Council clean up collections are an opportunity to dispose bulky goods and free up space at your home.
However any items collected by Council at your Bulky Goods Collection will be compacted, crushed and sent to landfill - so the collection should be a last resort.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle first
- Reduce: buy only what you need and what will last. Buy quality second hand items for a more reasonable price than new.
- Reuse: consider giving away or selling the item. Hold a Garage Sale and we will advertise your sale on the Council website, try selling or donating online or contact a local charity group. Use our handy Northern Beaches Reuse and Recycling Map to find your nearest clothing bin, retail op shop, or other outlet that accepts used goods for free - including toys, bikes, sporting equipment, eye glasses, furniture and more for reuse and recycling!
- Recycle: your item may be recyclable. Check out our A to Z Guide to Recycling, Reuse and Disposal
Two free bulky goods collections
Bulky items that cannot be reused or recycled can be disposed of through Council's Bulky Goods Collection.
Remember Bulky Goods Collections are for bulky goods only. Small items are easily scattered and should be placed in your red lidded garbage bin.
Note: Western Foreshore and Scotland Island households have two scheduled Bulky Goods Collections per year. Please check your waste calendar for scheduled dates.
Book your collection
A booking must be made before materials are left out for collection.
- Residents can pre-book two collections within 12 months (subject to availability). The 12 month period commences from the date of your first booking.
If a second booking isn’t made within the twelve month period, the anniversary date resets upon the next booking that is made. - This service is only available to mainland households that incur the domestic waste management charge.
- Please note, this service is not available during the last week of December and longer wait times may be experienced over the summer holidays due to peak demand.
Multi-unit dwellings
Multi-unit dwellings have the choice of either:
- Booking two Bulky Goods Collection each year for the whole block within a 12 month period (subject to availability). The 12 month period commences from the date of the first booking, or
- Allowing unit occupiers to pre-book two individual Bulky Goods Collections. The 12 month period commences from the date of your first booking. If a second booking isn’t made within the twelve month period, the anniversary date resets upon the next booking that is made.
The Strata Manager or Body Corporate needs to make a written request to Council which of the two options above has been selected.
Illegal dumping
Adding to other people's Bulky Good Collection piles or placing your materials out on the kerb-side without a Bulky Good Collection booking is considered illegal dumping and fines may apply. What is illegal Dumping and how to report it?
What we can and can't collect
Not all items are accepted under the collection service. A list of unacceptable items is outlined in the Conditions of Service which you must agree to before a booking can be accepted. A guide of what we can and can’t collect can also be found below.
Acceptable items
- Maximum 3 cubic metres, similar to a small box trailer
- Furniture
- Mattresses and bed bases
- Non-recyclable household items
- Up to 12 fence palings
- Rolled and tied up carpets up to 1.8m long (max 3 rolls)
- Empty hot water systems
- Whitegoods – with doors removed
- Up to three sheets of metal roofing - maximum size 1m x 1.5m
- Metal
- Empty beanbags. Put the polystyrene beads in a strong plastic bag, expel the air, seal and place in the red lidded bin
- Small items (must be larger than a toaster) should be placed out in unwanted bins/crates/boxes or neatly stacked for collection. Crates/tubs placed out cannot be returned.
Unacceptable Items
- Items over 1.8m long
- Heavy items that can’t be safely moved by two people
- Liquid or business waste
- E-waste, specifically TVs, computers
- Car parts, tyres, oils
- Sheet glass, mirrors, windows, glass tables
- Building material, including insulation, brick, rubble, asbestos, timber pallets
- Fixtures and fittings including kitchen/laundry cabinets, bathroom vanities, baths, toilets
- Hazardous waste, including smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, gas bottles, chemicals, paint, car batteries
- Vegetation, recyclable material, household garbage
- Polystyrene beads, put these in a strong plastic bag, expel the air and seal. Place the bag in the red lidded bin
- Small items like knives, forks and spoons. (Nothing smaller than a toaster)
