Getting rid of chemicals
Dispose of chemicals safely
Household chemicals are hazardous and should never be put in your recycling or rubbish bin at home. Chemicals should be disposed of responsibly through specialised recycling and safe disposal services. If chemical waste is not handled correctly, it can have a serious impact on the environment and our health.
Recycling and safe disposal services for chemical waste
Don’t put household chemicals on the kerb for council collection, or pour them on the ground, down the drain or toilet or into sewers. Chemicals that are not disposed of properly can make their way into the environment, putting wildlife, waterways and human health at risk.
Chemicals should be disposed of responsibly through specialised recycling and safe disposal services.
Below is a list of services and programs to help you deal with chemical waste in a safe and environmentally friendly way.
Detox Your Home: Dispose of household chemicals
You can safely dispose of toxic household chemicals like solvents, poisons, cleaning products, fertilisers and car care products at Detox Your Home events run by Sustainability Victoria (SV).
Detox Your Home sessions are held at venues across the state. Find upcoming events in your area on the SV website.
By dropping off household chemicals at a Detox Your Home event, you can help to prevent hazardous chemicals from ending up in landfill or waterways.
Items that can be dropped off include:
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weed killers
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cleaning products
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cosmetics
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cooking oil
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fire extinguishers.
See the full list on the SV website.
For further information including tips on safely transporting household chemicals, phone Sustainability Victoria on 1800 353 233 or visit their website.
Resource recovery centres: household paint, batteries and other products
Household paint, batteries (household and car) and fluorescent lights can be disposed of throughout the year at permanent drop-off sites.
It’s a good idea to call ahead or visit the facilities’ websites to check on their tipping requirements, opening hours and any other relevant information.
Note: Resource recovery centres may be closed on public holidays, or days of extreme weather conditions.
Hume City Council
Bolinda Road Resource Recovery Centre
71 Bolinda Rd, Campbellfield, VIC 3061
View map
Visit the website
Phone: (03) 9359 3813
Darebin City Council
Darebin Resource Recovery Centre
Kurnai Avenue (off Henty Street), Reservoir, VIC 3073
View map
Visit the website
Phone: (03) 8470 8888
Banyule City Council
Banyule Waste Recovery Centre
307-325 Waterdale Rd, Bellfield, VIC 3081
View map
Visit the website
Phone: (03) 9490 4222
DrumMUSTER: Recycling chemical drums from rural properties
You can recycle your empty plastic crop production and on-farm chemical drums for free at our Epping Depot, which is a drumMUSTER drop-off site.
- Epping Depot: 68-96 Houston Street, Epping (View map)
Containers are only eligible if they have the drumMUSTER logo on them.
To recycle your eligible chemical drums, you should:
For more information on the drumMUSTER program or about container cleaning, visit the drumMUSTER website.
ChemClear: Agricultural and veterinary chemical disposal
ChemClear provides a safe and easy collection and disposal service for all agricultural and veterinary chemical users across Australia.
For more information, visit the ChemClear website.
Recycling Near You: Other chemical disposal options
For information about other chemical disposal options, visit Planet Ark’s Recycling Near You website.