Are Christmas Decorations Recyclable? What to Do With Old Baubles, Lights and Tinsel in Australia
By Banish · Published
Most Christmas decorations are not recyclable in your kerbside yellow bin. Baubles, tinsel and fairy lights are made from mixed materials or have cords, and kerbside recycling is built around paper, cardboard, rigid plastic packaging, glass bottles and jars, and metal. Reusing, repairing or passing them on is nearly always better, and rules differ by council.
Updated October 2026. Written by the Banish team.
Why can't most Christmas decorations go in the yellow bin?
Kerbside recycling is designed for packaging: paper, cardboard, rigid plastic bottles and containers, glass bottles and jars, and metal cans. Christmas decorations are not packaging. Many are a mix of materials, such as plastic with glitter, glass with a coating, or foam and fabric glued together. Mixed items are hard to separate, and they can contaminate a load.
Rules differ from council to council, so check yours. As a general rule, if a decoration is not clearly one of the usual material types, leave it out of the yellow bin. Our yellow bin guide explains why guessing hurts more than it helps.
What should I do with old baubles?
Keep them going. Baubles can last for years if you store them well, so the best answer is usually to keep using them, pass them to a friend or a community group, or use them in craft projects.
If a bauble is broken, wrap it so nobody gets hurt and put it in the general waste bin. Broken glass should not go in the yellow bin.
What about tinsel?
Tinsel is thin, light and tangly, and it is usually plastic or metallic film. It is not accepted by BRAD, and it can tangle sorting machinery, so keep it out of the yellow bin. Reuse it until it gives up. Once it is past saving, it goes in the general waste bin.
What do I do with old fairy lights?
Fairy lights are electrical items with cords, and cords and cables tangle machinery. They should not go in the yellow bin. BRAD does not accept electronics or fairy lights either. Try testing the bulbs and repairing a string before giving up on it, and ask your council about its e-waste options.
What can I recycle around Christmas?
Plenty of things pile up at Christmas that kerbside bins cannot take. This table shows where the common ones go.
| Item | Kerbside yellow bin | BRAD |
|---|---|---|
| Plastic or glass baubles | Usually no | No |
| Tinsel | No | No |
| Fairy lights | No | No |
| Batteries | No | No |
| Perfume bottles | Check your council | No |
| Plain wrapping paper | Usually yes, if clean | No |
| Glittery or foil wrapping paper | Usually no | No |
| Blister packs | No | Yes |
| Small, empty skincare and beauty packaging | Usually no | Yes |
| Single-use plastic plates, cups and cutlery | No | Yes |
| Pens, highlighters and markers | No | Yes |
| Plastic bottle top lids | Too small for most sorting | Yes |
| Metal and aluminium coffee pods | No | Yes |
| Sunglasses and reading glasses | No | Yes |
BRAD is the Banish Recycling and Diversion Program, and you can read the full list on the BRAD recycling program page. It does not accept electronics, batteries or perfume bottles.
What about the leftover packaging from gifts?
This is where BRAD helps most. Beauty gift sets leave a pile of small empty tubes and bottles. Medicine cabinets leave blister packs, and you can read our guide on how to recycle blister packs. Christmas lunch leaves single-use plates, cups and cutlery. All three can go in a BRAD box.
What about artificial trees, real trees and cards?
An artificial tree is big and made of mixed materials. The best thing you can do is keep it for as many Christmases as possible or pass it on to someone who will use it. A real tree is different. Many councils collect or mulch trees after Christmas, but the service varies, so check yours. Plain paper cards are usually fine for paper recycling, while cards with glitter or foil are not.
What should I ask before I bin anything?
Before you bin anything, ask whether you can keep using it, whether someone else could use it, and whether your council accepts it. If the answer to all three is no, the general waste bin is usually the honest answer, and that is fine. Wishful recycling, where you put something in the yellow bin and hope for the best, causes more harm than good.
How can I avoid the problem next year?
Buy decorations you plan to keep. A decoration that lasts ten years is a lot better than one that lasts one. Our Christmas decorations are handmade in Sydney from recycled bottle top lids, so they started as waste that was hard to recycle, and they are lightweight and made to last year after year. The Decoration Pack is a good place to start.
Store decorations in a dry box and wrap fragile ones in the paper you already have. Choose gifts that do not need much packaging, and see our sustainable gift guide for ideas.
Christmas leftovers BRAD can take
BRAD does not take baubles or tinsel, but it does take a lot of what piles up around Christmas, from blister packs to single-use plates and cutlery. Find the BRAD option that suits you.
Frequently asked questions
Can I put Christmas baubles in the recycling bin?
Usually not. Baubles are not packaging and are often made of mixed materials or coated glass. Rules differ by council, so check yours. Reuse or pass them on if you can.
Is tinsel recyclable in Australia?
Not through the yellow bin, and BRAD does not accept it. Reuse it as long as possible, then put it in the general waste bin.
Can I recycle fairy lights?
Not in the yellow bin, and not through BRAD. Fairy lights are electrical items, so ask your council about its e-waste options, or try repairing them first.
What Christmas items can BRAD take?
Blister packs, small empty beauty packaging, single-use plastic plates, cups and cutlery, pens, plastic bottle top lids, metal coffee pods, sunglasses and more. BRAD does not take baubles, tinsel, lights, batteries or perfume bottles.