	Community Recycling Centre Artarmon Officeworks takes computers, laptops, monitors, keyboards, printers, computer mouse, hard drives, cables and chargers, computer power supplies, motherboards and printed circuit boards as part of their recycling programme collection at Officeworks North Ryde and Chatswood. – details here
Cooking Oil	Community Recycling Centre Artarmon
Cookware	Recycle Smart will pick up - more info here
Corks	Recycle at Reverse Garbage
Doors and Windows	Donate to the Bower, and they will pick up for free.
DVD’s or DVD Player	Artarmon. For DVD player For DVD’s only drop them at Lindfield for Lifeline Book Fair. There is a 24/7 Drop off point at Ignatius and Ponting Roads Linfield. Recyclesmart will also accept these.
E-waste e.g., computers, TVs, small electrical appliances, white goods are not accepted. Please remove plastic covers on CDs/DVDs and any plastic or cardboard packaging	Community Recycling Centre Artarmon Recyclesmart will also accept these. Officeworks takes computers, laptops, monitors, keyboards, printers, computer mouse, hard drives, cables and chargers, computer power supplies, motherboards and printed circuit boards as part of their recycling programme collection at Officeworks North Ryde and Chatswood. Whirl whirl
Egg Cartons	Blue recycling bin
Envelopes	Envelopes (including cellophane window envelopes) can be added to your blue recycling bin.
Eyewear	Eyes on Lane Cove is a drop off for glasses that are recycled for third world countries.
Fire Extinguishers	Community Recycling Centre Artarmon
Fluorescent light globes and Tubes	Community Recycling Centre Artarmon
Foam	polyethylene foam, latex foam, foam rubber, neoprene, EVA skins, closed-cell foam as sheets, blocks, cut-outs, and stencils – Reverse Garbage
Food Waste	It can be recycled in a compost bin or worm farm (please note Lane Cove Council no longer offers a worm farm rebate). You can also donate your food scraps to others who have a compost bin and have registered or Sharewaste.com - read our article here on sharewaste
Freezers	Lane Cove Council Household clean up – book online here
Fridges	If it’s not in working order can be disposed of via household clean up – book online here (goes to landfill)
Furniture	Donate to the Bower, and they will pick up for free. Can be disposed of via household clean up (but goes to landfill) – book online here.
Gardening Waste	It goes into your green lid bin
Gas Bottles	Community Recycling Centre Artarmon
Green Bags (polypropylene bags)	They can be put in the share bag bins in the foyer of Lane Cove Market Square, outside Coles Lane Cove or IGA Greenwich – shoppers can use them when they forget their bags.
Hardware and Tools	Donate to the Bower, and they will pick up for free.
Kitchenware	Donate to the Bower, and they will pick up for free. RecycleSmart - find out more here. Can be disposed of via household clean up (but goes to landfill) – book online here.
Mattresses	Mattresses can be recycled, turning their parts into useable products. Contact the Lane Cove Council waste solutions hotline to organise 1300 655 006. Ecosa Mattresses offer a recycling programme – they will pick up from your house. You pay $80, and they will give you an $80 voucher to spend on their beds – click here for a good article on how it works.
Medicines	They will NOT be recycled but will be disposed of properly if taken to any local chemist. More details here Recycle Smart takes medication blister packs Recycle Smart - check out this article here
Microwave	Can be recycled via Community Recycling Centre but only if they have room at the facility
Mirrors	Small broken mirrors should be wrapped securely and placed in your red bin. For larger mirrors, Cleanaway Artarmon Resource Recovery Centre in Artarmon (fees apply).
Mobile Phones	Community Recycling Centre Artarmon Officeworks will recycle as part of their recycling programme collection at Officeworks North Ryde and Chatswood. – details here Recyclesmart will also accept these.
Motor Oil	Community Recycling Centre Artarmon
Newspapers/Paper	Blue recycling bin
Paint (oil and water-based)	Community Recycling Centre Artarmon
Pallets	Accepted at Cleanaway Artarmon Resource Recovery Centre in Artarmon
Pens and Marker Recycling	Officeworks will recycle as part of their recycling programme collection at Officeworks North Ryde and Chatswood. – details here
Phone Book	Blue Recycling Bin. Even better, take action to cancel a phone book by registering your address at this site.
Pizza Box	Clean Pizza Box – Blue Bin Dirty and Greasy Pizza Box – Red Bin
Plastic Bottles and Containers	Yellow Recycling Bin Can be taken to return and earn depot or machine in Little Street Carpark (but it takes time to feed the machine) It is quicker to use the return and earn depot at Lane Cove West (they will also pick up from your house if you order a bin from them). Details here
Plumbing Hardware	Donate to the Bower, and they will pick up for free.
Polystyrene	Recycle Smart now takes Polystyrene Recycle Smart - check out this article here
Postage Stamps Collection	Donate to Lifeline
Printer Cartridges	Community Recycling Centre Artarmon note they only take the following brands Brother, Canon, Dell, Epson, HP, Konica Minolta, Kyocera, Lexmark, Roland, Samsung, Sharp, ToshibaDrop off your used or empty laser and inkjet cartridges at all Officeworks and participating Australia Post, Harvey Norman, The Good Guys, JB Hi-Fi, Office National and Office Products Depot outlets. Inkjet cartridges, toner cartridges and toner bottles are accepted. This includes cartridges used in printers, photocopiers and fax machines. (Please note, some recycling boxes may not be visible or on display due to limited store floor space, in these cases, please ask the staff at the counter and hand cartridge directly to them.) Recyclesmart will also accept these.
Sheets, Quilt Covers and Towels	Return any of your pre-loved quilt covers, sheets and towels to any Sheridan store. Please wash items prior. There is a Sheridan Store in Chatswood but if you have a large amount to return then best to go to Sheridan at Birkenhead Point - more info here. ReycleSmart also takes sheets, towels and quilt covers - but limited to two bags for a free pickup - you can pay more to hav three more bags taken
School Uniforms, Text Books and Musical Instruments	Sell via the Sustainable Schools Site
Shoes	Can recycle at Rebel Sports Including sports shoes, heels and more. You can also put in your Recycle Smart Collection - "https://inthecove.com.au/2023/02/19/lane-cove-residents-can-recycle-from-home-with-recyclesmart-2/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">
Smoke Detectors	Community Recycling Centre Artarmon
Socks and Other Textiles	Upparel can recycle socks and many other textiles that are then either given to their charity partners or used to make material that is used in insulation and other industrial uses. This is a for-profit business with a social ethos. The cost is $25.00 a pick up however you get a voucher on your first pick up to use as store credit to buy socks. More information is below.
Sofas	The Generous and the Grateful They are working to ensure all people being assisted into housing can access the bulky essentials that make it a home, enabling them to thrive. You must arrange delivery to their warehouse. Can be disposed of via household clean up (but goes to landfill) – book online here.
Soft Plastic	Recyclesmart will also pick up soft plastic - read our article here
Television	Community Recycling Centre
Textbooks	Sell via the Sustainable Schools Site or donate to Lifeline
Timber	Donate to the Bower, and they will pick up for free.
Toothbrushes	Lane Cove Council offer beauty product recycling. Place these items in the recycling bin opposite the customer service desk.
Toys	You can now drop off toys (including those plush toys that seem to multiply) at Big W Macquarie Toys for Joy programme Accepted: · All brands of plastic toys · All brands of metal toys · All brands of electronic toys with batteries removed · All brands of plush toys Not Accepted: · Books · Board games · Wooden toys · Play-doh, paint and slime · Pens, pencils, crayons, or paint brushes · Oversized toys such as bikes, scooters, skateboards or sports toys such as soccer goals more info here You can also give plush toys for recycling to Clothing Appeal and Family – they are a for-profit business that offers contactless pickup. They specifically state they are not a charity but do have a mission to reduce landfills. They also pick up clothes, footwear, handbags, accessories, and manchester. Recyclesmart will also accept these.
Washing Machines	If it is not in working order can be disposed of via household clean up – book online or donate to the Bower, and they will pick it up for free.
Whitegoods	White goods not mentioned above can be collected via household clean up but will go to landfill – book online or donate to the Bower, and they will pick it up for free.

The Sydney Library of Things

The Sydney Library of Things is a not-for-profit service that provides the local community with access to a collection of extremely useful but only occasionally used items that can be loaned out for a short time.

Two founders live in Lane Cove, Cr Bridget Kennedy and ITC.

Why buy an item you will only use once and take up room in your garage?

You can donate items that others may find useful, or you can borrow items that you would only use once. The most popular items that have been borrowed are the food dehydrator, paper shredder, gazebo, camping gear and of course, a water gurney.

You can join as a member for one month, quarterly, or year; you can donate items or help with a financial donation (the most significant expense is insurance). If you want to make a small monetary donation, you will hear us cheering – donate at our fundraising page here.

Find out more here.

They currently have a Christmas Special Price and you can also give the gift of sustainability at this special price.  Find out more here.

The Repair Café

Before you get rid of an item, it could be repaired for free by the volunteers at The Repair Café.

The Repair Cafe is about breaking the cycle of buy, use, toss it out. Various items such as jewellery, ceramics, shoes, toys, clothes, zips, bags, umbrellas, small woodwork repairs, and household battery-operated and electrical items can be repaired.

More information here.

Facebook Groups

In the Cove is a Lower North Shore Free Stuff and Low Waste Living Facebook Group member. Last year, ITC was decluttering, and we posted heaps of items on this site to pass on to someone who needed an item (a trampoline, saxophone, handbags and much more). It was such a lovely feeling to give items to people who would reuse them.

There is also the North Shore Sydney Sell, Buy, Swap and Giveaway Group.

If you see any dumped rubbish, you can help the circular economy by sharing the location of the dumped rubbish. The Northern Beaches and North Shore Bounty Facebook Group informs members about rubbish piles with some items that can be reused or recycled.

You can always list items you are giving away for free on Lane Cove Chat by ITC – one post per day, please.

Lids For Kids

Lids4Kids aims to rescue plastic bottle lids from landfill.

They partner with new and existing plastic recycling workshops to make products that benefit kids. They only accept plastic lids with recycling numbers 2 and 4 found on:

• Milk bottles
• Soft drink bottles
• UHT milk cartons
• Water bottles

As Volunteers run lids for Kids, most of the collection points are home addresses – there is one in Ryde.  Visit their NSW Facebook Group here for further information.‍

THE BOWER Reuse & Repair Centre (Marrickville, New South Wales)

The Bower is an environmental not-for-profit committed to reducing landfill. Their range of services and programs is based on reuse and repair ethos – this principle guides everything they do.

The Bower has agreements with over 20 Sydney metropolitan councils to collect unwanted household goods and rehome them, including Lane Cove Council, Hunters Hill, and Willoughby.

When you donate your household goods to the Bower! They resell them back to the community at low cost or get them to people in need via their House to Home  program.

As Lane Cove, Hunters Hill, and Willoughby are participating Councils, you can request a free collection from Bower via the Web Booking Tool.

Bower accepts various pre-loved goods, including household items and building materials.

Please note that all donations are accepted at the discretion of the Bower staff, depending on the space and resources available.

Accept

• White goods* (microwaves, fridges and washing machines in good working condition)
• Electrical items* (kettles, toasters, televisions, vacuums complete and in working order)
• Furniture* (complete bed frames of all sizes, tallboys, chests of drawers, small lounges, bedside tables, mattresses in pristine condition, small dining tables with chairs, small wardrobes, rugs)
• Kitchenware
• Clothing
• Books & Music
• Doors & Windows
• Gardening Items
• Hardware & Tools
• Timber
• Plumbing
• Bric-a-Brac
• Sports & Leisure goods
• Bikes & Bike Parts
• Paint
• Boxed Tiles & Pavers

Do Not Accept

• Baby & Children’s Items
• Column Heaters & Plastic Fans
• Dishwashers
• Ensemble Bed Bases
• Entertainment Units (Large)
• Furniture made from chipboard / MDF
• Gas Appliances
• Large exercise equipment
• Mattresses & Sofa beds
• Office Furniture
• Pianos, Pianolas and Organs
• Printers, Scanners and WiFi Modems
• Soft furnishings
• Ovens

Remote Op Shops

The Remote Opshop Project supports the development of op-shops in Aboriginal communities throughout remote Australia. These community-driven social enterprises generate independent funding used to seed local start-ups, creative projects, and answer local needs.

Via this micro-enterprise, Remote Opshop Project facilitates capacity building workshops to develop entrepreneurial competencies, that strengthen and enhance families and community. The op-shop provides a safe and supportive learning environment to develop and grow ideas. The Remote OpShop Project aims to foster community-based enterprises and cooperatives operating with a circular economy model. Tackling resource constraints in remote Indigenous communities by reimaging waste into a valuable commodity that can be used locally or exported.

It’s an exchange-framework, diverting pre-loved goods from landfill to support the development of the op-shops. The platform is intentionally designed to send goods directly from donors to community groups.   The person donating the items pays for the postage or delivery costs. This significantly reduces overheads by removing the need for large-scale infrastructure, transportation, and administration, incurred by a traditional op-shop model.

This structure also encourages the responsible disposal of pre-loved goods by the original manufacturer or purchaser and minimises the dumping of un-usable and broken items.

This ensures precious funds are distributed to support the organisation’s impact-driven mission, vision, and goals.

For example, the Halls Creek Op Shop need the following:

• Clothing, Men and Women, kids, and babies
• Mainly cotton and natural fibres
• Shoes and socks – all sizes. Runners or enclosed shoes are best.
• Sheets, pillow slips, towels, tea towels, bedding, and linens.
• Kids Hats
• Babies’ clothes and other items such as bottles, bibs, nappies.

Dress for Success

What would you wear to a job interview? That is exactly the type of clothing Dress for Success is looking for to distribute to their clients. Your fabulous suits and other professional apparel could furnish another woman with the confidence to enter or return to the workplace, make a great first impression and land a job that could change her life.

You can find out more here.

Second Hand Footy Boots

Do you have old boots lying around? Why not donate them to a good cause? Kick It Forward will has a collection tub in ProHealth Physio & Fitness . They are located on Longueville Road underneath Patchit Thai.

Your donations will support communities that lack access to proper gear.

More info here – https://www.kickitforward.com.au/

Boots For Africa (B4A) is a not-for-profit organisation that collects pre‐loved football boots and delivers them to children and young adults across Africa. The charity began in 2011 in Australia and was founded by Sarah Gardner.

One of this charity’s main goals is to make the sport more accessible to young people in developing nations.

DONATE your old football boots and sports equipment (e.g., headgear, shin pads, witch’s hats, balls, etc.) to the people of Africa to help build communities and social understandings through the power of the game.
Details here or email [email protected]

The Sewing Basket

The Sewing Basket supplies a wide range of donated fabrics and patterns, patchwork, embroidery materials, knitting and crochet yarn, haberdashery, and more, while providing employment opportunities for people with disability.  You can donate to their shop in Balmain items the items below.  Click here for further details (note they are currently not accepting donations but will be accepting more later in 2022)

• Fabric: All types of dress and sewing fabrics and interfacing of usable lengths over 1 metre.
• Sewing: Dress patterns, thread cones, machine needles and feet, tools and accessories, machine thread, machine embroidery thread, scissors, new cushion inserts. Please no cut patterns with pins.
• Haberdashery: Buttons, buckles, bias binding, ric rac, grosgrain ribbon, lace, braid, cord, fringing, ribbons, blanket binding, tassels, elastic, cotton tape, boning, velcro, motifs, piping, hemming web, tracing paper, zippers, pins, safety pins, needles.
• Fibres: Hessian, macrame cord, rug wool, tapestry wool, fleece, leather, felt.
• Patchwork and quilting: Fabrics, patterns, wadding, kits, accessories and tools, completed quilts and quilt tops, finished and unfinished projects.
• Knitting and crochet: Wool and yarn, cotton, patterns, knitting accessories, crochet hooks, knitting needles.
• Canvas: Waste canvas, tapestry canvas, rug canvas.
• Embroidery: Threads of all types, silk ribbon, linen, aida cloth, wool fabric, perle cotton, embroidery wool, finished and unfinished projects, needles, hoops and frames, storage, accessories and tools, kits, charts and booklets.
• Linens: Embroidered linens of all types, stencilled linens, doilies, tablecloths, linen hankies.
• Special items: Vintage pieces, sewing machines and overlockers, sewing and craft kits.

Reverse Garbage

Reverse Garbage accepts donations of items that can be used for craft and art and their educational programmes.

They accept dropped off donations on a case by case basis. Please email or call 02 9569 3132  first to make sure they can take your donation and that space in the warehouse, room in the loading dock, and people on hand to accept your delivery.

Their loading dock is open from 9 am to 4 pm, Monday to Saturday. Note that Reverse Garbage cannot cover the cost of couriers or removalists.

They have a small number of vehicles available to pick up large donations. Please call 02 9569 3132 or email to discuss arrangements. Note they usually require two to three weeks’ notice to add a pick-up to their regular schedule.

All donated products and materials must be clean, safe and suitable for reuse.

They will accept Acrylic commercial offcuts, Artists paints – watercolours, acrylic, oils, etc., Books relating to craft, art, building, gardening, or particular interest. Encyclopedias on approval, Bottle tops (only CLEAN plastic milk/juice bottle tops), Containers (plastic, glass, cardboard and metal containers and drums, boxes, bottles, pots), Coreflute – commercial offcuts, Corks, Doors and windows, Fabric and textiles (rolls, swatches and samples) min 1m pieces, Film and theatre props and costumes (theatre props, costumes, set pieces, wigs, costume jewellery), Film and theatre set materials (flats, columns, treads, staging pieces, plinths, lighting gels, cradles), Film reels, Foam core commercial offcuts, Lighting foils and films, Haberdashery (zippers, buttons, thread, belts, clips, braid, ribbon, padding), Leather (belts, rolls, skins, offcuts), Merchandising (mannequins, body shells, core flute, props, display items, signage), Metal (punch-outs, brackets, wire, sheets), Moving boxes (delivered to us, in good reusable order),Netting and shade materials, Novelty and promotional items, Paper and cardboard (leftovers and offcuts), Pavers (approval required depending on capacity – delivered to us, no pickups), Plastics and foam (Perspex, acetate, polypropylene, vinyl, medium to high density polystyrene (not domestic packaging), polyethylene foam, latex foam, foam rubber, neoprene, EVA skins, closed cell foam as sheets, blocks, cut-outs, stencils, O-rings), Rope, cord and twine, Stationery (notepads, pens, pencils, envelopes.) No lever arch files or binders, Timber and plywood (de-nailed, including structural timber, flooring, spools and frames), Tools, Tubing (plastic, cardboard, rubber), Vinyl records…and anything that is suitable for crafting and making, including commercial over-runs and industrial offcuts.

Upparel

UPPAREL is the leader in textile upcycling and is at the forefront of the circular fashion economy, revolutionising the reuse, repurpose, and recycling of textiles.

They accept:
Clothing items (jeans, shirts, coats, etc)
Hats
Wireless Bras
Swimwear
Socks and stockings
Shoes
Linen (bedding, towels, tea towels, etc)
Fabric mattress protectors (not waterproof/plastic)
Fabric off-cuts and sewing scraps
Fabric couch covers and curtains
Bathers & Swimwear
Wetsuits

They do not accept:
Unwashed items
Underwear
Carpet
Duvets/Doonas
Pillows/Cushions
Bags (handbags, duffel bags, etc)
Soft Toys
Wired Bras

This is a for-profit business and there is a fee – Upparel note on their website:

“The cost of a pick up is $25 and is fully redeemable in the form of a $25 store credit, it also helps to contribute towards a number of the costs involved in operating a textile recycling initiative. The average cost to collect 10kg across Australia is $22.03 (though you can imagine how this increases for rural collections). There are also the costs associated in storing items, separating them, sorting them based on their second life use and preparing new or fit-for-wear items to be distributed to our epic Australian partners; Save The Children, Sacred Heart Mission, Ready Set Australia, St Kilda Mums and Good360 Australia!

Not to mention then sending the remaining items onto our textile recycling partner to be repurposed or recycled. It costs $2 per kg to recycle the textiles sent to us, so for a 10kg box that amounts to $20! These costs add up quickly, which may be the reason so few retailers are engaging in textile recycling initiatives. The $25 collection fee is really important in contributing towards these costs and supporting our mission as a small Australian start-up to keep textiles out of landfill and create a circular life-cycle for the products we manufacture.”