Waste vouchers, fees and charges

Brisbane City Council issues free waste vouchers annually to Brisbane households. These vouchers can be used at any of Council's four resource recovery centres (located at Chandler, Nudgee, Ferny Grove and Willawong). Find out if you can use a voucher, or if waste fees and charges apply.

Waste vouchers

Free vouchers help households remove general and green waste. 

From 1 July 2020, Council has issued waste vouchers to Brisbane households, including tenants and owner-occupiers. Residents and businesses can continue to use the vouchers according to the terms and conditions on the back.

Each household receives ten (10) 100-kilogram vouchers for general waste or uncontaminated green waste. A maximum of 10 vouchers can be used for one load. Loads with excess weight not covered by vouchers are charged at the rates listed under fees and charges.

Waste vouchers can also be transferred to local businesses for the disposal of household green waste or general waste. When transferring vouchers, ask your service provider to estimate the weight of green waste or general waste so you can provide the correct number of vouchers to help your service provider cover the cost of the disposal. Remember each voucher is for the disposal of up to 100 kilograms of green waste or general waste.

The vouchers for any given financial year are valid for use between 1 July of that year and 31 August the next year.

Recycling is free at all four Council resource recovery centres.

Eligibility

Tenants of the Department of Housing and Public Works need to contact their landlord directly to request waste vouchers.

Voucher conditions

Use of the vouchers is subject to the following conditions:

• combined gross vehicle mass (CGVM) must be less than 4.5 tonnes (includes combined weight of any vehicle and trailer)
• you must present vouchers at the time of disposal (not redeemable for cash or payment of an account)
• vouchers are transferable
• you can use a maximum of ten vouchers per transaction
• vouchers are not valid for sale.

You can use waste vouchers for green waste disposal, if your whole load is limited to uncontaminated green waste only. Green waste can include branches, leaves and grass clippings, but not pots, pavers, sleepers or soil. Residents who regularly dispose of green waste can sign up for the green waste recycling service.

Council provides a range of other free waste and recycling services for all residents including free:

• household hazardous waste drop-off days at resource recovery centres (dates are advertised throughout the year)
• recycling and Treasure Trove donations for a range of materials at Council's resource recovery centres
• Brisbane Bin and Recycling app - includes personalised bin collection calendar, recycling information and optional reminders about waste and recycling services
• free green waste tipping weekends in preparation for the summer storm season
• ability to recycle over 15 types of waste at the resource recovery centres
• provision to upgrade kerbside recycling bin from the 240 litre or 360 litre for free.

Fees and charges

As part of the annual budget, Council sets fees and charges for general waste and green waste recycling disposal at the resource recovery centres at the start of each financial year.

Disposal fees are categorised into domestic and commercial fees and are charged according to vehicle type, waste type and load weight.

Domestic vehicles

Commercial vehicles

* Vehicles over 4.5 tonnes CGVM can only access Nudgee and Willawong resource recovery centres, and cannot use waste vouchers.

From 1 July 2020, commercial fees and charges include costs associated with the Queensland Government's Waste Disposal Levy. The levy increases by $10 per financial year.

You can use a maximum of 10 waste vouchers to cover the disposal cost of up to 1000 kilograms subject to the voucher's terms and conditions.

Vehicles with a CGVM greater than 4.5 tonnes can use Council’s resource recovery centres located at Willawong or Nudgee. These vehicles cannot use waste vouchers.

Green waste fees for Demolition & Asbestos Industry Association (QLD) Inc members (DAIA)

DAIA members can access fees and charges for uncontaminated green waste only. Members cannot use waste vouchers.

The following fees and charges currently apply:

* Vehicles over 4.5 tonnes CGVM can only access Nudgee and Willawong resource recovery centres.

Polystyrene or similar lightweight material

Loads containing more than five cubic metres of polystyrene or similar lightweight material are charged:

• $1484.80 for each load, plus $307.80 per tonne.

Payment options

Council resource recovery centres accept payment by:

• EFTPOS
• credit card (Mastercard or Visa only)
• commercial account
• cash
• cheque.

For credit and debit cards a surcharge may apply. 

A commercial account is the easiest payment method for businesses using the resource recovery centres. This allows smoother transactions by multiple vehicles and the ability to track spend efficiently.

To set up a commercial account, contact Council or email Accounts Receivable. A commercial account allows you to pay your account:

• online
• at Australia Post
• by visiting Council
• by phone pay (Visa or Mastercard - phone 1300 309 311 and follow the prompts)
• by BPAY (contact your bank to set up BPAY)
• by cheque or money order to:
  Brisbane City Council
  GPO Box 1090
  Brisbane Qld 4001.

Note: Establishing a commercial account can take up to seven working days for approval and processing.