Cook Shire Council is committed to reducing waste, protecting our environment, and making sure valuable resources are reused or recycled instead of ending up in landfill.

That’s why we’re rolling out a new campaign to help our community understand what should not go into your general waste wheelie bin.

By working together and sorting our waste correctly, we can reduce environmental harm, keep our community safe, and create a more sustainable future.

What happens to the waste in your wheelie bin?

Have you ever thought about what happens to your rubbish after it leaves the kerb?

When the rubbish truck arrives, a robotic arm lifts your bin and empties the contents into a hopper. Inside, a hydraulic compactor crushes the waste to maximise truck space. The compacted rubbish is transported to the waste transfer station in Cooktown, where it’s moved to a loading pad and loaded into large “walking floor” trucks for final transport to landfill.

At the landfill site, the waste is compacted further by heavy machinery and buried.

From kerbside to burial, your waste passes through multiple hands, trucks, and machines. Putting the wrong things in your bin can create real safety risks for workers and damage expensive equipment.

What doesn’t belong in your general waste bin?

Your general waste bin is for things that can’t be reused, composted or recycled. But some items are not only unsuitable — they can be dangerous or environmentally damaging if thrown in your general waste wheelie bin.

Here’s what must be kept out of your general rubbish bin:

• Batteries of any kind*
• Vapes and electronic cigarettes*
• Mobile phones, laptops, chargers, and electric or battery-operated toys/devices*
• Aerosol cans and gas or helium cylinders*
• Flares (see disposal info)
• Fluorescent lights and globes*
• Chemicals, paints, oils and other liquid waste*
• Old medications (return to your nearest pharmacy)
• Building rubble, soil, bricks or concrete*
• Material that is smouldering, aflame or alive
• Heavy or overfilled bins (may not be collected)*
• Printers and printer cartridges*

* PLEASE NOTE: Items marked with an asterisk can be dropped off at your local waste transfer station and are recycled through dedicated programs to divert hazardous and recoverable materials from landfill.

Why it matters

Putting the wrong items in your bin can:

• Cause fires in collection trucks

• Harm waste workers

• Contaminate landfill surrounding ecosystems

• Prevent the recovery of valuable materials like precious metals

• Result in your bin not being collected

It might seem like a small thing — but your everyday actions make a big difference.

Check your bin label

New labels are being added to your general waste wheelie bin to help guide you.

These easy-to-read stickers show what must not go into your bin at a glance.

Use them as a quick guide every time you take out the trash.

So what can go in your bin?

Your general waste bin is for everyday household rubbish that cannot be recycled, composted or reused:

• Broken household items and toys (non-electronic)

• Plastic film, wrap and soft plastics

• Polystyrene and foam trays

• Waxed or soiled cardboard

• Broken crockery, glass or mirrors

• Feminine hygiene products and nappies

• Biodegradable or degradable plastics

• Takeaway coffee cups

• Rope, timber offcuts, vacuum dust, dirty packaging

• Unusable clothing and shoes

All waste should be bagged to reduce litter during collection and handling.

Need help?

Not sure where something goes? Don’t guess — check!

✅ Scan the QR code on your bin label
✅ Visit our dedicated waste managment information page at cook.qld.gov.au/waste-management
✅ Or contact our Customer Service team on 4082 0500

Let’s keep our bins clean, safe, and sorted — for our people, our places, and our planet.