Know which bin it belongs in

Know Before You Throw

Know how to
sort and recycle right.

Managing waste and recycling at home can be confusing. Knowing which bin it belongs in, and what to do with items that do not belong in either, helps keep valuable materials out of landfill and protects our recycling system.

Small choices at home can make a big difference for Cairns.

What goes in each bin Better options beyond the bin

Resident sorting waste and recycling at home

What goes in each bin

Use your yellow lid bin for accepted recycling and your red lid bin for general waste that cannot be recycled.

Know what belongs in yellow

Steel and aluminium cans
Glass bottles and jars
Clean paper and cardboard
Hard plastic bottles and containers

Know what belongs in red

Food scraps
Soft plastics and foam
Broken household items
Disposable items
Keep recycling out of waste

Know the simple checks

These quick checks help reduce contamination and give recycling the best chance of being recovered.

Know your plastics

Soft plastics? Hard no.
No plastic bags in recycling
Hard plastics only in yellow

Resident checking a small recycling item before placing it in the bin

Know small is out

Nothing smaller than a credit card
Lids jam the system
Tiny items cause big problems

Resident checking whether a pizza box is clean enough to recycle

Know clean matters

Empty. Rinse. Recycle.
Too greasy goes in red
Food ruins recycling
Clean recycling keeps the system working

Know not to bag it

Keep it loose
Loose recycling sorts better
Plastic bags belong in red

Resident holding a household battery away from the bin

Know the danger

Batteries cause fires
Never bin a battery
Free battery drop-off locations available

Resident checking hazardous household items before disposal

Know the hazard

No Batteries
No Gas bottles
No Paint and chemicals
No Wires, hoses and building waste

Keep hazardous items out of both yellow and red lid bins. They can be dropped off at your closest Transfer Station.

Better options beyond the bin

Some items should be reused, repaired, donated, composted or dropped off instead of going straight in the bin.

Compost it

Compost food scraps and garden waste where possible.

Repair it

Repair household items and toys to extend their life.

Reuse it

Choose reusable items and reduce disposable waste.

Donate it

Donate items that are still in good condition.

Reduce it

Buy only what you need and avoid unnecessary packaging.

Drop it, don’t bin it

Take batteries and hazardous items to approved drop-off locations.

Need help sorting your waste?

Check an item before you throw it to find out what goes where.

Check an item What goes in each bin Where does your waste go

Last Updated: 8 July 2026

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Know which bin it belongs in

Know how to
sort and recycle right.