Community Recycling Stations
Community Recycling Stations
Use our Community Recycling Stations for small amounts of:
- Eye glasses (reading glasses)
- Light globes (no tubes) - including compact fluorescent, LEDs, halogen and incandescent
- Printer ink cartridges
- X-rays.
The Community Recycling Stations are located inside several of our community facilities and can be used during regular opening hours.
The wastes accepted at each Station varies by facility, as shown in the table below and in our Household Chemicals (PDF 610kB) flyer.
| Recycling station | Eye glasses | Fluoro globes | Printer ink cartridges | X-rays |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Customer Service Centre (12 Stewart Avenue) | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Yes | No | No | Yes | |
| Library - Newcastle | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| Library - New Lambton | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Library - Stockton | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| Library - Wallsend | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Newcastle Museum | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Summerhill Waste Management Centre | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Frequently asked questions
Eyeglasses and spectacles that are in poor condition, as well as contact lenses, cannot be refurbished for donation. You can drop them off at your nearest Specsavers store for recycling through the Opticycle program.
Please note: Specsavers also participate in the Lions Recycling for Sight program, meaning you can also drop off glasses in good condition during your visit.
Our Community Recycling Stations are for City of Newcastle residents, to help local households dispose of small amounts of problem wastes.
Schools and businesses should contact a commercial service provider, such as Cleanaway, or visit Business Recycling for problem waste disposal. Please note, fees may apply to use these services.
If you live outside of the Newcastle local government area, please check with your local council for recycling options available to you.
Community Recycling Stations are small cabinets for the convenient drop-off of small amounts of problem wastes when visiting our local community facilities. As a guide, small amounts could include a handful of batteries, a few light globes or 20 X-rays per visit.
The stations supplement our Summerhill Community Recycling Centre and Household Chemical CleanOut events, where you can take greater quantities of the accepted problem wastes, as well as a range of other wastes not suitable for collection at our local community facilities.
Eye (reading) glasses are sent to third world countries through the Lions Recycle for Sight program.
Fluorescent light globes and tubes contain mercury. Recyclers crush the tubes to separate the phosphor powder from the glass. They feed the powder through receiving containers, where it is filtered to capture fugitive mercury emissions. The mercury is then separated by distillation and sold for a range of industrial uses. The metals are also recycled.
Printer ink cartridges are recycled through Close the Loop® in Melbourne. The cartridges are sent back to the manufacturer for reuse in new cartridges.
X-rays are processed in a refinery to extract the silver. The silver is then reused for silver solder, jewellery, electrical components and film manufacture.
