Recycling is one of the easiest ways to reduce the amount of waste that is sent to landfill, however, contamination can make your recycling efforts go to waste.
Recycling is good for the environment, the economy and the local community.
Below are some helpful resources to understand the recycling process.
- Contamination can make your recycling efforts go to waste
- Where does the waste go
- Bin it right - know what goes - A-Z Waste Guide Index (PDF,123kB)
These items CAN be recycled
- newspaper, paper, magazines and brochures
- cardboard boxes
- glass bottles and jars (no lids)
- milk, soft drink and water bottles (no lids)
- steel and aluminium cans and empty aerosols
- rigid plastic containers and bottles from the kitchen, bathroom and laundry (no lids)
Not all products with a recycle symbol can be recycled at our MRF, so remember to check the Recycling Fact Sheet (PDF,1.6MB)
These items CANNOT be recycled
- polystyrene foam
- wax coated cartons (eg milk cartons)
- takeaway coffee cups and lids
- aluminium trays (eg pie tray)
- light globes, mirrors and window glass
- food scraps
- ceramics, crockery and glasses
- chemicals and pesticides
- soil, rocks, grass or tree cuttings
- gas bottles, batteries, paint and oil
- syringes and medical waste
- plastic bags, packets and film
- No bagging - never bag recycling or put it inside a box. Always place recycling items loose in the bin.
- Rinse and squash - give recyclable containers (jars, bottles) a quick rinse and squash before placing them in the recycling bin.
- Remove lids - take lids off plastic bottles and glass items before placing them in the recycling bin.
- Green waste - up to 4.3 or 1 tonne can be disposed of at all Council tips and transfer stations free of charge. Branches, limbs and trunks are to be no more than 1200mm in length and 400mm in diameter. Anything greater than this size may incur a disposal charge. Aramara and Yengarie Transfer stations don't accept green waste.
- Liquid waste - the only liquid waste accepted for recycling is motor oil and cooking oil. These can only be accepted at the Granville, Maryborough and Tinana sites. Gatehouse staff can advise of where the oils can be placed.
Recycling at transfer stations or tips
Fraser Coast Waste offers residents free disposal of the following items at any of the tips or transfer stations in the region.
- clean green waste (conditions apply);
- waste oil up to 20 litres;
- car batteries;
- car bodies; or
- clean recyclable materials (glass bottles and jars, plastic bottles and containers, paper and cardboard, steel and aluminium cans and aerosols). Cardboard must be flattened and free of polystyrene and plastics.
For more information download the recycling at transfer stations or tips fact sheet(PDF,1.4MB)
Shredded paper can be recycled, however for large commercial quantities please contact Fraser Coast Waste on 1300 79 49 29 to arrange disposal prior to arrival at the waste facility.
Smaller amounts of shredded paper can be placed into a cardboard box or paper bag and put into your kerbside recycling bin.
Council operates two (2) reuse markets at the Maryborough and Hervey Bay Waste Facility.
Donate unwanted household items in good condition to the resuse market drop off zones.
The opening hours are:
- Maryborough Reuse Market - Wednesday, Friday, Sunday from 8am to 4pm
- Hervey Bay Reuse Market- Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday from 8am to 4pm
The reuse markets are closed on Good Friday and Anzac Day.
Reusing, up cycling or repurposing items means that they don't end up in landfill.
Accepted items include:
- household bric a brac;
- white goods;
- electrical goods;
- sporting equipment;
- gardening equipment ie. lawn mower; or
- e-waste ie. televisions, computers and accessories, laptops, iPads/tablets and mobile phones.
Avoid the Queensland State Government waste levy - Sort your load
The Queensland State Governent is introducing a waste levy on 1 July, 2019. Sort your load and recycle to avoid the levy. Find out moore here
Fraser Coast Waste encourages residents to SORT their load to help reduce waste to landfill.
Before heading to the tip sort your load into reusable items, recyclables, green waste and general household waste.
How much of your next load could be reused or recycled?
For further information on recyclables and general waste see fact sheet.
Re-use and recyclables
- batteries (drop to Maryborough and Hervey Bay waste facilities only);
- glass or plastic bottles (no lids);
- building materials ie. bathtubs, sinks, bricks, pavers and tiles;
- clean newspaper, paper, magazines and brochures, cardboard boxes (flattened and free of polystyrene and plastics);
- clothing in good condition ie.no stains or tears;
- crockery kitchen goods and bric a brac;
- children's toys and bicycles;
- fish tanks;
- furniture of good quality and condition;
- gardening equipment ie. lawn mower;
- gas bottles;
- sporting equipment;
- steel and aluminium cans and empty aerosols;
- waste oil up to 20L (includes motor and cooking oil only - accepted at the Granville, Maryborough and Tinana sites); or
- white and electrical goods in good condition ie. fridges, televisions, computers and accessories, laptops, iPads/tablets and mobile phones.
Up to 4.3 or 1 tonne can be disposed of at Council tips and transfer stations free of charge. Branches, limbs and trunks are to be no more than 1200mm in length and 400mm in diameter. Anything greater than this size may incur a disposal charge.
Please note Aramara and Yengarie Transfer stations don't accept green waste.
- aluminium trays ie. pie trays;
- CD's, DVD's;
- clothing and fabric;
- bottle and jar lids;
- broken ceramics, crockery and glasses;
- food scraps;
- light globes, broken mirrors and window glass;
- nappies, wipes;
- plastic bags, packets and film;
- styrofoam and polystyrene;
- takeaway coffee cups and lids; or
- wax coated cartons ie. milk cartons.
Under the Queensland load restraint requirements, any load carried on or in your vehicle or trailer must be properly restrained. To view the requirements, visit the Department of Transport and Main Roads website.
Soft plastic recycling is available for small commercial businesses and households on the Fraser Coast.
Specified soft plastics can be dropped at its reuse drop off zones at both Hervey Bay and Maryborough waste facilities.
Accepted soft plastics are non-food packaging such as;
- plastic/bubble wrap and bags from appliances;
- shrink wrap; and
- large clear plastic bags (not polystyrene).
Container refund scheme
Queensland’s container refund scheme will commence on 1 November 2018, with more than 230 container refund points in operation across the state.
The introduction of the scheme will give people an incentive to collect and return containers for recycling, in exchange for a 10 cent refund payment.
For further information or to find your nearest container refund drop off point click here.