Using recycling stations

Drop off household batteries, empty medication blister packs, light bulbs and small electronics at 20 convenient locations in the City of Sydney local area.

When you need to do this

If you have household batteries, empty medication blister packs, light bulbs or small electronics you no longer need.

Find out what you can recycle, where to find a station, what the stations look like and what happens to your items.

What you need to do

Check your items are accepted.

- Household batteries – AA, AAA, C, D, 9V, 6V lantern, watch and button batteries from any brand. They can be rechargeable and non-rechargeable. Tape the battery terminals on both ends to prevent sparking.
- Empty medication blister packs – these are tablet or pill packets made of plastic and foil. If your blister pack came in a cardboard box, recycle the box in your yellow lid bin at home.
- Light bulbs and globes – all types of small light bulbs and globes.
- Small electronics – like mobile phones, chargers, wireless earbuds, cords, electric toothbrushes and vapes.
All items must be small enough to fit inside a 10cm hole.
Please don’t place the following items in the recycling station:
- Large batteries – like those found in power tools, e-bikes and vacuums. Book a doorstep recycling collection or drop them off at Ultimo recycling pop-up or Recycle It Saturday.
- Car batteries – drop them off at Recycle It Saturday, Household Chemical CleanOut events or community recycling centres.
- Leaking batteries – recycle them at Household Chemical CleanOut events or community recycling centres.
- Fluorescent tubes (long tubes) – drop them off at Ultimo recycling pop-up or Recycle It Saturday.
- Electronics wider than 10cm – for medium sized items like tablets, laptops, keyboards and game consoles, book a doorstep recycling collection or drop them off at Ultimo recycling pop-up. For large electronics like TVs, microwaves and monitors book a pick-up for bulky items or drop them off at Recycle It Saturday.
- Blister packs containing medication – return unwanted medicines to your local pharmacy.

Where to find a station

Our recycling stations are located across these suburbs in the City of Sydney area.

Alexandria

Cliff Noble Community Centre – on the left inside the entrance
Perry Park Recreation Centre – on the right past the service area

Camperdown

Victoria Park Pool – near the main entrance to the left of reception

Glebe

Glebe Library – at the rear by the computer room entrance

Green Square

Green Square Library – on the lower ground floor near the service area

Kings Cross

Kings Cross Library – on level 1 near the returns shelf at the front of the library

Newtown

Newtown Library – near the computer area at the back of the library

Pyrmont

Pyrmont Community Centre – on the ground floor near the entrance to the library link

Redfern

Redfern Community Centre – on the right before the service area
Ron Williams Community Centre – on the left near the service area

Surry Hills

Surry Hills Library – on the right at the entrance

Sydney

Customs House Library – near the lifts on levels 1 and 2
Darling Square Library – on level 1 past reception in front of the computer area
Town Hall House customer service centre – on level 1 near the concierge and on level 2 near the customer service area

The Rocks

King George V (KGV) Recreation Centre – on the left next to the service area

Ultimo

Ultimo Community Centre – on the right in front of the service area

Waterloo

Waterloo Library – on the left inside the entrance

Woolloomooloo

Juanita Nielsen Community Centre – on the left near the service area

What the stations look like

The recycling stations are metal and around 1.2m tall. The top section has 4 clearly labelled circular openings with labels and images indicating what can be recycled in each. From left to right, the labels are:

Batteries
Blister packs
Light bulbs
Electronics

The top section also includes braille and tactile lettering to help everyone recycle confidently.

What happens to your items

We ensure everything you drop off is recycled responsibly:

Batteries contain materials like lead, plastic, zinc and manganese, which can be used to make new batteries, fertiliser, or even steel.
Blister packs are broken into plastic and foil, with the plastic turned into decking and the foil used to make steel.
Light bulbs are crushed and the glass wool can become home insulation.
Electronics are taken apart and useful bits like metal plastic and circuit boards are recycled, and some items are repaired, wiped clean and given a second life.