Doorstep recycling for tricky items

Book a free, weekly collection to recycle clothes, batteries, polystyrene, electronics and other items from your doorstep or apartment lobby.

A woman stands in a kitchen, smiling, with a green reusable bag and a brown paper bag filled with items

Make a booking with Resource Recovery Australia

A free pick-up of unlimited bags. Minimum of 2 bags.

A free and easy way for you to recycle small, tricky items and donate reusable furniture without leaving home.

If you live in our local area, you can book a free weekly collection and have accepted items collected from your doorstep or apartment lobby. We’ll make sure your items are recycled and help rehome smaller, good-quality furniture to families in need. 

What can be collected

What can’t be collected

Make a booking 

Book a free collection of unlimited bags online with Resource Recovery Australia or by calling 02 7251 6275. Minimum of 2 bags per collection. 

If you’re a building manager or want to make a big booking for your apartment building, contact Resource Recovery Australia

Book a collection

We’re upgrading the booking form and it may not be accessible on all devices. If you’re having trouble booking online, please email [email protected] or call 02 7251 6275.

Prepare your items for collection

  • Tape the ends of batteries with sticky tape or duct tape to prevent fires and place them in a soft plastic bag. 
  • Place coffee pods in a soft plastic bag and tie it up to stop leaks. 
  • Make sure small furniture is in good condition. Wipe down items so they’re clean and dust-free. 
  • Pack your items into reusable bags or boxes and group similar items together.
  • Write a label ‘Doorstep recycling service’ and attach it to the bags, boxes or small furniture so neighbours or people passing by know it’s being picked up. 

Put your items out before 7am on your scheduled pick-up day.

  • Place your items in a safe, accessible and dry spot. A driver will come by to collect your items before 3pm. 
  • If you live in an apartment building with secure access, you can leave your bags outside near the entry or letterboxes. Or if you’re home, leave them in the lobby and buzz the driver in.
  • If you live in a house or terrace, leave your bags at your doorstep. 

Retrieve your empty bags 

You’ll receive a notification when your items have been picked up. The driver will leave your empty sturdy reusable bags or boxes where you left them – don’t forget to bring them back in. 

If something doesn’t go to plan 🙁

  • If your bags aren’t picked up by 3pm on your scheduled day, contact Resource Recovery Australia online or email [email protected]
  • To change your booking, email [email protected] or call 02 7251 6275. Changes need to be made by 4pm the day before your scheduled pick-up. 
  • Forgot to put out your bags? Resource Recovery Australia will contact you to reschedule your booking.  
  • If items were left in your bag, they are likely not accepted. Resource Recovery Australia will contact you with more information. 

Spread the word about the doorstep recycling service

If you’re a City of Sydney resident or you manage a building in the area, print this poster in A4 or A3 size and display it in your apartment building or share it with your neighbours.

Download and print a doorstep recycling service posterPDF · 1.55 MB · Last modified

Where does it all go?  

  • Aluminium coffee pods are separated for their resources. Coffee grounds are composted. The aluminium casings can be infinitely recycled into new products. 
  • Blister packs are shredded, ground and mechanically separated into their component parts. The plastic is used to make decking products and the foil is turned into aluminium pucks, used by steel manufacturers during the steel-making process. 
  • Electronics are sorted and broken down into parts for recycling, such as metals, plastics, circuit boards, glass and more. Some electronics are repaired or refurbished, with data wiping, before being resold. Batteries can be recycled into new ones. Mobile phone components can be used to make new technology, reducing the need for mining raw materials. 
  • Gas bottles are inspected for reuse. Rejected bottles are shredded and the metal is recycled. The gas is recovered. 
  • Household furniture is rehomed to families in need with the help of local charity, The Bower, or resold in their stores, with proceeds supporting their vital services. 
  • Light bulbs are crushed and the glass wool can become home insulation. 
  • Metal items are taken to a local recycling facility and sorted into categories such as steel, copper, aluminium, lead, silver and gold. These different metals are shredded and sent to a smelter where they are mixed with other materials to create new products. 
  • Oil-based paint is blended into an alternative fuel used in cement manufacturing. Water-based paint is separated into solid and liquid parts. The liquid is treated for contaminants and can be used as industrial wastewater. The solid sludge component is dried and treated for safe disposal. The metal paint tins are recycled. 
  • Polystyrene is recycled into products such as building insulation and photo frames. 
  • Printer cartridge recycling recovers the plastics, metals, ink and toner. Plastics are separated by type before being refined and metals are sent for smelting. They are then sold as raw materials for manufacturing. Ink is refined, mixed and sold as a printing ink. 
  • Unusable clothes, bedding and textiles are collected by Textile Recyclers Group. Items are sorted in Cranebrook, NSW and sent to India, where zips and buttons are removed for reuse and the fabric is mechanically shredded. They’re remade into recycled products including yarn, bags, socks, felts, underlay, insulation, furniture filler and rugs. 
  • X-rays are recycled for their silver, which can be used in jewellery or electrical components. The remaining backing film is recycled into items like shampoo bottles or polyester fleece. 

About Resource Recovery Australia 

The doorstep recycling service is managed by Resource Recovery Australia.  

Resource Recovery Australia is a certified not-for-profit social enterprise and registered charity operating across Australia to transform the way we treat waste. The organisation’s #WASTE2WAGES model maximises social, environmental and community outcomes by employing people experiencing barriers to work.