WHEN it comes to household waste disposal – rubbish, recycling, green – there are certain items that need to be disposed of in certain ways. Here’s a guide to household waste disposal in the Mackay region for 2021.
*This is a guide only using information from Mackay Regional Council. Please contact them for further information or clarification*
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List of waste disposal options
| Aerosol cans (empty) | Yellow-lidded recycling bin |
| Asbestos | Paget Waste Management Centre (Fees apply) |
| Batteries (car) | Incredable Tip Shop – Drop off |
| Batteries (phone) | Return to battery outlet stores |
| Batteries (dry cell) | Return to battery outlet stores such as Officeworks |
| Bicycle | Incredable Tip Shop – Drop off |
| Books, CDs, DVDs | Incredable Tip Shop – Drop off |
| Building waste (reusable) | Incredable Tip Shop – Drop off |
| Building waste (not reusable) | Paget Waste Management Centre |
| Cardboard | All waste transfer stations take excess recyclable cardboard |
| Crockery, cutlery, ovenware, Pyrex | Incredable Tip Shop – Drop off |
| Clothing, linen | Incredable Tip Shop – Drop off or Charity clothing bins |
| Demolition Waste | Paget Waste Management Centre or commercial concrete recyclers |
| Electrical appliances | Incredable Tip Shop – Drop off |
| Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRBs or beacons) | Contact Maritime Safety Queensland for disposal options (General enquiries (business hours): 07 4944 3700) |
| Engines (without oil) | Incredable Tip Shop – Drop off |
| e-waste (Computers, TVs etc.) | Incredable Tip Shop drop off |
| Fire extinguishers | Incredable take fire extinguishers from households or check with your local fire station for other possible disposal options |
| Flares (expired) | Mackay Queensland Fire and Rescue Service |
| Fluorescent tubes | Incredable Tip Shop – Drop off |
| Foam polystyrene | General red/green-lidded waste bin |
| Food scraps | Home compost/worm farm or general red/green-lidded waste bin |
| Fuel | Return to place of purchase |
| Furniture (good condition) | Incredable Tip Shop – Drop off |
| Garden clippings | Home compost/worm farm or general red/green-lidded waste bin (preferably bagged) |
| Garden tools, equipment, pots | Incredable Tip Shop – Drop off |
| Gas cylinders/ bottles | Return to place of purchase |
| Hazardous Chemicals | Refer to recycling services in local directories for licensed operators |
| Light bulbs | Refer to recycling services in local directories or general red/green-lidded waste bin |
| LPG tanks – Cars | Return to place of purchase |
| Mattresses (good condition) | Incredable Tip Shop – Drop off |
| Mobile phones | Return to mobile phone outlet or Incredable Tip Shop – Drop off |
| Motorcycles and parts | Incredable Tip Shop – Drop off |
| Mowers | Incredable Tip Shop – Drop off |
| Nappies | General red/green-lidded waste bin |
| Oil (car) (less than 20 litres) | Paget Waste Management Centre |
| Oil (car) (over 20 litres) | Refer to recycling services in the local directories |
| Oil (cooking) | Refer to recycling services in the local directories |
| Paint – as per the PaintBack scheme | Incredable Tip Shop – Drop off |
| Paint tins (empty or dry) | Incredable Tip Shop – Drop off |
| Plastic bags | Shopping centre collection bins or general red/green-lidded waste bin |
| Printer Cartridges | Return to office supply stores that participate in recycling |
| Recreational equipment | Incredable Tip Shop – Drop off |
| Reusable goods | Incredable Tip Shop – Drop off |
| Scrap metal | Incredable Tip Shop – Drop off |
| Scuba diving tanks and equipment | Return to the place of purchase |
| Syringes | Disposal receptacles available at designated pharmacies (AFS Nebo Road, Day & Night Sydney Street) |
| Telephone book | Yellow–lidded recycling bin |
| Timber – good condition | Incredable Ltd/or Visit Planet Ark’s Recycling Near You for other recyclers |
| Tyres with or without rims | Incredable Tip Shop – Drop off – Not commercial quantities (fees apply) |
| White goods | Incredable Tip Shop – Drop off |
| Window glass (broken) | Red/general green-lidded waste bin |
| Window glass (unbroken) | Incredable Tip Shop – Drop off |
*Source: Mackay Regional Council
For more information on waste disposal options contact Incredable Ltd or visit Council’s website here.
Waste facilities opening and closing times
Mackay region has a number of fully supervised waste facilities:
- Paget transfer station accepts domestic and commercial waste.
- Rural Transfer Stations accept only domestic waste.
- All commercial loads must be taken to Paget Transfer Station at the Paget Waste Management Centre.
Opening times of facilities are:
| Facility | Address | Open days | Open hours |
| Paget Waste Transfer Station | Crichtons Rd, Paget | 7 days | 6.15am-5.45pm |
| Incredable Ltd (Resource Recovery Facility) | Crichtons Rd, Paget | 7 days (drop-off)
(Except Christmas Day and Good Friday) |
7.00am-5.00pm |
| Incredable Ltd (RFF) Shop | Crichtons Rd, Paget | Thursday – Sunday | 9.00am-4.00pm |
| Bloomsbury Rural Transfer Station | Bloomsbury Back Rd, Bloomsbury | Thursday – Sunday | 7am-11.30am |
| Eungella Rural Transfer Station | Bee Creek Rd, Eungella | Saturday – Monday | 10am-2pm |
| Gargett Rural Transfer Station | Dump Rd, Gargett | Saturday – Tuesday | 10am-5pm |
| Hay Point Rural Transfer Station | Ceder St, Hay Point | Thursday – Sunday | 10am-3pm |
| Kolijo Rural Transfer Station | Pelion Rd, Kolijo | Thursday – Sunday | 12.30pm-5pm |
| Koumala Rural Transfer Station | Bolingbroke Rd, Koumala | Saturday and Sunday | 11am-3pm |
| Otterburn Rural Transfer Station | Brand Rd, Mirani | Thursday – Sunday | 9am-3pm |
| Sarina Rural Transfer Station | Brooks Rd, Sarina | Saturday – Wednesday | 10am-5pm |
| Seaforth Rural Transfer Station | Yakapari-Seaforth Rd, Seaforth | Thursday – Sunday | 7am-5pm |
*Source: Mackay Regional Council
Green waste only accepted at these facilities:
| Facility | Address | Open days | Open hours |
| Bucasia Green Waste Facility | Mackay-Bucasia Rd, Bucasia | Saturday & Sunday | 7am-5pm |
| Walkerston Green Waste Facility | Bold St, Walkerston | Saturday & Sunday | 7am-5pm |
*Source: Mackay Regional Council
For more information on waste facilities opening and closing time visit Council’s website here.
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Waste facilities fees and charges
The current fees and charges (including GST) for household/domestic waste disposal at transfer stations in the Mackay region from January 1, 2021 to June 30, 2021 can be found on Council’s website, here.
Dump vouchers
Residential ratepayers have the opportunity to dispose of their household or green waste at any council transfer station using the dump voucher system.
How it works
The voucher system entitles owners of residential properties within the Mackay Regional Council area to three vouchers per rates notice.
If you are a landlord, please pass on the vouchers to your tenant/s.
What the vouchers can be used for
The vouchers are valid for the disposal of self-hauled green waste or non-recyclables (under 1 tonne per visit) at any of Mackay Regional Council’s waste disposal facilities. Commercial customers cannot use the vouchers and relevant charges will continue to apply.
Green waste
One voucher is equal to a sedan, station wagon, utility vehicle (with or without a canopy), flat-top, van or trailer.
Domestic waste
* One voucher is equal to a sedan, station wagon
* Two vouchers for a utility vehicle (with or without a canopy), flat-top, van or trailer
What they can’t be used for
Vouchers cannot be used for the disposal of tyres, car bodies, asbestos, regulated waste or commercial waste. These items will continue to incur a cost for disposal as per the fees and charges. Recyclables need to be removed at the transfer station for your vouchers to be valid. This helps to reduce the material sent to landfill.
How to use the vouchers
Present your voucher at the gatehouse where an officer will assess your load and advise of the number of vouchers required. Vouchers can be used as part payment, with the remainder of the costs to be paid at the gatehouse.
Vouchers are valid for the relevant rating period (6 months). Please check your voucher for the expiry date.
Vouchers relate to the property of issue only and are not transferrable. Lost vouchers cannot be replaced and vouchers cannot be redeemed or used as a form of payment for other council services.
For more information on dump vouchers visit Council’s website here.
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Household waste collection
Mackay Regional Council’s kerbside waste collection consists of one 240 litre red/green lidded bin for general waste that is serviced weekly and one 240 litre yellow- lidded bin for recycling that is serviced fortnightly on the same day as your general waste bin.
To make sure your bin is collected:
- check it is your correct day of service
- position the bin by 6.00am on the day of collection
- place the bin on the footpath next to kerb, handle towards the house
- ensure access to the bin
- ensure the refuse and recycling are in the correct bin
- do not block vehicle access or pedestrian pathways
- do not overfill bins, the lid must close fully
- bag loose rubbish, for example dust, kitchen scraps and grass clippings. Note: recycling should not be bagged
- keep garden pruning’s small
- do not overload the bin (maximum weight is 70 kilograms)
- no pressure pumps, generators or pressurised energy systems
- no gas bottles
General waste bins
General waste bins are serviced weekly in the Mackay region. Traditionally the household 240 litre general waste bins have had a green lid.
The red lid is the national standard for general waste bins. All new services in the Mackay region will now be issued with a red lidded general waste bin. Green lids are slowly being phased out over the coming years.
The red/green lidded general waste bin is intended for domestic waste that is generated daily
from households and cannot be placed in the recycling bin.
It is preferable to bag loose general waste such as grass clipping, dust and kitchen scraps as they tend to adhere to the bins and collection vehicles.
Don’t put these items in the red/green lidded general waste bin:
- no bricks, rocks, soil or concrete
- no large metal objects
- no building materials
- no liquids – paints, motor oil or solvents
- no toxic or corrosive substances
- no needles and syringes
Recycling bins
In the Mackay region the household 240 litre recycling bins have a yellow lid. The yellow-lidded recycling waste bins are serviced fortnightly.
The yellow-lidded recycling bin is intended for recyclables that are generated daily from households.
What can go in the recycling bin:
- newspapers
- magazines and brochures
- cardboard
- milk and juice cartons
- glass bottles and jars
- aluminium cans
- steel cans and aerosols
- plastic bottles and containers numbered one to six
Containers need to be rinsed and any lids, soft plastics, food items, ceramics, foam polystyrene and garden waste removed.
Items should not be bagged but placed loosely in the bin.
What can’t go in the recycle bin:
- garden waste
- nappies
- plastic bags
- food scraps
- ceramics and ovenware
- lightbulbs, mirrors and window glass
- clothing
- pots, pans and large steel items
- garden hoses
For more information on household waste and recycling visit Council’s website here.
