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How it works

WC_AboutHomeCycle

HomeCycle is a free service which collects tricky to recycle items and reusable household goods from your door.

HomeCycle is a free and easy collection service for Willoughby City Council residents, offering a convenient way to recycle and repurpose items that don’t belong in household bins. It is easy to book from the comfort of your home and diverts valuable materials from landfill.

Book a collection online

Find out what items are accepted

What you need to do

WC Laptop and mobile HomeCycle booking

Step 1

Make a Booking

Households in the Willoughby City Council Local Government Area can book a collection online.

You must have the equivalent of at least 3 full bags of items to qualify for a collection. Check this list of accepted items to find out what can be collected.

Collections are limited to one booking per household,
per month, however the wait time between bookings
will be dependent on demand.

WC HomeCycle Prepare your items

Step 2

Prepare your items for collection

Where possible, box or bag items separately, as they go to different places (see how to pack your items)

Leave the items outside in a safe and accessible spot near your front door by 7:00am on your collection day.
Write a note “HomeCycle” and attach it to the bags so your neighbours know it’s being collected.

Please ensure no other items are left by your front door so that they aren’t collected by mistake.

WC HomeCycle Collect Your Items

Step 3

Your items are collected

Items will be collected on your booked collection day.
You will receive a SMS notification once the items are collected.

Don’t forget to retrieve your reusable bags. Thinner plastic bags will be taken and repurposed.

Book your HomeCycle collection

Find out what items are accepted
If you’re unsure if an item is accepted, please email [email protected]

What we collect

• Clothing, textiles and fashion accessories

Wearable clothing (new & used), non-wearable clothing (worn & torn), footwear and fashion accessories including hats, gloves, handbags, belts and jewellery. Please no wet items.

• Towels and bed linen

Towels, bedlinen & Manchester excluding pillows, cushions, electric blankets and doonas. Please no wet items.

• Small household electronics and e-waste

Small appliances with a plug, power cord or battery (e.g. kettle, toaster, iron, blender, alarm clock, radio, hairdryer, straightener, electric toothbrushes), small televisions (suitable for a one-person lift, under 42”), computers and accessories (e.g. computers, laptops, tablets, e-readers, mouse, keyboards, game consoles, speakers).

Batteries should be removed and placed in a zip lock bag for safety.

• Small household items (bric-a-brac)

Good quality, reusable toys, in working condition (batteries removed), games & puzzles, small handheld sporting goods (e.g. bats, balls), décor (e.g. vases, frames, ornaments, decorative objects), kitchenware (e.g. pots & pans, crockery) and antiques in a reusable condition. Books are not accepted.

All items should be able to be handled and lifted by one person.

• Household batteries

Rechargeable, non-rechargeable, small handheld batteries (AA, AAA, C, D, 9V, 6V), lantern, watch and button batteries. Standard size handheld rechargeable batteries up to 5kg.

Batteries should be placed in a zip lock bag together for safety.

• Soft Plastics

Soft plastics such as shopping bags, wrappers, confectionary packets, bread bags, frozen food bags, squeezy pouches, snap lock bags, cling wraps, cereal box liners, chip packets, bubble wrap and fresh produce bags (excluding blister packs, hard plastic, biscuit tray liners and fresh fruit containers).

• Blister Packs

Empty pill packets made of plastic and foil or fully foil packets. Please ensure the blister packs are empty and placed in a separate bag to your soft plastics.

• Mobile phones

Phones, phone batteries and phone accessories (mobile and landline phones, cords, chargers and headphones).

• X-ray films

X-ray, MRI, and CT scans / films (paper envelopes removed).

• Oversized cardboard

Cardboard that doesn’t fit in kerbside bins. Boxes and large cardboard packaging (all polystyrene and tape removed, flat packed). Boxes may be packed inside a larger box and separated from other streams.

Please breakdown any boxes that are over 1m2 in size. Cardboard collection must fit in a van.

• Furniture, white goods and bulky items

Furniture, white goods, mirrors, large electrical items (e.g. televisions over 42″, microwaves), outdoor settings, BBQ equipment, large musical instruments and bikes. Visit Council’s Sustainable options for unwanted items webpage or consider donating useable items to a charity. Some of these bulky items can be collected through Council’s kerbside bulky waste clean-up collection.

• Mattresses

Mattresses must be booked in for collection through Council’s free mattress recycling service in partnership with Soft Landing.

•  Baby equipment

Prams, cots, car seats, walkers, highchairs (baby clothing accepted).

•  Hazardous waste

Poisons, pesticides, household cleaners, pool chemicals, cooking oil.
These items should be dropped off to a Chemical cleanout event.

•  Printer cartridges and smoke alarms

These items can be taken to the Community Recycling Centre.

•  Paint tins, motor oil, gas bottles, large batteries

These items can be taken to the Community Recycling Centre or dropped off to a Chemical cleanout event.  

•  Pillows, cushions, doonas, rugs, carpets, air mattresses and electric blankets.

Visit Council’s Sustainable options for unwanted items webpage or consider donating useable items to a charity. These bulky items can be collected through Council’s kerbside bulky waste clean-up collection. Visit the website for more details.

•  Broken homewares and toys

Visit Council’s Sustainable options for unwanted items webpage or place in your general waste bin.

•  Underwear, swimwear and socks

Please place in your general waste bin.

•  Books, DVDs, CDs & videotapes

Visit Council’s Sustainable options for unwanted items webpage or consider donating useable items to a charity.

•  Commercial quantities of cardboard

•  Large sporting goods and gym equipment

These bulky items can be collected through Council’s kerbside bulky waste clean-up collection.

•  Polystyrene

We encourage residents to avoid buying products with polystyrene packaging where possible.
For unavoidable instances, place in your general waste bin. 

•  Fire extinguishers

These items can be taken to the Community Recycling Centre.

•  Unclean soft plastics and textiles

•  Medicines, cosmetics and cosmetic packaging

•  Light bulbs

Consider dropping off to a Chemical cleanout event or at the Northern Sydney Community Recycling Centre.

•  Recyclable items

Accepted in the existing kerbside bin and bulky waste clean-up service.
Visit Councils website to see a list of items accepted in the yellow-lid recycling bins.

•  Building materials or car parts

Some of these items can be taken to the Community Recycling Centre (CRC) Northern Sydney.
Please see Council’s A-Z of recycling webpage for details.

Bottles, plastic containers, glass, small cardboard, foil and cans can go in your recycling bin.
To find out how to recycle or dispose of other items visit A-Z of recycling.

Download the brochure to find out what items are accepted.
If you’re unsure if an item is accepted, please email [email protected]