Free disposal days for hazardous chemicals lurking in your shed and cupboards
Tasmanian homes are full of hazardous chemicals which, if not disposed of correctly, can cause fires in trucks and landfills, harm waterways and contaminate valuable recycling.
Common products such as weed killer, old fuel or bleach are stored in nearly every home and are considered hazardous waste, which cannot be disposed of in a kerbside bin. So regional waste organisation, TasWaste South, runs twice-yearly free collection days throughout southern Tasmania as part of a coordinated statewide program.
TasWaste South Chief Member Representative and Brighton Mayor Leigh Gray said there was growing awareness of the dangers hazardous household chemicals posed to people and the environment.
“There’s an immediate threat to the people who work for councils and businesses that manage our waste, but a chemical fire could also be disastrous for the entire region if it destroyed critical waste infrastructure,” Mayor Gray said.
“Every home contains hazardous chemicals, but they are perfectly safe if used and disposed of correctly, which means not pouring unwanted products down the sink or putting them in the kerbside bin.”
“We hear from a lot of families clearing out old sheds, new homes and deceased estates, who find old chemicals that are sometimes unmarked – bring them to one of our collection days and a qualified chemist will assess each product, manage, neutralise and dispose of it appropriately.”
“We are also accepting vapes, which are a major nuisance when dropped in kerbside bins because they contain toxic chemicals, batteries and plastic, and have to be disassembled for disposal.”
“Our last round of collection days in May 2026 kept 4.6 tonnes of hazardous waste out of landfill, our biggest result yet, and we’re hoping for more this year as awareness grows about these regular events.”
The household hazardous waste collection days are open to all residents to dispose of up to 100 litres each, but is not open to businesses, schools or community groups.
TasWaste South was established in 2022 to coordinate waste recovery and management across the 12 southern Tasmanian councils, with equivalent regional waste organisations in Tasmania’s north and north west. TasWaste South is supported by the Tasmanian Waste and Resource Recovery Board, which is funded by the Tasmanian Government.
Collection events take place in southern Tasmania every May and September, with dates and times for all our September events below.
Saturday, 12 September – Oatlands and Bothwell
9am - 11.30am, Oatlands Recreation Ground, High Street, Oatlands
1pm - 3.30pm, Central Highlands Council, Bothwell Depot, Alexander Street, Bothwell
Sunday, 13 September - Bridgewater
9am - 4pm, Brighton Civic Centre Car Park, Green Point Road, Bridgewater
Saturday, 19 September - East Coast
9am - 11.30am, Glamorgan Spring Bay Council Depot, Maria Street, Swansea
1pm - 3.30pm, Glamorgan Spring Bay Council car park, Melbourne Street, Triabunna
Sunday, 20 September - Eastern Shore
9am - 3.30pm, next to the Second Chance Re-Use Shop, Mornington Road
Sunday, 27 September - Glenorchy
9am - 4pm, My State Arena car park, Brooker Highway