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.

Homecycle

Recycle without leaving the house.

At the end of an agreed 12-month trial period with RecycleSmart, Lane Cove Council went out to the market to assess offers from service providers in the doorstep recycling industry.

After reviewing the doorstep recycling proposals, Lane Cove Council selected HomeCycle as the preferred supplier for the Council-funded doorstep recycling service.  Lane Cove Council are of the view that  HomeCycle is able to provide quality services with greater cost efficiency for the long-term sustainability of the service.

HomeCycle has now replaced the service Council provided through RecycleSmart.

The RecycleSmart program is still available in Hunters Hill and Willoughby City Council.

The Canopy Recycling Station Trial

Got clothes, or small appliances that you need to recycle?  Lane Cove Council (as at May 2024) is trialling a recycling hub at The Canopy for clothes, shoes, handbags and small e-wastes and appliances with a cord (like laptops, mobile phones radios, hair dryer, kettles, etc).
You can find the recycling trailer on P1 just before the boom gate.

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.

The Lane Cove Toy Library

The Lane Cove Toy Library will be opening on 30 June 2024.  You can donate name brands, good quality toys to the library.  The Lane Cove Toy Library has been lucky to have some amazing donations.  To ensure no duplications and that the toys comply with insurance requirements, please fill out this form.

A to Z Item List

Recycle

ItemWhere to Recycle/Donate/Sell or Dispose of Correctly
Aerosol CansIf empty in your Yellow Recycling Bin
Aluminium CansIf empty in your Yellow Recycling Bin
Small Appliances with an Electrical Cord/charger (read this in conjunction with our notes on E-Waste)Homecycle- check out this articlehere

Community Recycle Centre Artarmon

BackpacksIf you live outside Lane Cove Council Area then Recycle Smart - maybe you know someone who gets a free recycle service with Recyclesmart and you can ask them to dispose of it for you
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 PhonePop 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 ProductsLane Cove Council offer beauty product recycling. Place these items in the recycling bin opposite the customer service desk.
Recyclesmart will also accept these.
Blister PacksLane Cove Council has a blister pack recycling station and also you can drop off to The Sydney Library of Things Lane Cove. Open Thursday nights 6.00 to 8.00 pm
BikesRevole 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.
BooksDrop 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.
BrasThe 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 TagsDrop off to The Sydney Library of Things Lane Cove. Open Thursday nights 6.00 to 8.00 pm
Building WasteBuilding Material and up to 5 Tyres at Ryde Transfer Station
Cardboard and PaperClean 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)
CarpetBook a Lane Cove Household Collection Clean UP Service. Carpet must be no greater than 1.2m in length. Note the carpet is not recycled.

Each house/apartment is entitled to four free clean-ups a year. Book online here
CD’s and CD PlayersCommunity 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/
ChemicalsDrop them off at the following Household Chemical Cleanout event - a few are organised each year Read our article here

Christmas Trees Live/FreshAfter 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 HandbagsClothes 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)


Homecycle- check out this articlehere



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 HangersTriple AAA Dry Cleaning Recycle Wire Coat Hangers
Coffee CupsIf you live outside Lane Cove Council Area then Recycle Smart - maybe you know someone who gets a free recycle service with Recyclesmart and you can ask them to dispose of it for you
Coffee Pods – NescafeRecycle at Lane Cove Council chambers (note no longer able to recycle at Pure Flowers)
Recyclesmart will also accept these.
Computer GamesDrop them at Lindfield for Lifeline Book Fair.
ComputersCommunity 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 OilCommunity Recycling Centre Artarmon
CookwareIf you live outside Lane Cove Council Area then Recycle Smart - maybe you know someone who gets a free recycle service with Recyclesmart and you can ask them to dispose of it for you
CorksRecycle at Reverse Garbage
Doors and WindowsDonate to the Bower, and they will pick up for free.
DVD’s or DVD PlayerArtarmon. 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

Homecycle will accept small amounts read more here

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 CartonsBlue recycling bin
EnvelopesEnvelopes (including cellophane window envelopes) can be added to your blue recycling bin.
EyewearEyes on Lane Cove is a drop off for glasses that are recycled for third world countries.
Fire ExtinguishersCommunity Recycling Centre Artarmon
Fluorescent light globes and TubesCommunity Recycling Centre Artarmon
Foampolyethylene foam, latex foam, foam rubber, neoprene, EVA skins, closed-cell foam as sheets, blocks, cut-outs, and stencils – Reverse Garbage
Food WasteIt 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
FreezersLane 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)
FurnitureDonate 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 WasteIt goes into your green lid bin
Gas BottlesCommunity 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 ToolsDonate to the Bower, and they will pick up for free.
KitchenwareDonate to the Bower, and they will pick up for free.
here.
MattressesMattresses 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.
MedicinesThey 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
MirrorsSmall 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 PhonesHomecycle -

Officeworks will recycle as part of their recycling programme collection at Officeworks North Ryde and Chatswood. – details here

Recyclesmart will also accept these.read more here
Motor OilCommunity Recycling Centre Artarmon
Newspapers/PaperBlue recycling bin
Paint (oil and water-based)Community Recycling Centre Artarmon
PalletsAccepted at Cleanaway Artarmon Resource Recovery Centre in Artarmon
Pens and Marker RecyclingOfficeworks will recycle as part of their recycling programme collection at Officeworks North Ryde and Chatswood. – details here
Phone BookBlue Recycling Bin. Even better, take action to cancel a phone book by registering your address at this site.
Pizza BoxClean Pizza Box – Blue Bin
Dirty and Greasy Pizza Box – Red Bin
Plastic Bottles and ContainersYellow 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 HardwareDonate to the Bower, and they will pick up for free.
PolystyreneRecycle Smart now takes Polystyrene. If you live outside Lane Cove Council Area then Recycle Smart - maybe you know someone who gets a free recycle service with Recyclesmart and you can ask them to dispose of it for you

Postage Stamps CollectionDonate to Lifeline
Printer CartridgesCommunity 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.)

Sheets, Quilt Covers and TowelsReturn 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.

School Uniforms, Text Books and Musical InstrumentsSell 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 DetectorsCommunity Recycling Centre Artarmon
Socks and Other TextilesUpparel 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.
SofasThe 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 PlasticHomecycle - read more here
Television
Community Recycling Centre
TextbooksSell via the Sustainable Schools Site or donate to Lifeline
TimberDonate to the Bower, and they will pick up for free.
ToothbrushesLane Cove Council offer beauty product recycling. Place these items in the recycling bin opposite the customer service desk.
ToysLane Cove Toy Library but you must fill out this form first
Donation Form
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.
WhitegoodsWhite 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.

There is now a Sydney Library of Things in Lane Cove this is open every Thursday at 47 Burns Bay Road (opp Harris Farm) from 6.00 pm to 8.00 pm.

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.”