Bulk Waste Service

Our bulk waste service is available to all rateable residential properties in Newcastle.

You can only arrange a bulk waste service on behalf of a property if you live there, regardless of whether you rent or own it. Special conditions apply for kerbside pick-ups if you live in a multi-unit dwelling or social housing; please see below for details.

If you request a self-haul voucher, you must be able to provide proof of occupancy (for example, a current driver licence) when you arrive at the weighbridge at Summerhill Waste Management Centre that demonstrates that you reside at the property address printed on the voucher.

Multi-unit dwellings

If you live in a multi-unit dwelling, a communal kerbside bulk waste pick-up will be arranged for your entire complex. Please ask your strata manager / body corporate to contact us to make a booking. The managing body is responsible for requesting a service and notifying all residents of their scheduled collection date.

Social housing (Housing NSW) tenants

• Single dwellings: If you live in stand-alone public or community housing, please contact us directly to make a booking. Eligibility criteria applies.
• Multi-unit dwellings: We make advance arrangements with Housing NSW to provide two kerbside pick-ups to eligible public and community housing complexes within a 12-month period. Communal collections are provided to all residents in the complex on the same day. Please contact your Housing NSW liaison officer to find out your next collection date.

You can request two services (that is, two kerbside pick-ups OR two self-haul vouchers, or one of each option) for your place of residence* within any rolling 12-month period.

The rolling period begins from the time that you last used the service. For example, if you used the service in February and again in October this year, you could request your next service from February next year.

Entitlements can't be 'accrued' if you don't use the service.

*Please note: Two services are permitted per rateable residential property within a rolling 12-month period; the entitlement is not per occupant.

You can dispose of up to two cubic metres of bulk waste per service. The items accepted through each service option are outlined below. You can also view this information in our Bulk Waste Accepted Items (PDF 52kB) flyer.

Our collection vehicles are staffed by two team members. All items placed out for kerbside pick-up must therefore be able to be safely and reasonably handled by two people. As a guide, individual items should not exceed 50kg.

*To ensure electronic items (such as TVs, computers and other household appliances) are recycled, residents are encouraged to bring these items to Summerhill Waste Management Centre. You can dispose of up to 10 items, free of charge, per visit through our Sort and Save service. Conditions apply.

Self-haul voucher: Asbestos only option

You can't dispose of asbestos through our kerbside pick-up service. You can use your self-haul option voucher to dispose of up to 100kg of asbestos only. The following conditions apply:

• Once you have received your self-haul voucher, you must pre-book asbestos waste 24 hours prior to disposal on 02 4974 2000. Bookings can be made between 8am and 5pm, Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays).
• No other types of bulk waste may be brought in with the asbestos.
• Normal charges will apply for quantities above 100kg.
• Loads of asbestos waste over 100kg (including asbestos contaminated soil) or more than 10 square metres of asbestos sheeting must be registered with the NSW Environment Protection Authority, using the online WasteLocate tool, before transporting them to Summerhill. More information about transporting asbestos and the requirements for using WasteLocate is available on the EPA website.

Two cubic metres (2m³) is equivalent to a block of space that measures two metres by one metre by one metre (2m x 1m x 1m). It is roughly the capacity of 1.2 metre by 1.8 metre (6'x4') trailer loaded just under one metre high.

You can estimate the volume of individual items by multiplying their dimensions (that is, length x width x height).

For example, a mattress that is 2.03m long, 1.53m wide and 18 centimetres (0.18m) high will have a volume of 0.56 cubic metres (that is, 2.03m x 1.53m x 0.18m = 0.56m³)—about a quarter of your two cubic metre (2m³) entitlement.

You can find out more about estimating the volume of your bulk waste in our Service Entitlement Overview (PDF 344kB) flyer.

Self-haul voucher

Our self-haul service provides the quickest disposal option, with vouchers typically generated within three working days of request. This may take longer during periods of high demand; please refer to the timeframes below to receive your voucher. You can choose to receive your voucher by email or by post.

• Digital voucher (by email): Please allow up to seven working days.
• Printed voucher (by post): Please allow up to 14 working days. Vouchers may arrive sooner than this, but are dependent on Australia Post delivery timeframes of two to six business days from the day after posting, although this can vary depending on the destination. If you have requested your voucher via mail it will be posted directly to the property for which it is requested. If you have not received your voucher within 14 days, please contact us at waste@ncc.nsw.gov.au or on 02 4974 2000.

Please note: Self-haul vouchers expire three months from the date that they are issued and cannot be renewed. The conditions of use are stated on the voucher.

Kerbside pick-up

Collection times vary in accordance with demand for the service. The standard wait time for a kerbside pick-up is four weeks, however it is currently up to eight weeks in some locations due to high demand. Please plan ahead by placing your service request as soon as possible.

Demand for bulk waste collections increases sharply during the holiday season, especially in the lead up to Christmas. Residents are encouraged to book much further in advance if wishing to arrange for a kerbside pick-up during these times.

Old fridges, freezers and air-conditioners may still have refrigerant inside them, even if they are no longer working. If these refrigerants escape into the atmosphere, they can damage the ozone layer and/or contribute to global warming.

If you would like to have a refrigerant-containing appliance collected through our kerbside pick-up service, you'll need to have the refrigerant 'recovered' from the appliance by a licensed technician or business authorised by the Australian Refrigeration Council (ARC). It is an offence for anyone else to handle fluorocarbon refrigerants (heavy fines apply).

The licensed technican will send the recovered refrigerant to Refrigerant Reclaim Australia, the sole facility in Australia approved to destroy refrigerants in an environmentally friendly manner.

You can use the ARC 'Look for the Tick' search to find an authorised business or licensed individual in your area.

It's up to all of us to stop waste going to landfill and look after our environment. Before requesting a bulk waste service, have you considered:

• Repairing your items?
• Reusing items for another purpose or salvaging parts for future use?
• Giving items in good, usable condition to friends or family, or donating them to local charities or op shops?
• Selling items, or listing them for free collection - via online trading sites (such as Gumtree, Ebay and Trading Post), local newspaper classifieds, or by holding a garage sale?