A list of the most recyclable materials in Australia
By Lottie Dalziel, Founder of Banish · Last updated: May 2026
This is the Banish hard-to-recycle directory. If you've got something at home and the yellow bin won't take it, this is where you find out where it actually goes. We've covered the 30 items we get asked about most often — everything from blister packs and bread tags to mattresses and Nespresso pods — with the bin or program that actually accepts each one and a quick note on why.
For a lot of these, the answer is our BRAD program (Banish Recycling and Diversion). BRAD is a mail-in box that takes a curated list of hard-to-recycle household items in one go. We've flagged BRAD items in the table below.
The hard-to-recycle items A-Z directory (2026)
Listed alphabetically. Each row tells you where it goes, why, and where to read more.
| Item | Where it goes | Why | Read more |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aluminium foil | Yellow bin (scrunched into ball, tennis-ball size minimum) | Clean foil is fine, but pieces smaller than a credit card fall through the MRF sorting screens. Scrunch into a fist-sized ball first. | What bin does X go in |
| Batteries | B-cycle drop-off (Bunnings, ALDI, Officeworks, Battery World) | Lithium-ion in the kerbside bin causes truck and MRF fires. B-cycle accepts all household batteries free. BRAD does not accept batteries of any kind. | How to recycle batteries in Australia |
| Blister packs | BRAD or Chemist Warehouse Pharmacycle bin | Mixed PVC plastic and aluminium can't be separated by kerbside MRFs. Specialist program required. | How to recycle blister packs |
| Bread bags | Curby (NSW select councils) or Soft Plastics Taskforce trial stores | LDPE soft plastic doesn't go through kerbside since RedCycle collapsed. Limited but real channels now exist. | The plastics breakdown |
| Bread tags | Bread Tags for Wheelchairs collection points | Small HDPE polystyrene; not kerbside-recyclable due to size. The Bread Tags for Wheelchairs charity collects and sells them to fund wheelchairs in southern Africa. | How to recycle bread tags |
| Chip packets | Curby, Soft Plastics Taskforce trial stores, or Recycle Smart | Multi-layer LDPE and metalised film can't be split by MRFs, so they need a dedicated soft-plastics channel rather than the kerbside bin. | The plastics breakdown |
| Cigarette butts | No.Butts collection points or general waste | The filter is cellulose acetate plastic. No.Butts is a small but growing collection network. Otherwise red bin (never on the ground). | Council waste page |
| Clothes | Charity if wearable; AFTR or Upparel if worn out | Almost no kerbside recycling for textiles. AFTR and Upparel handle textile recycling at scale in Australia. | Textile recycling in Australia |
| Coffee pods | Nespresso scheme (for Nespresso) or BRAD (for other brands) | Aluminium pods are recyclable, but only via the Nespresso take-back scheme. Other pods are mixed-material and need BRAD. | How to recycle coffee pods |
| Contact lens cases | Specsavers in-store recycling or general waste | Some Specsavers stores collect blister-pack-style lens packaging via a partnership with TerraCycle. Otherwise red bin. | Specsavers website |
| Cosmetics packaging | BRAD or Mecca / Sephora / Priceline in-store recycling | Small mixed-plastic and metal containers slip through kerbside MRFs. Mecca's Beauty Loop takes most brands; BRAD takes the rest. | How to recycle cosmetics packaging |
| E-waste | Officeworks Bring It Back, council e-waste drop-off, or retailer take-back | Electronics contain hazardous components and valuable metals. BRAD does not take e-waste. Officeworks and most councils run free e-waste drop-off. | How to recycle e-waste |
| Fairy lights | Officeworks Bring It Back | Fairy lights are e-waste (contain low-voltage transformers, wiring and often LEDs). BRAD does not accept fairy lights. Officeworks takes them free in-store. | Officeworks Bring It Back program |
| Fluorescent tubes | FluoroCycle drop-off (council or Bunnings) | Contain small amounts of mercury vapour. Never goes in any household bin. FluoroCycle has a national network of drop-offs. | FluoroCycle.org.au |
| Ink cartridges | Cartridges 4 Planet Ark (Officeworks, Australia Post, Harvey Norman) | Multi-material item that's separable at the plant. The Cartridges 4 Planet Ark scheme is free and well-distributed. | Officeworks Cartridges 4 Planet Ark |
| Mattresses | Soft Landing (free or low-cost mattress recycling) | Mattresses contain spring steel, foam and fabric — all recyclable when separated. Many councils contract Soft Landing for kerbside collection. | Soft Landing website |
| MobileMuster (phones) | MobileMuster collection points (Officeworks, Telstra, Optus, Australia Post) | Phones contain rare-earth metals, lithium-ion batteries and gold. The MobileMuster scheme is free and dismantles them properly. | MobileMuster.com.au |
| Nespresso pods | Nespresso recycling bag or in-boutique drop-off (or BRAD) | Aluminium pods are 100% recyclable. Nespresso runs a free take-back via Australia Post, partner stores and boutiques. BRAD also accepts them. | How to recycle coffee pods |
| Nylon stockings | Specialist textile take-back (limited) | Nylon-spandex blend isn't kerbside-recyclable and most charity shops won't take used stockings. Upparel offers paid textile pickup. | Upparel.com.au |
| Paint | Paintback drop-off (council waste facilities) | Paint is hazardous waste — never down the sink, never in a bin. Paintback runs free drop-off across Australia. | Paintback.com.au |
| Pens | BRAD or Officeworks pen recycling | Mixed plastic with metal nibs. Officeworks runs a pen drop-off scheme; BRAD also accepts them. | How to recycle pens |
| Pizza boxes | FOGO green bin (or yellow bin if clean) | Greasy pizza boxes contaminate paper recycling, but they compost beautifully. Use the green FOGO bin if you have one. | FOGO bin Australia |
| Polystyrene | Council resource recovery centre or general waste | Foam polystyrene is rarely accepted kerbside. Some councils run free drop-offs for clean white EPS. Otherwise red bin. | Council waste website |
| Printer cartridges | Cartridges 4 Planet Ark (Officeworks, Australia Post) | Same scheme as ink cartridges. Free, well-distributed, drops printer toner and ink cartridges off in one bin. | Officeworks Cartridges 4 Planet Ark |
| Razors (disposable) | BRAD | Mixed plastic and steel blade that kerbside can't handle. BRAD has a razor pathway. | How to recycle razors |
| RATs (rapid antigen tests) | General waste (red bin) | Mixed plastic, glass-fibre membrane and biological waste. No current recycling program accepts them. Always red bin. | Council guidance |
| Soft plastics | Curby, Soft Plastics Taskforce, or Recycle Smart | RedCycle is gone. Patchy alternatives exist by region. See the soft plastics directory for what's near you. | The plastics breakdown |
| Takeaway coffee cups | General waste (most) or Simply Cups drop-off (limited) | Most cups are plastic-lined paper. Simply Cups runs collection at a small number of locations. Better fix: bring your own keep-cup. | Simply Cups website |
| Toothbrushes | BRAD | Mixed plastic and nylon bristles that kerbside MRFs can't sort. BRAD has a toothbrush pathway. | How to recycle toothbrushes |
| Toothpaste tubes | BRAD | Multi-layer plastic and aluminium that can't be separated by kerbside MRFs. BRAD takes them. | How to recycle cosmetics & dental |
| Vapes | B-cycle or pharmacy take-back | Vapes contain lithium-ion batteries which cause fires in MRFs. BRAD does not take vapes. B-cycle and a growing number of pharmacies do, free. | How to recycle vapes |
| Wrapping paper | Yellow bin (if uncoated paper) or red bin (if glittered/foiled) | Plain paper wrap goes in the yellow bin. Glittered, plasticised or foil-laminated paper isn't recyclable — red bin. | Council waste guidance |
Quick rules of thumb
- Anything with a lithium-ion battery needs B-cycle, never any household bin. That includes vapes, power tools, e-bike batteries.
- Anything with a screen, plug or wire is e-waste. Officeworks Bring It Back is the easy one. Council e-waste days work too.
- If it's smaller than a credit card, kerbside MRFs can't sort it. Use BRAD or a dedicated program.
- If it's multi-material (plastic + foil, plastic + battery, plastic + metal), it's almost always BRAD or specialist.
- Charity first, recycling second. Mattresses, clothes, electronics in working order — try giving them away before recycling.
About BRAD
BRAD is Banish's Recycling and Diversion program — a mail-in box that takes a specific curated list of hard-to-recycle household items in one go. Available as a Mini Box, Mega Box or Family Box. What BRAD takes: blister packs, toothbrushes, toothpaste tubes, cosmetics packaging, pens, coffee pods, and razors. What BRAD does not take: chip packets, soft plastics, batteries of any kind, e-waste, phones, chargers, cables, fairy lights, lithium-ion batteries, vapes. Those have dedicated channels listed above.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most recycled material in Australia?
Aluminium leads on recycling rates in Australia, with around 75% of all aluminium ever made still in use. It's also infinitely recyclable using only 5-10% of the energy needed to produce virgin aluminium from bauxite. Glass and paper follow closely. Plastic recycling rates remain stubbornly low (around 13% nationally).
What items can BRAD recycle?
BRAD accepts blister packs, toothbrushes, toothpaste tubes, cosmetics packaging, pens, coffee pods, and razors. BRAD does NOT take chip packets, soft plastics, batteries of any kind, e-waste, phones, chargers, cables, fairy lights, lithium-ion batteries, or vapes — those have dedicated free programs.
How do I dispose of a mattress in Australia?
Soft Landing is the national mattress recycling program. Most metropolitan councils offer free or low-cost mattress collection (check yours), and Soft Landing dismantles them to recover steel, foam and fabric. Avoid kerbside hard waste pickup if you can — most kerbside-collected mattresses end up in landfill.
Can I put e-waste in the yellow recycling bin?
No. E-waste in the kerbside bin causes fires and contaminates other recyclables. Use Officeworks Bring It Back (free, in every store), MobileMuster for phones, B-cycle for batteries, or council e-waste drop-off days. All free.
Where can I recycle clothes in Australia?
Wearable clothes go to charity (Vinnies, Salvos, etc.). Worn-out textiles need a textile-specific recycler: AFTR, Upparel, or BlockTexx via Sheridan all run programs. Never put textiles in the yellow bin — they jam the MRF machinery.
Is there a free hard-to-recycle program in Australia?
Several. B-cycle (batteries), MobileMuster (phones), Officeworks Bring It Back (small electricals, pens, ink cartridges), Cartridges 4 Planet Ark (printer cartridges), Paintback (paint), FluoroCycle (fluorescent tubes) and council e-waste days are all free. BRAD is paid (cost of the postage and processing), but takes a wider range of household items in one go.
Can compostable plastics go in the yellow bin?
No. Compostable plastics (PLA, PHA, code 7) are designed for industrial composting, not mechanical recycling. They contaminate plastic recycling streams. In the absence of an AS 4736 council FOGO program that accepts compostable packaging (rare), the red bin is unfortunately the answer.
What happens to recycling once it's collected?
It goes to a Material Recovery Facility (MRF) where conveyor belts, magnets, eddy currents, optical sorters and manual pickers separate it into commodities (PET, HDPE, glass colours, aluminium, steel, paper, cardboard). Each commodity is baled and sold to processors who turn it into new products. See our deeper explainer at how recycling is sorted.