Household rubbish and recycling
Red, yellow and green bins
There are many ways to dispose of waste safely and in the most environmentally friendly way possible. In Port Stephens, we offer our residents a red bin for household waste, a yellow bin for recyclable products, and a green bin for garden organics. Click below to find out more about each bin:
Your red bins will be collected weekly.
Waste that can go in your red bin:
- food scraps
- non-recycling packaging e.g. plastic bags
- green waste
- nappies
- broken household items that are unable to be reused or fixed
- pizza boxes and other paper products contaminated with food
Your yellow bins will be collected fortnightly.
Recyclable waste that can go in your recycling bin:
| Plastics | Fruit punnets, biscuit trays, detergent bottles, cake trays, plastic containers, juice bottles, milk bottles, soft drink bottles, margarine and butter containers, shampoo and conditioner containers, ice cream containers, small and large yogurt containers, bottle lids. |
| Glass, bottles and jars | Medicine and vitamin bottles; soft drink, water, beer, wine and champagne bottles; condiment and pickling jars. |
| Aluminium | Cans, foil lined cartons (juice and milk) and foil trays. |
| Paper and cardboard | Books, cardboard, egg cartons, envelopes, gift wrap, greeting cards, magazines, newspaper, cardboard rolls, tissue boxes, scrap paper, pizza boxes, phone books. |
| Steel | Aerosol cans (deodorant, bug spray, air freshener), cooking oil tins, pet food cans, canned condiments. |
Additional recycling information:
- Upgrade to a 360L recycling bin for $27.50. Apply to Supersize Recycling to 360L.
- Return and Earn operates in Port Stephens. To locate donation points visit the Return and Earn website.
Your green bins will be collected fortnightly, in the week opposite to your yellow bin collection.
What can and can't go in my green bin
| CAN go in my green bin | CAN'T go in my green bin |
|---|---|
| ✔ Pruning from shrubs or trees | ✘ Plastic, bio plastic or compostable bin liners |
| ✔ Lawn/grass clippings | ✘ Paper |
| ✔ Cut flowers | ✘ Food scraps of any kind |
| ✔ Weeds (excluding priority weeds) | ✘ Household items, building material and treated timber |
| ✔ Sticks, twigs and leaves no longer than 1.2 meters long | ✘ Bricks, rocks, soil and pot plans of any kind |
| ✔ Bark and branches no bigger than 10 cm in diameter | ✘ Priority weeds |
Waste Calendar 2024
Enter your address below to view your personalised Waste Calendar.
Drop off times are from 9am to 2pm, most Sundays of the year. Some dates excluded.
| Suburb | Location | Drop off days |
|---|---|---|
| Karuah | Located on the vacant Council land next to the Karuah Centre | First Sunday of each month |
| Raymond Terrace | Newline Waste Facility | April to September: second Sunday of each month October to March: second and fourth Sunday of each month, excluding Sunday 24 December 2023. In lieu of this drop off day, there will be a one-off bonus drop off day on Sunday 7 January 2024 at Raymond Terrace. |
| Tilligerry Peninsula | Located at the old Waste Depot on Lemon Tree Passage Road | April to September: third Sunday of each month October to March: first and third Sunday of each month |
| Tomaree Peninsula | Salamander Bay Waste Transfer Station | April to September: fourth Sunday of each month October to March: second and fourth Sunday of each month |
* When there are 5 Sundays in a month, there will not be an extra drop off day. Please be aware drop off days will not run on public holidays
Conditions of service:
- For residents and rate payers of Port Stephens only
- Commercial operators are unable to use the services for their business waste
- Only quantities of less than 1 cubic metre will be accepted
- Materials less than 1.5m in length only will be accepted
- Residents must unload their own material into a skip of truck provider and must comply with all instructions from the site operator
- Large loads will not be accepted at the Karuah drop off site as it is not set up for this
- Council has the right to accept/decline excess quantities
If you have waste that is not easily disposed of, Council offers residents free drop off days for problem waste.
Problem waste can include:
- mattresses
- tyres
- electronic waste
- scrap metals
- chemicals
If you're unsure of how to properly dispose of waste, have a look through our A-Z of waste page.
Salamander Bay Waste Transfer Station accepts the following household quantities of problem waste, for free, all year round:
- Gas bottles
- Paint
- Motor and other oils
- Houeshold batteries
- Fluoro tubes and globes
- Car batteries
- Fire extinguishers
- E-waste
Condition of service
- For residents and rate payers of Port Stephens only
- Commercial operators are unable to use the services for their business waste
- Mixed loads will incur a fee. Ensure waste is separated for free disposal.
- Residents must comply with all instructions from the site operator
- Council has the right to decline/accept items or excess quantities
- 4 mattresses and/or 4 tyres per vehicle including tyres on rims
- Only car and 4WD tyres accepted and tyres must be clean free of soil or other contaminates
- X-rays are now accepted at e-waste drop off days
- X-rays are no longer accepted at Council Administration Building at Raymond Terrace
- For Chemical Cleanout drop off events household quantities accepted up to a maximum of 20 litres or 20 kilograms of a single item for more detailed list please check EPA's website
Permanent e-Waste disposal at Veolia Raymond Terrace Resource Recovery Park
Full designated electronic waste only loads can be dropped off for no charge at Veolia Raymond Terrace Resource Recovery Park at Newline Road, mixed loads (e-waste within a load of other waste) will still incur a fee.
Examples of E-Waste:
- TVs
- Computers
- Mobiles
Terms and Conditions apply
- Available all year round during opening hours. Check their website for operating hours.
- Port Stephens residents only
- No commercial quantities or customers
- Residents to comply with instructions from the site operator
You can take household quantities of the following household chemicals and items – up to a maximum of 20 litres or 20 kilograms of a single item.
- Solvents and household cleaners
- Floor care products
- Ammonia-based cleaners
- Pesticides and herbicides
- Poisons
- Pool chemicals
- Hobby chemicals
- Motor fuels
- Fluorescent globes and tubes
- Acids and alkalis
- Smoke detectors
- Paint and paint-related products
- Gas bottles
- Fire extinguishers
- Car and household batteries
- Motor oils and cooking oils
Find a Free EPA Chemical CleanOut day near you.
Port Stephens Council will offer additional garbage and recycling bin collections for holiday properties for the 2023/24 summer holiday period for 6 weeks, in order to accommodate increased volumes of waste at this time.
Fees and conditions apply.
Applications close on Friday 17 November 2023. Contact waste@portstephens.nsw.gov.au for more details or to apply.
Frequently asked questions
Download our Waste App for Apple or Android for customised waste information including bin collections for your household, or download our domestic collection zones map.
Please contact the Waste Customer Call Centre on 1300 734 470.
Residents can take excess waste to the Council operated Waste Transfer Station at Salamander Bay or the privately owned waste facility at Newline Road, Raymond Terrace. Find out about the Waste Transfer Station operating hours, fees and what types of waste are accepted.
Alternatively, you can use your 2 kerbside collections per financial year by booking online or calling 1300 734 470.
Yes. If you require assistance with your bins, download our Wheel Out Wheel In Flyer for more information on how we can help.
For new or additional garbage services, please contact us on 02 4988 0255.