Council offers booked bulky waste and clean-up collections for items too big for the bins. Contact Council on 02 4227 7111.
Your kerbside bins#
- Red lid, general waste
Three-bin FOGO service: a red-lid general waste bin, a yellow-lid recycling bin, and a green-lid food organics garden organics (FOGO) bin collected weekly. All food scraps including meat and bones go in the green bin with garden waste. Residents can downsize the red bin (120L or 80L) to save on charges.
- 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 FOGO bin collected weekly for food scraps and garden waste; households receive a kitchen caddy and compostable liners.
The lid colours follow Australian Standard AS 4123 nationally, but the accepted-item list is set by City of Wollongong. 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 Wollongong#
City of Wollongong 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 Wollongong is below; City of Wollongong publishes the day itself.
Garden and food organics in City of Wollongong#
Green-lid FOGO bin collected weekly for food scraps and garden waste; households receive a kitchen caddy and compostable liners.
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 Wollongong 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 Wollongong?
- Council offers booked bulky waste and clean-up collections for items too big for the bins. Contact Council on 02 4227 7111.
- How do I book a hard rubbish collection with City of Wollongong?
- Bookings are made by City of Wollongong, not by this guide. Book at wollongong.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 Wollongong area?
- Collection day is set by your street address, not by the council area, so City of Wollongong is the only source for your day. This guide carries the rules and the service pattern, not per-street dates: check yours at wollongong.nsw.gov.au.
- What bins does City of Wollongong collect, and how often?
- Three-bin FOGO service: a red-lid general waste bin, a yellow-lid recycling bin, and a green-lid food organics garden organics (FOGO) bin collected weekly. All food scraps including meat and bones go in the green bin with garden waste. Residents can downsize the red bin (120L or 80L) to save on charges.
- What goes in the City of Wollongong green bin?
- Green-lid FOGO bin collected weekly for food scraps and garden waste; households receive a kitchen caddy and compostable liners.
- Which postcodes does City of Wollongong cover?
- City of Wollongong services 2500, 2505, 2517, 2530. 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 Wollongong services 4 postcodes. Border postcodes can be split between two councils, so confirm yours against the council boundary if you sit on an edge.
2500, 2505, 2517, 2530
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 Wollongong - official bins and recycling page
- City of Wollongong waste and recycling - wollongong.nsw.gov.au
Checked against these sources on 2026-07-09.