Rubbish and Recycling

Bin Collection

The City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder provides weekly general waste collection and fortnightly recycling collection services to residential and commercial properties.

Both services use 240-litre mobile garbage bins (MGBs):

  • General waste: green bin with red lid
  • Recycling: green bin with yellow lid (bins provided before 2019 will be blue with a yellow lid)

For bulk domestic waste disposal, residents can book a bulk bin or apply for a residential tip pass.

When is my bin day?

Use our Find My Bin Day link to look up your property and see what day your bins are collected.

Collection times may vary, so place your garbage and recycling bins at the kerb by 6 am on the day of collection. They must be 80 cm apart, with handles facing the property and the lid opening towards the road. Avoid placement near trees or parked cars.

What can I put in my bins?

General waste bin:

  • Non-recyclable items
  • Nappies
  • Food scraps
  • Broken glass
  • Ceramics
  • Garden clippings

Recycling bin:

  • Glass bottles and jars
  • Plastic bottles and containers (remove lids)
  • Paper and magazines (not shredded)
  • Cardboard (please flatten)
  • Steel and aluminium cans

Items that can’t be placed in either bin:

  • Hot ashes
  • Flammable liquids
  • Oil
  • Paint
  • Solvents
  • Tyres
  • Syringes and needles
  • Timber pieces
  • Steel
  • Rubble
  • Bricks
  • Concrete
  • Gas bottles
  • Fire extinguishers
  • Batteries

Commercial Properties

Commercial properties in Kalgoorlie-Boulder can access 240 litre size waste bins and 240 litre size recycling bins through the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder. Waste bins are emptied weekly, and recycling bins can only be emptied on a fortnightly basis in line with City’s domestic recycling collection schedule.

Commercial customers should note the following requirements:

  • Bins are to be placed out the evening prior to collection or by 6am on the day of collection, and returned back to your property after collection within 24 hours.
  • Bins must be kept on the business’ premises at all other times and not in a public place unless prior written approval has been obtained from the City. Bins left in a public place for longer than the calendar day of the bin’s collection may be removed.
  • Wheelie bins assigned to commercial properties by the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder are to be issued with an Authorised Bin Sticker. The sticker should be placed on the front of the bin so that it is easily visible from the street. If you have any questions regarding Authorised Bin Stickers, please contact Waste Services Team.
  • Bins should be placed correctly on the kerb with the lid closed.
  • Bins should not be too heavy - your bin may not be collected if it weighs more than 70 kilograms.

 

Should you require a replacement bin for a stolen or damaged bin, please complete the Bin Service Request Form and email it to mailbag@ckb.wa.gov.au.

You can request additional bin services for your commercial property by completing a Bin Service Adjustment Form. Please see the current Fees & Charges Schedule for the associated costs.

For more information on commercial waste and recycling services, contact the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder Waste Services Team on 9021 9600.

Why wasn't my bin collected?

Bins must be out before 6 am on your collection day to avoid it being missed if there is a change of driver or route. The best time to put your bin out is the night before. Bins that are overloaded (over 70 kg) are unable to be lifted.

If your bin was out before 6 am and was not collected, please contact the City on 9021 9600.

My bin is broken, how can I get it fixed? 

Damaged bins can be reported to the City on 9021 9600. If your bin cannot be repaired, it will be replaced at no additional fee.

My bin is missing, what do I do? 

If your bin is missing, please download and submit a Replacement Bin Request Form. Please note this document must be signed and applicable fees paid for requests to be processed.

There is a fee of $48.00 (effective from 1st July 2023) for replacing bins in accordance with the Provision and Replacement of Mobile Garbage Bins Policy.

I moved into a new property, how do I get bins? 

If you have moved into a newly built property or an existing property that is missing its bin(s), please download and submit a New Bin Service Request Form. Please note this document must be signed and applicable fees paid for requests to be processed.

My bin is smelly, can I get a new one? 

You are responsible for cleaning and maintaining your bins. The City will not replace dirty or smelly bins.

To prevent your bin from becoming smelly:

  • Wrap moist and perishable foods in newspaper
  • Freeze smelly foods such as seafood until the night before collection
  • Store your bin in a shaded area
  • Clean your bin regularly using hot soapy water

I have trouble moving my bin, can I get help? 

If you are having trouble moving your bin to and from the kerbside for collection due to permanent or temporary immobility, you can apply for the disability service. As part of this service, the driver will collect your bin from your residence, take it to the truck to empty and then return it on your usual bin days.

To apply for the disability service, you must make an appointment with your doctor, who will determine if it is required. Your doctor will then send a letter to the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder, who will advise our waste contractor Cleanaway of your name and address details. Once confirmed and approved, the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder will advise you of the commencement date.

 

Bulk Bin Request

The City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder provides its residents with general waste bulk bins. Households are entitled to one bulk bin per financial year. A maximum of 4 cubic meters and 1000kg in weight of waste will be collected.

Allowed: Household furniture, floor coverings (e.g. carpets/underlay), e-waste (electronic waste) such as televisions, computers, monitors, mobile phones, old bicycles, bed frames/headboards, general junk, green waste, bulky household items and oversized cardboard packaging.

Not Allowed: Asbestos, bagged waste, car parts, construction/demolition or building waste, sanitaryware (toilets/baths/sinks), sand, rubble, concrete, pavers, food waste, gas bottles, glass items (windows/glass panes, tables, etc.), household hazardous waste (including paints, garden or household chemicals, fire extinguishers, gas cylinders, etc.), liquid waste, mattresses, turf (real), tyres, fencing and white goods.

Please Note: As of 1 July 2023, a fee of $25.00 (inc GST) applies to booking the Bulk Bin service.

Recycling

The City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder provides weekly general waste collection and fortnightly recycling collection services to residential and commercial properties. Both services use 240-litre mobile garbage bins (MGBs): 

The City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder provides a fortnightly kerbside recycling collection service to residential and commercial properties through the contractor Cleanaway.

Download the Cleanaway app to find out what you can recycle in your kerbside recycling bin.

Businesses that require bulk recycling collection should contact a commercial operator, who will charge for the service. The City only provides a single 240L MGB per rateable property regardless of how many businesses operate from the premise. 

What happens to my recycling?

Recycling is collected from kerbside recycling bins by Cleanaway's recycling truck.

It is then sorted locally at the Cleanaway Depot to remove any contamination and transported to the Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) in Perth.

In Perth, recycling is sorted into various saleable streams and sold overseas to be made into new products.

Did you know?

  • It takes approximately six plastic bottles to make 1 T-shirt!
  • Recycled aluminium cans can be used in the construction of new aeroplanes, stadiums, cars and more aluminium cans!
  • Cardboard is recycled into cereal boxes, paper towels, tissues and more cardboard!

When is my recycling bin day? 

Use our handy Find my Bin Day Link to look up your property and see what day your general waste and recycling bin will be collected. 

Collection times may vary, so place your general waste and recycling bins on your verge by 6am on collection day. 

Bins must be 80cm apart with handles facing the property. Avoid placement near trees or parked cars.

If your bin was on the verge by 6am and has not been collected on your bin day, please contact the City on 9021 9600.

What can I put in my recycling? 

Recycling tips:

  • Place items loosely in your recycling bin
  • Rinse food containers before recycling
  • Do not tie recyclables in plastic bags or place plastic bags in your recycling bin
  • Remove lids from bottles, jars and containers. The lids can also be put in the recycling bin.

Items that can't be placed in recycling bins:

  • Nappies
  • Food waste
  • Textiles or clothing
  • Plastic bags or soft plastics
  • Garden waste, timber or building materials
  • Rubber or leather items
  • Metal objects other than steel and aluminium cans
  • Crockery, pottery, porcelain or plate glass

Why should I recycle? 

Recycling is very important to the natural environment as waste has a huge negative impact.

Recycling reduces the amount of waste sent to landfill, where rubbish releases harmful chemicals and greenhouse gases.

Recycling also reduces the need for processing raw materials, which uses more energy and creates more pollution. 

In short, recycling saves energy and reduces greenhouse gas emissions!

Other recycling 

Various items cannot be recycled in kerbside recycling bins as they are classified as hazardous goods. Please see below for other recycling options.

  • Batteries 
    • Telstra - recycle household batteries in store
    • C.D. Dodd Scrap Metal Recyclers - Recycle batteries, including single-use, rechargeable and disposable
    • Yarri Road Refuse Facility - Recycle lead acid batteries
  • Paint
    • Toxfree - recycles wet paint through the national Paintback project
  • Fire extinguishers
    • Wormald
    • Toxfree
    • Fire & Safety
  • Gas cylinders
    • Bunnings - Swap&Go Kleenheat 9kg cylinders and recycle expired cylinders
    • Kleenheat - recycle empty Kleenheat cylinders
    • BOC - recycle empty BOC cylinders
    • ELGAS - recycle empty ELGAS cylinders
    • Minesite Recycling 

 

Recycling Bin Tagging

The City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder implements the bin tagging education program to improve recycling participation and help reduce the amount of non-recyclable items being placed in recycling bins.

City Officers have been visiting households in Kalgoorlie-Boulder to inspect recycling bins and provide bin tags. Tags give specific feedback on the content of the bin as well as general guidance on what can and cannot be placed in recycling bins.

Why are we bin tagging? 

The City carries out bin tagging to provide direct feedback and education to households on the contents of their recycling bin, as well as what can and cannot be recycled.

By doing this, we are clarifying which materials can actually be put in recycling bins and encouraging households to recycle right.

Recycling right means that contamination is reduced, resulting in clean recycling that can be processed, sold and made into new products.

Contamination from one recycling bin can affect a whole recycling truckload, so it is important that everyone recycles right!

Where are we bin tagging? 

City Officers are bin-tagging households on randomly selected streets across all suburbs of Kalgoorlie-Boulder.

I received a green tag, what does this mean?

Well done! A green "thank you" tag indicates that your recycling bin was free of non-recyclable items and that you are recycling right.

Please keep up the good work!

I received a pink tag, what does this mean? 

A pink "we ask one small favour" tag indicates that your recycling bin was minorly contaminated with non-recyclable items. 

City Officers will have noted on the tag which non-recyclable items were found in your recycling bin. Non-recyclable items include but are not limited to garden waste, food scraps, unrinsed containers, soft plastics, clothing and nappies. 

To avoid receiving a red tag, please place non-recyclable items in the general waste bin in future. Clothing can also be donated to op shops, and soft plastics can be recycled with the Recycle program at Woolworths and Coles.

I received a red tag, what does this mean? 

A red tag indicates that non-recyclable items have been found in your recycling bin three times.

Your recycling bin will not be collected this fortnight. Please remove non-recyclable items from your recycling bin for them to be collected next fortnight.

 

Quick Links

Find my bin day

New Build Bin Service Request Form

Adjustment Bin Request Form

Replacement Bin Request Form

Hazardous Waste Disposal Guide

Waste and Recycling Guide 2023

Household Recycling Calendar 2023

Provision and Replacement of Mobile Garbage Bins Policy

Schedule of Fees and Charges