Waste & recycling centres
Kempsey Shire Council operates four waste and recycling centres, where you can use your free waste vouchers to dispose of unwanted items.
The Kempsey Waste Management Centre on Crescent Head Road takes household, commercial, industrial, building and demolition waste.
The three waste transfer stations at South West Rocks, Stuarts Point and Bellbrook take household waste (including materials which can be recycled) only.
You can view the locations and opening hours of your nearest centre below.
For fees, read Council’s Schedule of Fees and Charges(PDF, 3MB)
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PLEASE NOTE:
The Mobile Community Recycling Centre is no longer in operation. The trailer's last visit was September 27 2022.
Residents can continue to recycle their problem household wastes such as oils, e-waste and batteries for free at their local waste facility. To check what you can drop off for free please visit www.ksc.pub/recycle.
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Where are the waste and recycling centres and when are they open?
See the waste & recycling centre opening hours and locations page by clicking this link.
Recycling
Council offers many free services to our community for recycling and safe disposal of household problem waste, saving valuable landfill space. Many materials can be reused and recycled if processed correctly.
Pre-sorting your rubbish before arriving at any waste facility can significantly reduce your disposal charges, since many recyclables and problem wastes are taken free of charge.
Recycle for free at the Kempsey Waste Management Centre and the three transfer stations throughout the Shire
* cannot be dropped off at Bellbrook Waste Transfer Centre
- lead acid batteries and dry cell single use or rechargeable batteries *
- e-waste, including TVs, DVDs, VCRs, CDs, hi-fis, game consoles and accessories, MP3 players, laptops, PCs and peripherals, tablets, digital cameras, video cameras, computer monitors, printers and scanners
- gas bottles and fire extinguishers (under 25L capacity) *
- household paint *
- metal, including items with high metal content like whitegoods, electrical cords, car parts and wire
- mobile phones, including chargers and headsets *
- oil (keep motor, hydraulic and transmission oils separate from cooking oils) *
- paper and cardboard
- printer cartridges *
- radioactive smoke alarms *
- recyclable containers like cans, bottles, jars and cartons
- fluorescent lighting such as mercury-containing globes or tubes *
Free services at the Kempsey Waste Management Centre only
- drumMUSTER recycling
- household chemical safe disposal
- needles and syringes disposal
Kempsey Waste Management Centre landfill
We have created a list of Frequently Asked Questions to explain the impact to residents and waste companies.
Why does the landfill and asbestos area at the Kempsey Waste Management Centre need to close?
The current landfill at WMC on Crescent Head Road was scheduled to reach capacity around 1 January 2023. Although the landfill is almost at capacity the closure has been extended to mid to late April 2023.
Will the entire Kempsey Waste Management Centre be closed?
Only the landfill and the asbestos burial areas at the WMC will be closed.
The waste transfer station and resource recovery at the site will continue to operate. Operating hours remain the same.
Who will the closure impact?
Residents will not be impacted. Domestic bin collections will operate as usual. Domestic loads of waste will also continue to be accepted.
The closure will affect companies disposing of commercial and industrial and construction and demolition waste.
Skip bins greater than 9 cubic metres will not be accepted. This waste will need to go to the Cairncross Waste Management Centre.
Any separated and sorted recycled or recoverable waste can be dropped off at the WMC.
Contractors such as Cleanaway, JR Richards, EZY Waste, demolition companies, private waste companies, Council, disposing of asbestos and other waste transporters will be impacted. Any natural disaster waste material will not be accepted and will also need to be transported to Cairncross.
Will my red bin collection be impacted?
No, the residential kerbside pickup will continue as per your usual collection day.
What will continue to be accepted at the Kempsey Waste Management Centre?
The following will be accepted. Applicable fees and charges will apply.
- Recyclables at the Community Recycling Centre
- Skip bins less than 9 cubic metres
- Recyclables or eligible for resource recovery
- Tip vouchers
- Green waste and soil
- Concrete, steel and metal
- E-waste including computer monitors, televisions and printers
- Waste from charities
What is Construction and Demolition waste?
Construction and demolition waste means building waste materials including but not limited to
- Insulation
- Lumber (milled timber)
- Treated or painted wood
- Wiring
- Plastics
- Packaging
- Asbestos
- Concrete, bricks and tiles
- Rubble resulting from construction
- Remodelling such as shopfitting and renovations
What is Commercial and Industrial?
This is waste generated from industries including:
- Manufacturing and industrial processes
- Wholesale or retail trading
- Hospitality services including catering
- Activities carried out by charities
- Events including concerts and other entertainment
- Accommodation services
- Primary industries including agricultural, forestry and fishing
- Education services
Can I still drop off my recycling at the Kempsey Waste Management Centre?
Items that can’t go into the yellow or green bins, but can be recycled, can be dropped off for free at the Community Recycling Centre (CRC) at the Centre.
The following can be dropped off for free at any waste transfer station. Those with an* cannot be dropped off at the Bellbrook Waste Transfer Station:
- lead acid batteries and dry cell single use or rechargeable batteries*
- e-waste, including TVs, DVDs, VCRs, CDs, hi-fis, game consoles and accessories, MP3 players, laptops, PCs and peripherals, tablets, digital cameras, video cameras, computer monitors, printers and scanners
- gas bottles and fire extinguishers (under 25L capacity) *
- household paint *
- metal, including items with high metal content like whitegoods, electrical cords, car parts and wire
- mobile phones, including chargers and headsets *
- oil (keep motor, hydraulic and transmission oils separate from cooking oils) *
- paper and cardboard
- polystyrene, such as bean bag fill, packing material, produce boxes, fruit and vegetable packing trays
- printer cartridges *
- radioactive smoke alarms *
- recyclable containers like cans, bottles, jars and cartons
- fluorescent lighting such as mercury-containing globes or tubes*
Can I drop off items that can be reused or repurposed?
Certain items that can be repurposed or reused such as bricks, tiles, concrete and soil will still be accepted.
Can I still use the drumMuster service?
Businesses can continue to use the drumMuster service for the recycling of eligible non-returnable metal or plastic containers where the capacity of the container is at least 1L/Kg but not greater than 205L/Kg of declared content in the packaging of crop production and animal health products used for:
- agricultural and livestock production
- industrial and recreational pest and weed control
- forestry
- household pest control operations
- government authorities
Will Council transport materials or pay for my transport costs?
Unfortunately, Council is not in a position to transport asbestos, Commercial and Industrial Waste, and Construction and Demolition Waste.
How do I get free waste vouchers?
To help you dispose of household waste, Council has a free waste voucher program for all properties with a domestic waste service.
Two vouchers are sent out with your annual rates notice and are valid for a year.
Terms and conditions
Each voucher allows free disposal of general household and green waste up to a maximum quantity of a heaped 6 x 4 trailer (<1.0m³).
Please keep your vouchers in a safe place, as they cannot be reissued.
Are you a landlord or managing agent? Council asks you to pass the vouchers on to your valued tenants so they can better manage their household waste and keep properties in good order.
Where to use your free vouchers
Waste vouchers can be used at the Kempsey Waste Management Centre or the waste transfer stations at South West Rocks, Stuarts Point and Bellbrook.
Learn about Return and Earn
Return and Earn is a container deposit scheme designed to reduce litter across New South Wales. You can earn 10 cents for every eligible container you take to an approved collection point.
Return and Earn is an initiative of the NSW Environment Protection Authority.
How does Return and Earn work?
- Collect your eligible bottles and cans.
- Take your containers to a return point.
- Earn a refund of 10 cents for each container.
Which containers are eligible?
You can get a refund for most containers between 150 millilitres and 3 litres. Eligible containers include:
- cans
- bottles
- cartons
- juice boxes or poppers
Containers should be empty, have the label attached and be intact (not crushed).
You can’t get a refund for containers not included in the scheme, such as:
- milk containers
- juice containers over 1 litre
- glass wine bottles
- glass spirit bottles
- cordial bottles
These should be put in your yellow bin for recycling.
Where are the return points near me?
In Kempsey Shire, there are return vending machines at:
- 47 South St, South Kempsey
- 10 Stuart Street, Kempsey
- Kempsey Golf Club, 330 Macleay Valley Way, Kempsey
- Corner of Gregory Street and Spencers Creek Road, South West Rocks.
You can search for return points at www.returnandearn.org.au . Enter your town or suburb into the search box to find collection points near you.
Can I still use my yellow bin?
You can still put containers in your yellow bin for recycling. You will not be eligible for a refund for any containers you put in your yellow bin.
Where can I find more information?
Visit the Return and Earn website.