Bulky items and other materials are taken to Council landfills and transfer stations at Kelsey Creek, Bowen, Cannonvale and Collinsville.
Your kerbside bins#
- Red lid, general waste
Two-bin kerbside service delivered with JJ Richards: a general rubbish bin and a yellow-lid recycling bin collected fortnightly on the same day. Recycling travels to the Materials Recovery Facility in Mackay. Some rural residents may not have kerbside 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
There is no kerbside green bin; steel, aluminium and green waste can be recycled at the Kelsey Creek Landfill, Bowen Landfill, Cannonvale Transfer Station and Collinsville Transfer Station.
The lid colours follow Australian Standard AS 4123 nationally, but the accepted-item list is set by Whitsunday Regional 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 Whitsunday Regional Council#
Whitsunday Regional 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 Whitsunday Regional Council is below; Whitsunday Regional Council publishes the day itself.
Garden and food organics in Whitsunday Regional Council#
There is no kerbside green bin; steel, aluminium and green waste can be recycled at the Kelsey Creek Landfill, Bowen Landfill, Cannonvale Transfer Station and Collinsville Transfer Station.
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 Whitsunday Regional 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 Whitsunday Regional Council?
- Bulky items and other materials are taken to Council landfills and transfer stations at Kelsey Creek, Bowen, Cannonvale and Collinsville.
- How do I book a hard rubbish collection with Whitsunday Regional Council?
- Bookings are made by Whitsunday Regional Council, not by this guide. Book at whitsundayrc.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 Whitsunday Regional Council area?
- Collection day is set by your street address, not by the council area, so Whitsunday Regional Council is the only source for your day. This guide carries the rules and the service pattern, not per-street dates: check yours at whitsundayrc.qld.gov.au.
- What bins does Whitsunday Regional Council collect, and how often?
- Two-bin kerbside service delivered with JJ Richards: a general rubbish bin and a yellow-lid recycling bin collected fortnightly on the same day. Recycling travels to the Materials Recovery Facility in Mackay. Some rural residents may not have kerbside collection.
- What goes in the Whitsunday Regional Council green bin?
- There is no kerbside green bin; steel, aluminium and green waste can be recycled at the Kelsey Creek Landfill, Bowen Landfill, Cannonvale Transfer Station and Collinsville Transfer Station.
- Which postcodes does Whitsunday Regional Council cover?
- Whitsunday Regional Council services 4802, 4800, 4805, 4804. Border postcodes can be split between two councils, so confirm yours against the council boundary if you sit on an edge.
Postcodes covered#
Whitsunday Regional Council services 4 postcodes. Border postcodes can be split between two councils, so confirm yours against the council boundary if you sit on an edge.
4802, 4800, 4805, 4804
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#
- Whitsunday Regional Council - official bins and recycling page
- Whitsunday Regional Council waste and recycling - whitsundayrc.qld.gov.au
Checked against these sources on 2026-07-09.