Brisbane residents have punted more than 5000 tonnes of unwanted household items to the kerb since the Schrinner Council’s return of kerbside collection.

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner thanked the thousands of Brisbane residents who had participated in kerbside collection so far this financial year, saying the vast majority of items placed put out for collection had been appropriate.

“Kerbside collection is a great opportunity for households to discard items that are too big for their wheelie bins,” Cr Schrinner said.

“In some other local government areas this service is not available at all.

“So far, our kerbside collectors have picked up plenty of old fridges, mattresses, furniture, and electronic goods such as TVs and monitors which are all acceptable.

“However, if kerbside collection is coming to your suburb soon, it’s good to remember that some items, like building waste and car parts, won’t be taken and that items should be placed out no earlier than the weekend before the designated collection week and no later than 6am on the day of collection.

“Items should also be placed off the road and out of the way of pedestrians and postal workers, so that they don’t become a safety hazard.”

The Schrinner Council returned kerbside collection to Brisbane’s suburbs a year earlier than planned after it was postponed to help deal with the severe financial impact on residents and businesses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Residents and business were pleading for support at the height of last year’s pandemic as Brisbane was struck by severe lockdowns that forced businesses to close and cost people their jobs,” Cr Schrinner said.

“So we used the money saved by pausing kerbside collection to provide direct assistance to thousands of businesses, community organisations and residents through the most comprehensive relief package delivered by a local government in Australia.

“We gave out grants, froze rates and waived fees to help people through the pandemic and leave them in a better place to start mounting a recovery.

“And because of years of responsible financial management, we were able to announce in this year’s budget that kerbside collection would be returning 12 months earlier than planned.”

Cr Schrinner said that since July, kerbside collection had occurred in more than 66 suburbs.

Residents in the northern suburbs of Boondall, Nudgee, Virginia and Zillmere were due for collection next from October 18.

An estimated 13,000 tonnes of unwanted good are expected to be collected this financial year at a cost of more than $7.4 million.

Acceptable items for kerbside collection include:
• bath and laundry tubs
• bicycles and sporting equipment
• carpet and rugs
• electronic waste (e.g. televisions and computers)
• furniture and white goods (e.g. fridges and stoves)
• small household appliances (e.g. fans and toasters)
• wood products less than 1.5 metres

Council will not collect unacceptable items placed on the kerb. These include:
• bricks and concrete
• commercial builders waste
• car parts and tyres, including car batteries
• dirt and stones
• garden waste (e.g. trees, grass, potted plants)
• gas bottles
• general household waste (e.g. food scraps)
• glass and mirrors
• hazardous wastes (e.g. chemicals, oil, asbestos)
• household waste that normally goes into your waste or recycling bin
• liquids
For more information on kerbside large item collection visit brisbane.qld.gov.au or download the free Brisbane Bin and Recycling app.