Waste Transfer Stations

The contents of over 65,000 kerbside yellow lid recycling bins are collected from the Cairns region and delivered to the Materials Recovery Facility in Portsmith. Items are then transported to specialised recycling facilities for processing into new materials.

Did you know that Cairns households place 90% correct items in recycling bins, visit our Know Before You Throw page or use our new Recycle Mate tool to learn ‘what belongs in what’ bin.

Materials Recovery Facility (MRF)

Located in Portsmith, the Cairns 'MRF' is a state of the art facility that processes commingled recyclable materials, from yellow lid bins across the region.  It uses a combination of hand sorting, specialised screening equipment and optical sorting to remove waste then sort and bale paper, cardboard, plastic bottles & containers ready for transportation for further reprocessing by manufacturers in South East Queensland. The Facility also incorporates a glass crushing plant which creates a sand substitute for use in local construction projects from glass bottles & jars.  To learn more about Council's recycled glass product, download the Crushed Glass Factsheet ( PDF, 1.44 MB ).

The MRF is also the home of a dedicated Resource Recovery Education room known as the Rediscovery Centre – offering a bird’s-eye view of the processing plant, which is complemented by the use of cameras inside the machinery to see up-close how the facility works. Visit our Waste Education page for bookings and more information.

View the video below to learn more about how the Materials Recovery Facility works. Council also offers regional schools and community groups free tours of its Resource Recovery Facilities via the Waste Education program.  View Council's Waste Education Page for further information.

The contents of more than 70,000 red and green-lid kerbside waste bins are collected from households across the Cairns region and delivered to the Portsmith Residual Waste Transfer Facility. Here, materials are consolidated and transported to landfill on the Atherton Tablelands.

Since January 2025, the Portsmith site has operated as a bulk waste transfer facility, following a transition from the former composting facility after a fire linked to hazardous materials caused the facility to stop operating.

Council is always looking for new ways to recover resources and reduce landfill. Residents can help by recycling correctly at home, work and school.  Did you know around 15% of household waste in Cairns could have been recycled in the yellow-lid bin?
Visit our Know Before You Throw page or use our useful Recycle Mate tool to see what belongs in each bin.

More than just a stepping stone in the journey of waste, transfer stations play a vital role in assisting in the reduction of waste to landfill, by providing residents of the Cairns region with 4 facilities where they can drop off recyclables, reusable materials and general waste for processing.

Portsmith, Smithfield, Gordonvale and Babinda Transfer Stations process over 40,000 tonnes of self-hauled material annually, recovering as much as 72% of material for recycling recovery and reuse.

Items taken to transfer stations by residents include: oils, paints (spray paint cans), gas bottles, fire extinguishers, tyres, medical waste, batteries, smoke detectors, green waste, general household waste and unused household furnishings. Items that are non-recyclable are processed in the Advanced Resource Recovery Facility (ARRF) and are sent to landfill.

Did you know that many common household items can be dropped off for free at Council’s transfer Stations? Visit the Free Waste Drop off or Council’s Waste Transfer Stations for further information.

Contact us

Please note - we do not accept phone calls for stock enquiries, hold requests or sales. Buyers must come to the Buy Back Shop store in person for information, pricing and to purchase. If you already have an item on hold and wish to cancel it, please phone 1300 69 22 47.

The opportunities are endless when you think about what could be found at the BBS, and the best part about it is, every time you come along, you’ll find something unique that wasn’t there the time before.

• Building materials
• Household appliances and cookware
• Vintage goods, collectables and one off restoration pieces
• Clothing and accessories
• Indoor and outdoor furniture
• Musical instruments, books and games for all ages
• Baby items
• Supplies for parties, weddings and birthday celebrations
• Bicycles and scooters
• Art and decorative pieces
• Tools and items for the shed and garden

And so many more things we can’t possibly list them all.

If you’re doing a spring clean, or just have some unwanted items that no longer fulfil their purpose (or perhaps they’re just not what they once were), instead of throwing them in the bin, drop them off at our Transfer Stations for FREE (conditions apply*).

Give someone else a chance to make use out of something that no longer serves its purpose for you and do the environment a favour while you’re at it. If it comes to us and we think it deserves another chance, it doesn’t go to landfill.

Local support

We receive stock from all over the community where different circumstances allow for unwanted goods to land in our hands as a result of:

• Hotel/venues refurbishments
• De-cluttering the home / business
• “Too hard to fix” basket
• Unloved items
• Events (parties, weddings, birthday celebrations)

At the Buy Back Shop, we find and collect treasures of all shapes and sizes and offer them back to the community to ensure old things get a second chance.

Our staff work endlessly to recover goods that you may not want, but perhaps your neighbour does. We simply place them in our store and wait for the right person to find them a good home.

At the BBS, we figure, ‘why break something that aint broken’ so think twice about disposing of your items and give them a chance to be repurposed.

What are you waiting for? Come down to the Buy Back Shop. You never know what you might find.

*Conditions apply:

• Items for BBS are accepted during the opening hours at Portsmith, Smithfield, Gordonvale and Babinda Transfer Stations and are not accepted directly at the BBS.
• Items accepted for the BBS are FREE to drop off. Customers will be charged for items that are not accepted.
• All items for the BBS are to be assessed by Council staff. It is up to the discretion of staff on site as to what items are accepted at the BBS.
• In all instances, customers dropping off items for the BBS are to report to the pay station. Customers will be directed to the drop off point for the BBS.
• Drop off points differ at each of Council’s Transfer Stations. Please ask the attendant at the pay station for directions.
• All items are sold in an ‘as is’ condition – choose items carefully as they cannot be returned or exchanged.
• Items must be paid for in full prior to removal from site.
• Electrical items have not been tested and cannot be tested on site before purchase.
• Buy Back Shop Gift Vouchers are donated by Cairns Regional Council for promotional purposes and are not available for purchase. Read more on the Buy Back Shop Gift Voucher Terms and Conditions.