The Shire of Northam offer a range of recycling options within the Shire.
Northam Transfer Station
The Shire of Northam offers a range of free recycling options;
Mixed Recyclables
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Plastic and glass bottles/ jars, paper, newspapers, glossy magazines, telephone books, envelopes, aluminium and steel cans, tins, clean foil, liquid paperboard, milk, juice and laundry detergent cartons (not silver-lined). |
Cardboard
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Please ensure to empty your box to remove packing materials, such as Styrofoam or packing peanuts. Flatten your cardboard box and pop it in the cardboard recycling bin. |
Scrap Metal
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Scrap steel, including fridges, freezers, ovens, washing machines, microwaves, fans, wire, light gauge steel, metal guttering, alloys and car bodies. |
Car, Truck & Motorbike Batteries
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These can be dropped on the pallets found in the open shelter. |
Clean Fill
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Clean fill is accepted free of charge at both our Old Quarry Road and Inkpen Road Waste Management Facilities.
The Shire of Northam is always looking for clean fill for use within its landfill facilities.
Clean fill is sand or soil with some additional extraneous material. If you are not sure whether your material qualifies, we encourage you to contact the Old Quarry Waste Management Facility on 9621 1795, visit the Inkpen Road Facility, or contact the Shire of Northam’s Waste Management Officer on 9622 6100.
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Waste Oil
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Waste Oil Domestic only less than <30L. You must pour your own waste oil into the Waste Oil Facility and either take your plastic container home with you or dispose of it in the bins provided adjacent. |
E-Waste
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TVs, Computers, Laptops, Hard Drives, Monitors, Printers, Scanners, Faxes, Photocopiers, Speakers, Keyboards, Mice, Joysticks, Mobile Phones, i-Pods, UPS Systems, CD & Floppy Drives, Electronic Cables & Wiring, Circuit Boards & Plotters. |
Waste Tyres
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Various sizes see Shire’s Fees and Charges |
DrumMUSTER
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The DrumMuster facility at the Old Quarry Road Waste Management Facility is a permanent facility and drums can be dropped off at any time during normal opening hours.
We recommend calling the gatehouse on (08) 9621 1795 and making an appointment if you are dropping off more than 50 drums.
DrumMuster is a program that recycles clean and dry drums from growers, farmers and other chemical users throughout the country.
Containers must be triple rinsed or cleaned with high pressure and left to dry with their lids removed. Any drums which have residue still present, inside or out, will be rejected. All drums must display the DrumMuster logo somewhere on the body of the container.
The drums are collected and crushed or shredded and transformed into practical items such as plastic cable covers, wheelie bins and irrigation pipes.
To learn more about DrumMuster program, go to: www.drummuster.com.au.
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Household Batteries & Light Globes / Tubes / Printer Cartridges
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These can be dropped off at the Northam Re-Store to be sent off for recycling. The Shire of Northam strongly advises against landfilling these materials.
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Inkpen Road Waste Management Facility
Mixed Recyclables
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Plastic and glass bottles/ jars, paper, newspapers, glossy magazines, telephone books, envelopes, aluminium and steel cans, tins, clean foil, liquid paperboard, milk, juice and laundry detergent cartons (not silver-lined). |
Cardboard
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Please ensure to empty your box to remove packing materials, such as Styrofoam or packing peanuts. Flatten your cardboard box and pop it in the cardboard recycling bin. |
Scrap Metal
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Scrap steel, including fridges, freezers, ovens, washing machines, microwaves, fans, wire, light gauge steel, metal guttering, alloys and car bodies. |
Car, Truck & Motorbike Batteries
|
These can be dropped on the pallets found in the open shelter. |
Clean Fill
|
Clean fill is accepted free of charge at both our Old Quarry Road and Inkpen Road Waste Management Facilities.
The Shire of Northam is always looking for clean fill for use within its landfill facilities.
Clean fill is sand or soil with some additional extraneous material. If you are not sure whether your material qualifies, we encourage you to contact the Old Quarry Waste Management Facility on 9621 1795, visit the Inkpen Road Facility, or contact the Shire of Northam’s Waste Management Officer on 9622 6100.
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Waste Oil
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Waste Oil Domestic only less than <30L. You must pour your own waste oil into the Waste Oil Facility and either take your plastic container home with you or dispose of it in the bins provided adjacent. |
E-Waste
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TVs, Computers, Laptops, Hard Drives, Monitors, Printers, Scanners, Faxes, Photocopiers, Speakers, Keyboards, Mice, Joysticks, Mobile Phones, i-Pods, UPS Systems, CD & Floppy Drives, Electronic Cables & Wiring, Circuit Boards & Plotters. |
Waste Tyres
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Various sizes see Shire’s Fees and Charges |
Containers for Change
Which containers are eligible for a refund?
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Most aluminium, glass, plastic, steel and liquid paperboard beverage containers between 150ml and 3L are eligible for a refund. To be eligible the product must be included in the Western Australian scheme.
View list of eligible containers
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How it works
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- Sign up for your own member number to receive your refund via a direct deposit into your bank account by visiting Containers for Change (WA)
- Start collecting your eligible containers
- Drop off your eligible containers to the refund point
- The containers are counted and recorded by the operator who transfers money electronically to your nominated bank account.
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Fight the fill from the palm of your hand
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The new Containers for Change app can be downloaded from the App Store or on Google Play. It is a great tool to access on your electronic device to:
- Find the closest Containers for Change refund point
- Scan to check that your 10c containers can be returned to a Containers for Change refund point
- Save multiple member numbers to your wallet and access them with the tap of a finger
- Learn top tips on how to collect, return and donate your 10c containers
- Track the number of 10c containers you've saved, the money you've earned, and your charitable donations
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Avon Valley Cash for Containers
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Avon Valley Cash for Containers is your local refund point found within the townsite of Northam.
Find out more!
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Northam Library
Home Recyclables
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Dish and Aircare, Teeth Care, Used Toys, Pens can all be recycled at the Northam Library - 298 Fitzgerald St, Northam WA 6401.
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Household Hazardous Waste
What is household hazardous waste?
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Household hazardous waste includes unwanted household products that contain chemicals or substances that can be harmful to you, your family, your pets, or the environment.
Hazardous waste can be dangerous at every stage of its ‘life’; this is because these materials could:
- Cause poisoning or severe burns if swallowed, inhaled or contacts skin
- React with other chemicals or heat and cause fire or toxic fumes
- Leak on the ground and contaminate the soil or groundwater
- Injure waste collectors if HHW is placed in household bins or out for verge collections
- Pollute the environment if it ends up in a landfill.
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Where to dispose of hazardous waste
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The Household Hazardous Waste Program provides 13 facilities in WA for the public to safely drop off their hazardous materials for free, including:
Toodyay - Railway Road Transfer Station
Railway Road, Toodyay
Phone: 9574 2661
Important notes:
- Do not dispose of hazardous waste in any home bin or bulk verge collection.
- Hazardous waste from commercial businesses (including small businesses) or industrial sites is not accepted.
The following outlines what household hazardous waste is accepted and what isn't accepted.
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More information and contact
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Visit WasteNet for more information about the Household Hazardous Waste Program, including the locations of other facilities in the program (you do not need to be a resident of the local Governments managing these facilities to be able to drop off your household hazardous waste for free). |
Fuel & Hydrocarbon Waste
The Shire of Northam often get enquiries about Fuel and Hydrocarbon Waste.
Unfortunately the Shire of Northam cannot accept this type of waste in its liquid form at either landfill under its legislative licence conditions. Sometimes we can accept contaminated soil after testing if it falls under the licence threshold. If youd like to know testing required please contact the Waste Projects Officer on (08) 9622 6100.
Contaminated soil can be taken to Red Hill Waste Management Facility https://www.emrc.org.au/operations-and-projects/waste-and-recycling-services/red-hill-waste-management-facility.aspx and general Fuel and Hydrocarbon Waste can be taken by HAZRAD Australia https://www.hazrad.com.au/hydrocarbon-fuel-waste. The Shire recommend you call these facilities to enquire about your exact needs.
Littering & Illegal Dumping
Litter and illegally dumped items cause harm to our community and wildlife. They attract pests, facilitate the spread of disease and cause danger to pedestrians and cyclists by blocking pathways. Rangers aim to keep the Shire clean and tidy and will issue fines for breaches of the Litter Act.
To report illegal dumping and littering, please follow these steps.
- Take note of the location.
- Take note of what you saw. We would appreciate a description of the rubbish such as size, quantity, material type. You can upload an image to our system if you have taken a photo.
- Report to the Shire via the Send, Snap, Solve app or email [email protected]
- Litter can also be reported to the Keep Australia Beautiful Council website
Tips for disposing unwanted items
If you need to dispose of unwanted items, there are many options available to you.
- Gift the good stuff and donate items to charity or sell online (e.g. via Gumtree or buy nothing Facebook groups)
- Visit a Waste Management Facility
- Book a free skip bin
Small litter
While the Shire staff regularly address litter in parks, streetscapes, and areas with high foot traffic, we encourage residents to help maintain a welcoming environment by addressing smaller litter issues that the Shire may not be able to respond to.
Bin Audits & Tagging
Bin tagging education program
2024’s bin tagging program kicks off in February. We’ll be visiting areas within the Townsites of Northam, Bakers Hill & Wundowie.
The Shire of Northam works with the WA Local Government Association (WALGA) to provide bin tagging education to randomly selected households.
The bin tagging program is new to Northam. It involves a quick look inside kerbside waste and recycling bins and then attaching a tag to bin handles to provide on-the-spot feedback for the householder.
Many Perth Local Government areas have undertaken bin tagging programs. The program is proven to substantially improve household recycling and waste management performance. Experience shows that the improvements stick which highlights the effectiveness of giving individual feedback to households.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is bin tagging?
- Bin tagging is a State Government-funded education program delivered by Local Government on a regular basis.
- Bin tagging is an education tool to provide residents with direct individualised feedback on the contents of their bin – to help them reduce their waste and recycle right.
- Educators lift the lid of your bin while it is on the kerbside waiting to be collected and assess the immediately visible contents to see whether there is any contamination
- Bins are given ‘happy’ or ‘sad’ face tags based on the presence of visible contamination in the bins. The tags include what is and isn’t accepted in the bin.
- Bin tagging is just a quick look in the bin, Educators visit around 100 bins per hour, and only look at what is immediately visible. They do not rummage or tip out the contents.
Which bins are being tagged?
- Bins in the Townsites of Northam, Bakers Hill & Wundowie have been selected for the 2024 program.
What happens if there is contamination in my bin?
- When the wrong items are in the bins, educators leave a sad face tag. Only when there is repeated severe contamination in a bin are bins taped shut and residents are asked to remove the contamination before the bin can be emptied.
What information is on the tags? (see images below for further information)
- The bin tags have been tested and standardised in order to promote consistent waste education messages across local government areas.
- There are different tags for each bin type, and they detail what is and isn’t accepted in the bin.
Why is the program being undertaken?
- There is much confusion about what goes in which bin, bin tagging clarifies any misconceptions or confusion residents may have about the bin system, while also offering positive reinforcement to households who are sorting their waste correctly.
- Experience shows that contamination decreases on repeat visits and only a handful of properties have bins that are severely contaminated. Reducing contamination in bins reduces waste service costs.
Why is recycling contamination an issue?
- It can mean that the recyclables may go to landfill as they are no longer of good quality.
- Recycling collected from the kerbside bin is sorted by a combination of people and machinery which cannot remove all contaminants.
- Recycling processors have increasingly stringent standards for acceptance of material. Decreasing contamination in the bin decreases the cost to residents of their waste services.
Is bin tagging an invasion of privacy?
- No, once your bin is on the verge, it is Local Government property. The Council has authorised the educators to look in the bin. If you have concerns about specific things, put them in bags/envelopes or rip them up.
- Educators tag approximately 100 bins per hour to gain a general overview of how the household is sorting their waste.
How do I know who the educators are?
- Educators are staff members and will be wearing a high-visibility vest.
Will there be any fines?
- No, this program is purely for educational purposes.
Will anyone be named and shamed?
- No. The educators will not have access to the names of residents and data will only be reported at a Council level.
Why can’t I bag my recyclables?
- Recyclables that are put in plastic bags in the recycling bin don’t get recycled – the recycling sorting facilities don’t open or empty the bags – instead they get sent to landfill.
What are soft plastics and why can’t they be put in my recycling bin?
- Soft plastics are scrunchable plastics often used for packaging foods.
- As of 2018, soft plastics are no longer accepted in kerbside recycling bins. Please put soft plastics into your general waste / red lidded bin.
I still have questions. Who do I contact?
- Contact the Shire of Northam Waste Management Team on (08) 9622 6100 or email [email protected].
