Brisbane residents can safely dispose of hazardous household items including paints, poisons, batteries, and gas bottles for free at the Willawong Resource Recovery Centre this Saturday.

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner encouraged residents to take advantage of the popular free event that has been running since 2008.

“Over the past five years more than 3000 residents have safely disposed 108 tonnes of hazardous waste as part of our free drop off days, which equivalent to about 67 Toyota Rav4s,” Cr Schrinner said.

“It’s so important that we dispose of chemicals and contaminants safely, which is why we are making it easy and free for residents to do so.

“The recent severe weather event has seen many of these common household products become spoiled and unusable, adding to the increased demand for this service”

Cr Schrinner said he was committed to keeping Brisbane clean and green and impressed by residents’ ongoing efforts to responsibly dispose of hazardous waste.

“It’s fantastic to see how many residents take protecting our environment seriously and choose to do the right thing and dispose of household hazardous waste for free on the designated drop-off weekends,” he said.

“We hold one hazardous waste drop off weekend at each of our four Resource Recovery Centre each year to ensure residents can use the free service regardless of which side of Brisbane they live on.

“It is clear residents are eager to do the right thing and keep these hazardous materials out of landfill.

“Disposing of hazardous materials in sewers, general waste or recycling bins is not safe, as they can be flammable, corrosive, explosive or toxic, putting communities in danger.

“This can put a strain on our emergency services and create a dangerous environment for waste service officers and the public.

“As we continue our mission towards a cleaner, greener Brisbane, we will continue to provide these services to support sustainable waste methods for our city.”

Residents will be able to drop off hazardous household at Willawong Resource Recovery Centre from 7.30am to 3.30pm this Saturday.

Items that can be dropped off at the centre include up to 100 litres of paint or engine oil per resident in containers no larger than 20 litres, and other waste types including batteries, empty gas bottles, electronic waste, and fluorescent light bulbs, without charge.

Council will hold a further three household hazardous waste collection events this year at:

  • Ferny Grove Resource Recovery Centre on Saturday 4 June from 7.30am to 3.30pm;
  • Chandler Resource Recovery Centre on Saturday 3 September from 7.30am to 3.30pm; and
  • Nudgee Resource Recovery Centre on Saturday 3 December from 7.30am to 3.30pm.

 

For a full list of chemicals that can be dropped off, visit https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/clean-and-green/rubbish-tips-and-bins/reducing-waste-at-home/types-of-household-waste/household-hazardous-waste

For more information, download the Brisbane Bin and Recycling app, visit www.brisbane.qld.gov.au or contact Council on 07 3403 8888.