Bins, cardboard and FOGO over break - Wollongong

'Tis the season to give your bins a workout!

Be sure to do the right thing over the festive season and fill your FOGO bin with food waste, recycle what you can and only put landfill-destined items in the red-lidded bin. If you are unsure where something belongs, check the A-Z Recycling Guide or download the Wollongong Waste app.

Here's some essential waste collection information for the festive break.

Kerbside collections

Kerbside red-lid waste to landfill, yellow-lid recycling and green-lid food organics garden organics (FOGO) bin collections will continue as normal over the festive season, with the exception of Christmas Day.

With Christmas Day falling on a Monday, residents are asked to put their bins out, as normal, and they'll be collected in the following days. If your bin isn't collected on its usual day or at the usual time, keep it kerbside until they're emptied.

The Wollongong Waste and Resource Recovery Park (including the Community Recycling Centre) will also be closed on Christmas Day only. Otherwise, its hours of operation over the festive season will be 7.30am to 4.30pm on weekdays, and 8am to 4pm on weekends and public holidays.

Cardboard & recycling drop-offs

At this time of year, it's not unusual to find the yellow-lidded recycling bin filled to the brim with lots of extra cardboard thanks to the generosity of loved ones and gifts under the Christmas tree.

We're here to help with three cardboard recycling drop-off days hosted after Christmas to help community members get rid of their extra recyclable waste.

Visit one of the drop-offs at Berkeley (27 Dec), Helensburgh (28 Dec) or Corrimal (29 Dec) to responsibly get rid of extra recyclables. We accept household quantities of materials only.

What can you bring?

• Flattened cardboard.
• Steel and tin cans.
• Aluminium cans, trays and clean foil.
• Rigid plastic containers, including lids.
• Glass bottles and jars.
• Milk and juice cartons.

What will not be accepted?

• Wrapping paper (Large pieces of plain wrapping paper can be scrunched into a ball and recycled in your yellow-lid bin, along with paper envelopes and cardboard packaging. Metallic or glitter wrapping paper cannot be recycled and should go in your red-lid bin).
• Soft plastics including plastic bags.
• Polystyrene foam.
• Food-soiled cardboard.
• Unflattened cardboard boxes.
• General waste.
• Food organics and garden organics.
• Clothing and linen.