Each residential property is entitled to one hard waste collection per financial year, up to two cubic metres (about eight wheelie bins).
Your kerbside bins#
- Red lid, general waste
Standard 240L general waste bin collected weekly and a 240L yellow-lid recycling bin collected fortnightly (recycling goes to the Mount Louisa materials recovery facility). No kerbside green waste collection.
- 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
Council does not collect green waste at the kerbside, but domestic green waste and recycling can be dropped off free year-round at Council waste facilities.
The lid colours follow Australian Standard AS 4123 nationally, but the accepted-item list is set by Townsville City Council. 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 Townsville City Council#
Townsville City Council 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 Townsville City Council is below; Townsville City Council publishes the day itself.
Garden and food organics in Townsville City Council#
Council does not collect green waste at the kerbside, but domestic green waste and recycling can be dropped off free year-round at Council waste facilities.
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 Townsville City Council 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 Townsville City Council?
- Each residential property is entitled to one hard waste collection per financial year, up to two cubic metres (about eight wheelie bins).
- How do I book a hard rubbish collection with Townsville City Council?
- Bookings are made by Townsville City Council, not by this guide. Book at townsville.qld.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 Townsville City Council area?
- Collection day is set by your street address, not by the council area, so Townsville City Council is the only source for your day. This guide carries the rules and the service pattern, not per-street dates: check yours at townsville.qld.gov.au.
- What bins does Townsville City Council collect, and how often?
- Standard 240L general waste bin collected weekly and a 240L yellow-lid recycling bin collected fortnightly (recycling goes to the Mount Louisa materials recovery facility). No kerbside green waste collection.
- What goes in the Townsville City Council green bin?
- Council does not collect green waste at the kerbside, but domestic green waste and recycling can be dropped off free year-round at Council waste facilities.
- Which postcodes does Townsville City Council cover?
- Townsville City Council services 4810, 4811, 4812, 4814, 4815, 4816, 4817, 4818, 4819, 4820. Border postcodes can be split between two councils, so confirm yours against the council boundary if you sit on an edge.
Postcodes covered#
Townsville City Council services 10 postcodes. Border postcodes can be split between two councils, so confirm yours against the council boundary if you sit on an edge.
4810, 4811, 4812, 4814, 4815, 4816, 4817, 4818, 4819, 4820
Nearest tips and transfer stations#
Taking a sorted load in yourself is often cheapest. Tip Finder Australia maps every tip and recycling centre in Queensland with fees and hours.
More Queensland councils#
Compare bin systems and hard rubbish across the state.
Sources#
- Townsville City Council - official bins and recycling page
- Townsville City Council waste and recycling - townsville.qld.gov.au
Checked against these sources on 2026-07-08.