Chemicals, E-Waste & Hard Waste

Detox Your Home – Household Chemical Collection Program

Do you need to safely dispose of unwanted, highly toxic household chemicals? Household chemicals can be dangerous – they can harm your family and your pets, add extra fuel to a house fire, release toxic fumes and pollute the environment for future generations.

Detox Your Home is a safe, free and easy-to-use service to dispose of unwanted, highly toxic household chemicals. The collected items are recovered and diverted from landfill.

There are up to 33 events held across Victoria each year, administered by Sustainability Victoria in partnership with local councils (funded by the Victorian landfill levy).

Detox Your Home will next be held late in 2023.

Disposing of farm chemical containers

DrumMUSTER offers farmers an easy and environmentally friendly way to dispose of empty farming chemical containers.  

The program collects eligible non-returnable metal or plastic containers that held 1-205 litres or kgs in declared content of crop production and animal health products.  

You can dispose of farm chemical drums at permanent collection sites at Eaglehawk Eco-Centre, Heathcote Transfer Station or the Goornong Transfer Station during normal opening hours. Bookings are essential:  

• Goornong 0437 700 852        
• Eaglehawk 03 5446 3917            
• Heathcote 03 5433 2849 

Containers recovered by the drumMUSTER program are recycled into items such as wheelie bins, fence posts and garden stakes.

To assist City of Greater Bendigo in accepting your drumMUSTER containers:

• Please arrive as early as possible to the landfill/transfer station opening time as all containers need to be inspected
• All containers must be flushed, pressure rinsed or triple rinsed prior to delivery to a drumMUSTER site
• Containers will not be accepted if there are any visible chemical residue on the inside or outside of the container

Permanent drop-off sites for paint and other products

Household paint, batteries, and fluorescent lights – which are less toxic than household chemicals (but also a more common waste item) – can be disposed of throughout the year at a permanent drop-off site.

"Paintback" is a free drop off service for paint that is available at our Eaglehawk, Heathcote and Strathfieldsaye sites. For more information visit the Paintback website.

Detox your Home is a free service designed specifically to collect unwanted, highly toxic household chemicals.

For more information and a full list of permanent drop-off sites visit Sustainability Victoria's website or contact us on 1300 002 642.

Transporting chemicals safely

To transport chemicals safely:

• Travel with chemicals in a trailer or utility, not inside the vehicle
• Keep chemicals in their original containers
• Ensure lids are fitted tightly and protect taps on drums so that they do not break off
• Place containers of liquids on a tray or plastic bucket so that they do not spill or fall
• Pack powders and solids securely
• Keep corrosive chemicals such as battery acid away from poisons
• Keep oxidising agents such as peroxide away from all other materials
• Double wrap old liquid containers in plastic bags to prevent leaking

E-waste

To help protect our environment and recover more precious resources, the Victorian Government has banned all e-waste from going to landfill as of July 1, 2019. That means e-waste can’t go in any bin.

E-waste – or electronic waste – is growing three times faster than the rate of standard municipal waste. It contains many potentially hazardous and valuable materials, which don‘t belong in landfill.

E-waste is any item with a plug, battery or power cord that is no longer working or wanted. It covers a whole range of items from phones and refrigerators to fluorescent light tubes.

E-waste recovery is important and necessary. But even better is to try and avoid creating e-waste in the first place.

E-waste can be taken to the Heathcote, Goornong and Strathfieldsaye transfer stations for free as well as the Eaglehawk Recycle Shop (ERS). Please note there is a charge at ERS for items that need degassing.

Other drop off points for smaller items are located at City of Greater Bendigo Adam Street Depot (64-90 Adam Street, Golden Square), Marong Neighbourhood House, Bendigo Retirement Village Post Office, Heathcote Council Offices, Kangaroo Library and the Bendigo Library.  

Hard waste

Hard waste is the non-degradable waste that is too large to fit into a garbage bin. It includes whitegoods, furniture, household appliances, metals, wood, old car parts and tools.

The City does not currently offer a hard waste collection service.

In 2019 the Greater Bendigo City Council carried out a special Reuse and Recycle Home Collection trial to determine whether such a service could be introduced throughout the municipality in the future.

• Over 4,900 homes were offered to participate in the three-month Reuse and Recycle Home Collection trial which commenced on June 17, 2019.
• Participating households were eligible for one free-of-charge collection of certain unwanted re-useable or recyclable household items by booking with the City online. 
• There were 495 participants, all of which were surveyed after the trial was completed.
• 25.6% stated that they were renting at the time of the trial
• 74.36% stated that they were the property owner at the time of the trial
• The City was able to provide a cost estimation of $60-$90 due to an expression of interest process that took place prior to the trial to determine what the cost to each household would be for one collection per annum.
• 38.92% said they would use the service if there was a fee of $60-$90 added to their rates per annum
  61.08% said they would NOT use the service if there was a fee of $60-$90 added to their rates per annum

Due to these results, Council has determined that a home collection service will not be introduced at this stage due to the low numbers of participation in the trial and the response from the participants as below.

Below a list of private contractors who may be able assist with your request.  ​​