Household Chemical CleanOut

Our Household Chemical CleanOut is a great opportunity to clean out your home, shed or garage of leftover household chemicals and dispose of them correctly.

Leftover chemicals you have at home - including paints, solvents, pesticides and even cleaning products - should not be put in your household bins. Pouring substances such as paints or cleaning fluids down the drain means they can end up in Sydney Harbour.

Help protect our environment and precious marine life by disposing of household chemicals correctly and safely.

Everyone is welcome - you don’t have to live in inner Sydney to take part.

What to expect and how to get ready

• This event will be contactless - To ensure the health and safety of our employees and communities, physical distancing measures will be in place and our team will be wearing masks and gloves. We’ll record your details for contact tracing and you’ll be asked to complete a quick survey. If you’re unwell, stay home.

• Stay in your vehicle - Our team will show you where to drive and will unpack items for you. By staying in your vehicle, you’re helping reduce the spread of germs, and we’ll help you get on your way faster.

• Bring items in tubs, sealed and in the boot – This way, you don’t breathe anything in and our team can quickly and safely unpack items for you.

• Leave the sorting to the pros - Don’t mix anything and keep your chemicals in their original containers to make them easier to identify. If you’ve lost the original label, just label the item with ‘unknown chemical’.

• Cycle or walk up - People walking or cycling can access a separate drop-off area.

What you can bring

• solvents and household cleaners

• paints and thinners

• pesticides and herbicides

• poisons

• aerosols

• pool chemicals

• motor oils, fuels and fluids

• acids and alkalis

• car batteries

• household batteries

• hobby chemicals such as photographic chemicals

• printer ink and toner cartridges

• gas bottles

• fire extinguishers

• fluorescent lamps

• light globes

• smoke alarms

• cooking oils

• cosmetics and skincare.

Only household (not commercial) quantities are accepted. The maximum container size is 20kg or 20L per item, except for paint. Up to 100L (in 20L containers) of paint is accepted.

Building managers please write to council@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au to discuss quantities for drop-off.

Learn more about our Chemical CleanOut event, including what happens to chemicals collected on the day.

To find dates for other drop-off days, visit the Household Chemical CleanOut website or call the NSW Environment Line on 131 555.