Community Recycling Stations

Introducing our Community Recycling Stations – a FREE, convenient and simple way to keep valuable resources out of landfill.

It’s now even easier to dispose of your small problem household waste! You can find a Community Recycling Station (CRS) at your local library.

Each Community Recycling Station accepts the following problem waste items FREE for recycling:

  • Small household batteries including AAA, AA, C and D alkaline batteries and lithium/button) batteries. All batteries need to have a small piece of sticky tape placed on either end of the battery, and on the back for button batteries, before disposal. This significantly reduces the risk of fires and applies to all household batteries.
  • Home printer cartridges, only the following brands are accepted Brother, Canon, Cartridge World, Epson, HP and Kyocera.
  • Smoke detectors (please remove the batteries and recycle them separately in the unit).
  • Mobile phones, chargers and accessories.

Where can I find a Community Recycling Station?

Community Recycling Stations can be found at Council’s four Library locations, and can be accessed during library opening hours.

  • Bega Library - Zingel Place, Bega.
  • Bermagui Library - Bermagui Community Centre, Bunga Street, Bermagui.
  • Eden Library – Corner of Mitchell and Imlay Streets, Eden.
  • Tura Library - Tura Marrang Library and Community Centre, Tura Beach Drive, Tura Beach.

What is a ‘household quantity’?

In this case only small quantities are accepted at the CRS per person per visit, for example a handful or two of alkaline batteries, a couple of smoke detectors and printer cartridges, or a few mobile phones and accessory items. This is to make sure the units remain safe and operational for everyone.

If you have larger quantities of items you want to dispose of in one visit, you should visit the primary Community Recycling Centre at Merimbula Waste and Recycling Depot or the Mobile Community Recycling Centre, which visits Bermagui, Wallagoot and Eden Waste and Recycling Depots on a scheduled basis throughout the year. Quantities up to 20kg or 20L per item are accepted there per household.

Can businesses use the Community Recycling Station?

Community members and households are welcome to use the CRS for the disposal of accepted items, but larger volumes of waste generated by businesses or schools cannot be accepted at the CRS. Businesses should contact a waste disposal service directly or visit BusinessRecycling.

How are the resources from the CRS’s recycled?

  • Printer ink cartridges are recycled through Planet Ark and Close the Loop in Melbourne. The cartridges are sent back to the manufacturer for reuse in new cartridges.
  • Mobile phones are recycled through MobileMuster, preventing hazardous materials from entering the environment.
  • Household batteries are sent to recyclers via our Community Recycling Centre where the lead, acid and plastic are recovered and recycled.
  • Smoke detectors are sent to recyclers via our Community Recycling Centre where the plastic and chemical components are recovered and recycled.

Where can I take other problem waste items like gas bottles and paint?

The Community Recycling Stations supplement our permanent Community Recycling Centre (CRC) at Merimbula Waste and Recycling Depot and the Mobile Community Recycling Centre, which visits Bermagui, Wallagoot and Eden Waste and Recycling Depots on a scheduled basis throughout the year.

The Merimbula CRC accepts household quantities of the following problem household waste that cannot be recycled in your kerbside recycling bin: paint, gas bottles, fire extinguishers, motor and cooking oils, car and household batteries, fluorescent tubes and globes, aerosols (inc paint) and smoke detectors.

The Mobile CRC accepts household quantities of the following problem household waste that cannot be recycled in your kerbside recycling bin:  batteries, paint, gas bottles, fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, cooking oils and fluorescent globes and tubes. Please note: the Mobile CRC visits Bermagui, Wallagoot and Eden Waste and Recycling Depots on a scheduled basis throughout the year and items for the CRC can ONLY be accepted at those sites WHEN THE MOBILE CRC IS ONSITE.