Large volumes of green waste that won’t fit in your yellow lid bin can be dropped off on select Mondays at the Heathfield Resource Recovery Centre. Residents of the City of Adelaide and Adelaide Hills council areas can drop off for a fee. Other items can be donated or recycled at the facility.
General waste
Residents who live in Adelaide City and north Adelaide can dispose of general waste using their yellow lid bins collected fortnightly. Items that cannot be recycled or reused should be placed in these bins. Refer to the Which Bin guide to determine what goes in each container. For more information about the rubbish dump Adelaide open today, click here.
You can drop them off at the Heathfield Resource Recovery Centre if you have large volumes of garden clippings. They will be put into a Poly Baler machine that heats and melts the expanded polystyrene to form it into a brick, which is then repurposed into new products.
Drums from agricultural containers are also accepted at the HRRC for a fee. Alternatively, the Adelaide Hills Council offers a free DrumMuster program. Residents can also drop off corflute signs at the HRRC and follow the signs on site.
Electronics
Since 2013, e-waste (any electrical item with a cord or battery) has been banned from landfill. It includes TVs, computer equipment, hair dryers, kettles, household batteries, and fluorescent light globes. You can drop e-waste for free at Bunnings or Unplug N Drop locations around Adelaide; visit the Unplug N Drop website to see your nearest location. If you don’t have access to these drop-off points, you can recycle e-waste at the Burnside Civic Centre during business hours or search for other recycling locations in SA on the Green Industries SA website. These items are recycled locally to create local jobs and reduce environmental waste.
Hazardous waste
The Adelaide Hills Recycling Centre at Loxton, Waikerie, and Moorook is a family-owned recycling centre where residents, community groups, schools, and businesses recycle their unwanted rubbish six days a week. The site is a 10c refund depot for plastic bottles, glass bottles, and aluminium cans that qualify for the South Australian deposit and return scheme.
Residents can also drop off tires, batteries, car bodies and parts, floor coverings (rolled up and securely tied), and hard waste from a home’s construction, demolition, or renovation. Unless EPA is approved for reuse as irrigation or fertilizer, liquid waste goes to the sewer (with SA Water approval) or a liquid waste treatment facility. For more information about the rubbish dump Adelaide open today, click here.
For more information about what can go in your yellow-lidded Bin, visit Which Bin.
Polystyrene
Polystyrene is a type of plastic known best for its use in Styrofoam. It also makes hard-shelled takeaway food containers and some drinks, glasses, and cups. Polystyrene has a low density and takes up a lot of space in landfills. It is recyclable, but it usually ends up in landfills because it isn’t cost-effective for businesses to switch to alternatives. Many anti-polystyrene ban opponents cite the cost of switching to alternative products, but these costs are often exaggerated and misleading. Getting your local council on board with a polystyrene ban is worth the effort.
Recycling
Residents are encouraged to recycle unwanted items six days a week at the Adelaide Hills Recycling Centre, your local family-owned and operated recycling centre. All recyclable items can be dropped off at the depot, including plastic bottles, glass and aluminium cans, cardboard cartons, and steel and iron scrap. The site is also a drop-off point for the SA 10c container deposit refund scheme, where eligible bottles and cans are surrendered for cash.
Good quality household, building, and garden items can be donated to the not-for-profit Mobo Group’s Salvage and Save recycled goods shop. This social enterprise diverts goods from landfill and provides jobs for people with disabilities. Visit the website here.
Hazardous Waste
The disposal of hazardous waste is regulated by state legislation. Storing, treating, transporting, or disposing of liquid wastes requires EPA approval. Liquid wastes unsuitable for reuse should go to a sewer (with SA Water approval), a sewage treatment plant, or a hazardous waste management facility.