C
Cameras
- Reuse by donating to your local charity or op-shop
- Reuse by donating to Ted's Cameras, where they are repaired and donated to a charity
- Recycle at the Boroondara Recycling and Waste Centre
- Recycle at one of our local e-waste collection banks
Candles and leftover candle wax
Dispose of in your household waste bin
Cans (steel or aluminium, squashed)
- Reuse steel cans as plant pots or containers for nails/screws, etc.
- Recycle in your recycling bin
- Recycle at the Boroondara Recycling and Waste Centre
- Recycle at the Kew Depot Recycling Drop-off Centre
Car batteries
See 'Batteries, car' on our Recycling and waste guide B page.
Note: It is illegal to put batteries in any household or street bins. Batteries are toxic and can explode. They can cause major fires in our collection trucks and at our waste processing facilities. Please only recycle batteries using one of the above methods.
Car/auto parts and tyres
- Reuse by selling online or by giving away
- Recycle metal and tyres at the Boroondara Recycling and Waste Centre (fees apply)
Cardboard (unwaxed)
- Reuse by offering to friends/colleagues who might be moving house
- Recycle in your recycling bin
- Recycle at the Boroondara Recycling and Waste Centre
- Recycle at the Kew Depot Recycling Drop-off Centre
- Recycle by tearing into small pieces and adding to your home compost bin
Cardboard (waxed - e.g. fruit boxes)
- Avoid waxed cardboard if possible
- Reuse by offering to friends/colleagues who might be moving house
- Dispose of in your household waste bin
- Dispose of at the Boroondara Recycling and Waste Centre
Carpet/carpet underlay
- Dispose of at the Boroondara Recycling and Waste Centre (fees apply)
- Dispose of by booking a hard waste collection (maximum 3 rolls accepted)
Cartridges (printer/toner)
- Recycle at the Boroondara Recycling and Waste Centre
- Recycle through Planet Ark
Cassette and VHS covers and casings (tapes removed)
See Tape covers and casings (cassette/VHS tapes and paper insert removed).
Cassette and VHS tapes
Cat poo (all pet poo)
- Recycle using a pet poo composter or green cone solar composter
- Dispose of in your household waste bin wrapped in old newspaper.
CDs
- Reuse by donating to your local charity or op-shop
- Reuse by stringing up in your garden to deter pests or for craft projects
- Recycle at any participating Officeworks store
- Dispose of in your household waste bin
- Dispose of at the Boroondara Recycling and Waste Centre (fees apply).
CD cases (plastic)
- Recycle in your recycling bin
- Recycle at the Boroondara Recycling and Waste Centre
- Recycle at the Kew Depot Recycling Drop-off Centre.
CD players
- Reuse by donating to your local charity or op-shop
- Recycle at the Boroondara Recycling and Waste Centre
- Recycle at one of our local e-waste collection banks
- Recycle by booking a hard waste collection.
Cellophane
Dispose of cellophane in the kerbside waste bin or as waste at the Boroondara Recycling and Waste Centre.
Ceramics
- Reuse by giving away or donating to your local charity or op-shop
- Dispose of at the Boroondara Recycling and Waste Centre (fees apply)
- Dispose of in your household waste bin.
Cereals and grains
- Recycle in your Bokashi bin or green cone solar composter
- Recycle in your FOGO bin.
Cereal boxes
- Recycle in your recycling bin
- Recycle at the Boroondara Recycling and Waste Centre
- Recycle at the Kew Depot Recycling Drop-off Centre
- Recycle by tearing into small pieces and adding to your home compost bin.
Cereal box inner plastic bags
We are temporarily accepting soft plastics for recycling from Boroondara residents at 2 collection points. To find out more, visit our Temporary soft plastic recycling service page.
Chemicals (household)
Recycle through Detox your Home.
Note: It is illegal to put flammable items in any household or street bins. Flammable chemicals are toxic and can explode. They can cause major fires in our collection trucks and at our waste processing facilities. Please only recycle household chemicals using the above method.
Chicken (raw or cooked meat and bones)
- Recycle in your Bokashi bin or green cone solar composter
- Recycle in your FOGO bin.
Chip packets (silver-lined plastic)
We are temporarily accepting silver-lined plastics for recycling from Boroondara residents at 2 collection points. To find out more, visit our Temporary soft plastic recycling service page.
Chocolate wrappers (silver-lined plastic)
We are temporarily accepting silver-lined plastics for recycling from Boroondara residents at 2 collection points. To find out more, visit our Temporary soft plastic recycling service page.
Christmas trees (plastic)
- Avoid by getting crafty and making your own
- Reuse by packing away carefully and storing safely for next year
- Reuse by buying a second hand plastic tree or donate yours to a charity shop if you no longer need it
- If broken, dispose of in your household waste bin, if it doesn't fit, take to Boroondara Recycling and Waste Centre or book a hard waste collection.
Christmas trees (real)
- Avoid waste by making own crafty tree from reused materials (for example, drift wood tree)
- Reuse by using a live plant or tree in a pot every year
- Recycle by booking a free Christmas tree collection.
Chux wipes
- Avoid by using reusable cloths instead
- Reuse until cannot be reused anymore
- Dispose of in your household waste bin.
Cigarette butts
- Dispose of in your household waste bin
- Tip: Carry a pocket ashtray to collect your butts and prevent littering.
Cigarette lighters (empty)
Dispose of in your household waste bin.
Cigarette lighters (full or partially full)
Recycle through Detox your Home.
Note: It is illegal to put flammable items in any household or street bins. Full cigarette lighters can explode. They can cause major fires in our collection trucks and at our waste processing facilities. Please only recycle full or partially full cigarette lighters through the above method.
Citrus (juice, pulp and skin)
- Recycle in your Bokashi bin or green cone solar composter
- Recycle in your FOGO bin.
Cleaning rags
Dispose of in your household waste bin.
Cling wrap/cling film/plastic wrap
- Avoid by using reusable plastic containers with lids or bees wax wraps
- Cling wrap can be recycled through Terracycle. Alternatively, cling wrap can be disposed of in the kerbside waste bin or as waste at the Boroondara Recycling and Waste Centre.
Clothing (good condition)
- Reuse by having a clothes swap with friends
- Reuse by donating to your local charity or op-shop (see our Op shops in Boroondara page), or putting in a clothing/textile bank
- Reuse by donating clothes suitable for job interviews to Fitted for Work
- Selling or giving items away by posting them to the Boroondara Hard Rubbish Rehome Facebook group, Facebook Marketplace, local buy/sell/swap Facebook groups, the Ziilch website or the Gumtree website.
- Recycle by dropping clothes at select clothing retailers, such as H&M Group and Zara, or recyclers such as Upparel.
- Recycle by donating to Southern Cross Recycling
- Dispose of in your household waste bin.
Clothing (damaged)
- Reuse as rags at home
- For clothing at end-of-life, recycle the items by dropping them off at select clothing retailers, such as H&M Group and Zara, or recyclers such as Upparel and Textile Recyclers Australia (TRA).
- Recycle via RCYCL, a local Melbourne business that takes your unwanted clothes and textiles that are too soiled, stained or torn to donate. RCYCL shred these and turn them into yarn to be made into items like rugs, felt and carpet underlay.
- Dispose of in your household waste bin.
Coat hangers (plastic or metal)
- Reuse by donating to your local charity or op-shop
- Dispose of in your household waste bin.
Coffee cups and lids (biodegradable, compostable and disposable types)
- Avoid waste by carrying a reusable coffee cup or by dining in
- Compostable types - recycle in your home compost bin (not FOGO bin)
- All other types - dispose of in your household waste bin.
Coffee filter papers
- Reuse by adding to soil to increase soil acidity
- Recycle in your compost bin, worm farm, Bokashi bin or green cone solar composter
- Recycle in your FOGO bin.
Coffee grounds and beans
- Reuse by adding to soil to increase soil acidity
- Recycle in your compost bin, worm farm, Bokashi bin or green cone solar composter
- Recycle in your FOGO bin.
Coffee pods (disposable)
- Avoid waste by using ground coffee
- Avoid waste by using a reusable/refillable, metal coffee pod
- Recycle via coffee pod suppliers which you can find on the Planet Ark website
- Recycle through the Terracycle website. Search 'pods' to find the ones you can recycle
- Dispose of in your household waste bin.
Coffee pods (compostable)
- Avoid waste by using ground coffee
- Avoid waste by using a reusable/refillable metal coffee pod and your choice of ground coffee
- Recycle in your compost bin, worm farm, Bokashi bin or green cone solar composter
- Dispose of in your household waste bin.
Compostable cutlery, plates and takeaway containers
- Recycle in your home compost
- Dispose of in your household waste bin.
Note: Compostable cutlery, plates and takeaway containers are not accepted in FOGO bins.
Computers, parts and accessories
- Reuse by selling online or donating to your local charity or op-shop
- Recycle at the Boroondara Recycling and Waste Centre
- Recycle at one of our local e-waste collection banks
- Recycle by booking a hard waste collection.
Concrete, bricks, rubble, rocks
Recycle at the Boroondara Recycling and Waste Centre (fees apply).
Cooking oil (maximum 10 litres in 5-litre cans)
Recycle at the Boroondara Recycling and Waste Centre.
Cooking oil and fats absorbed in paper towel or newspaper
Cookware
See Pot and pans on the A to Z recycling and waste guide P page.
Cordial bottles – plastic (Cottee's brand)
Dispose of in your household waste bin.
Cordial bottles – plastic (all other brands except Cottee's)
Recycle in your recycling bin
Corks (natural wine or bottle corks)
- Reuse by donating to Chooktopia
- Recycle at Dan Murphy in Kew in partnership with ReCork Australia and Save our Soles
- Dispose of in your household waste bin.
Corks (plastic and synthetic wine or bottle corks)
Dispose of in your household waste bin.
Cotton buds
- Avoid waste by using reusable cotton buds
- Reduce plastic waste by using 100% natural paper cotton buds
- Dispose of in your household waste bin.
Cotton wool
- Avoid waste by using reusable face cloth instead
- Dispose of in your household waste bin.
Crockery (in usable condition)
Reuse by donating to your local charity or op-shop
Crockery (damaged)
- Dispose of in your household waste bin
- Dispose of at the Boroondara Recycling and Waste Centre (fees apply).
Curtain rods (metal)
- Reuse by swapping or giving away
- Recycle at the Boroondara Recycling and Waste Centre (fees apply)
- Recycle by booking a hard waste collection.
Curtains
- Reuse by donating to your local charity or op-shop
- Sell through The Curtain Exchange
- Recycle via RCYCL, a local Melbourne business that takes your unwanted clothes and textiles that are too soiled, stained or torn to donate. RCYCL shred these and turn them into yarn to be made into items like rugs, felt and carpet underlay
- Dispose of in your household waste bin.
Cutlery (plastic)
- Avoid waste by using reusable cutlery
- Reuse by washing and reusing until no longer usable
- Dispose of in your household waste bin.
Cutlery (compostable)
Dispose of in your household waste bin.
Note: Compostable cutlery is not accepted in FOGO bins.
Cutlery (cornstarch, sugarcane, potato starch)
- Recycle in your home compost bin
- Dispose of in your household waste bin.
Note: Cutlery made from cornstarch, sugarcane and potato starch is not accepted in FOGO bins.
Cutlery (metal)
- Reuse by selling, swapping, giving away or donating to your local charity/op-shop (see our Op shops in Boroondara page)
- Recycle at the Boroondara Recycling and Waste Centre (fees apply).
- Dispose of in your household waste bin.