On-demand booked bulk waste service for items too big for the bins such as mattresses, old furniture and broken appliances.
Your kerbside bins#
- Red lid, general waste
Three-bin service: a red-lid general waste bin collected weekly, with a yellow-lid recycling bin and a green-lid garden organics bin collected on alternating fortnights on the same day. A weekly FOGO food and garden service is scheduled to start mid-2027 (green bin moves to weekly, recycling to fortnightly).
- Yellow lid, recycling
Rinsed bottles, jars, cans, paper and cardboard, placed loose. Check the council page for glass and soft plastics rules in your area.
- Green lid, organics
Green-lid garden organics bin collected fortnightly for grass clippings, prunings, twigs, bark and leaves. From mid-2027 the green bin becomes weekly FOGO and will also accept food scraps.
The lid colours follow Australian Standard AS 4123 nationally, but the accepted-item list is set by City of Newcastle. See what bin does it go in for the item-by-item answers, and the purple glass bin rollout for where a fourth lid is arriving.
Getting a collection in City of Newcastle#
City of Newcastle takes the booking, sets the date and decides what it will lift, so have your address and an item list ready before you start. Most councils cap the volume per booking, and the rule above is the one that applies here.
How booked and scheduled collections differ across the country is covered in hard rubbish collection in Australia.
When your bin goes out#
Collection day is set by your street address, not by the council area, so this guide does not carry per-street dates and will not guess one. The service pattern for City of Newcastle is below; City of Newcastle publishes the day itself.
Garden and food organics in City of Newcastle#
Green-lid garden organics bin collected fortnightly for grass clippings, prunings, twigs, bark and leaves. From mid-2027 the green bin becomes weekly FOGO and will also accept food scraps.
Whether a green bin takes food scraps as well as garden material depends on the service your council runs. See the FOGO bin explained, and the item pages for food scraps and garden waste.
Quick answers for tricky items#
The short answer for the items households most often get wrong. Each links to the full rule, which City of Newcastle can still vary locally.
- Mattress - Not a kerbside bin
- Pizza box - Green or red lid
- Batteries - Never any kerbside bin
- Soft plastics - Red lid, unless a program runs
- Garden waste - Green lid
- E-waste - Not a kerbside bin
- Glass - Purple or yellow lid
- Food scraps - Green or red lid
Hard rubbish and bin questions#
- How does hard rubbish collection work in City of Newcastle?
- On-demand booked bulk waste service for items too big for the bins such as mattresses, old furniture and broken appliances.
- How do I book a hard rubbish collection with City of Newcastle?
- Bookings are made by City of Newcastle, not by this guide. Book at newcastle.nsw.gov.au with your address and a list of items ready, because most councils cap the volume per booking.
- When does my bin go out in the City of Newcastle area?
- Collection day is set by your street address, not by the council area, so City of Newcastle is the only source for your day. This guide carries the rules and the service pattern, not per-street dates: check yours at newcastle.nsw.gov.au.
- What bins does City of Newcastle collect, and how often?
- Three-bin service: a red-lid general waste bin collected weekly, with a yellow-lid recycling bin and a green-lid garden organics bin collected on alternating fortnights on the same day. A weekly FOGO food and garden service is scheduled to start mid-2027 (green bin moves to weekly, recycling to fortnightly).
- What goes in the City of Newcastle green bin?
- Green-lid garden organics bin collected fortnightly for grass clippings, prunings, twigs, bark and leaves. From mid-2027 the green bin becomes weekly FOGO and will also accept food scraps.
- Which postcodes does City of Newcastle cover?
- City of Newcastle services 2300, 2304, 2287, 2305. Border postcodes can be split between two councils, so confirm yours against the council boundary if you sit on an edge.
Postcodes covered#
City of Newcastle services 4 postcodes. Border postcodes can be split between two councils, so confirm yours against the council boundary if you sit on an edge.
2300, 2304, 2287, 2305
Nearest tips and transfer stations#
Taking a sorted load in yourself is often cheapest. Tip Finder Australia maps every tip and recycling centre in New South Wales with fees and hours.
More New South Wales councils#
Compare bin systems and hard rubbish across the state.
Sources#
- City of Newcastle - official bins and recycling page
- City of Newcastle waste and recycling - newcastle.nsw.gov.au
Checked against these sources on 2026-07-09.