If your home is feeling a little crowded with old clothes, broken toys, or unused gadgets, Recycle It Saturday is the perfect chance to clear it all out—together as a family. It’s a free, drive-through drop-off event where you can recycle items that don’t belong in your regular bins.

The next one is on Saturday, 23 August 2025 from 9 am to 3 pm at Alexandra Canal Depot, Alexandria. It’s open to residents in the City of Sydney, Waverley, and Woollahra council areas.

What You Can Bring

  • Clothing and textiles that are stained or torn (no bras, underwear, or swimwear)

  • Electronics like laptops, gaming consoles, kettles, and hairdryers (delete any personal data first)

  • Bikes and scooters, in any condition

  • Special recyclables like batteries, light bulbs, coffee pods, printer cartridges, X-rays, and polystyrene

  • Small metal items like pots, pans, tools, and coat hangers

It’s a drive-through system, so you don’t even need to get out of the car—perfect for mums with kids in tow.

3 Reasons This is Fun for Kids

  1. Treasure Hunt Vibes – Kids can help spot items to recycle, turning it into a fun game.

  2. Big Machines & Unloading Action – Watching staff unpack and sort everything is exciting (especially for curious minds).

  3. Planet Protectors – They’ll love knowing they’re helping animals and nature by keeping rubbish out of landfill.

3 Ways to Motivate & Reward Kids

  1. Set a Challenge – See who can find the most items to recycle from their room.

  2. Earn a Treat – Promise a trip to the playground, ice cream, or a family lunch afterwards.

  3. Make Them the Hero – Let kids hand over a special item to staff, so they feel part of the action.

Why Mums Will Love It

  • A quick, organised way to clear out clutter

  • Keeps tricky waste out of landfill

  • Teaches kids about sustainability in a hands-on way

Tip: Pack items in boxes or bags, grouping similar things together. Staff will even recycle the boxes for you.

Why It Matters

Recycle It Saturday helps households responsibly manage items that don’t belong in your curbside bins, keeps valuable resources out of landfill, and supports community reuse and charities. It’s a zero-cost, easy, and eco-positive way to do good together as a family.

Ready to declutter and recycle with purpose this August? It’s perfect timing for back-to-school cleanups and a chance to teach little ones about caring for the planet—one drop-off at a time.

Family Recycling Checklist – Recycle It Saturday
Use this checklist to get the whole family involved in finding items to recycle for Recycle It Saturday. Kids can tick off each item as they find it and help pack it ready for drop-off.

Clothing & Textiles

☐ Torn T-shirts or pants
☐ Stained clothing
☐ Old blankets or sheets
☐ Fabric hats
☐ Sleeping bags

Electronics & Batteries

☐ Old mobile phones
☐ Laptops or tablets (data deleted)
☐ Gaming consoles
☐ Small kitchen appliances (kettles, toasters)
☐ Hairdryers or straighteners
☐ Loose batteries (taped terminals)

Special Recyclables

☐ Aluminium coffee pods (bagged)
☐ Printer cartridges
☐ Light bulbs (wrapped)
☐ Polystyrene packaging
☐ X-rays or MRI scans
☐ Camera film (no photos)

Bikes & Scooters

☐ Kids’ bikes (working or broken)
☐ Scooters
☐ Balance bikes

Small Metal Items (<10kg)

☐ Old pots and pans
☐ Keys
☐ Tools
☐ Wire coat hangers
☐ Metal jewellery (no gems or pearls)

When & Where:

The next Recycle It Saturday is happening on Saturday, 23 August 2025, from 9 am to 3 pm at Alexandra Canal Depot (67C Bourke Road, Alexandria) City of Sydney+11City of Sydney+11City of Sydney – What’s On+11. It’s free and part of a handy quarterly drop-off initiative!

Who Can Go?
Open to residents of City of Sydney, Waverley, and Woollahra—just show proof of residence when you arrive. Note: it’s not open to businesses City of Sydney+9City of Sydney+9City of Sydney+9.

What happens to items dropped off at Recycle It Saturday – Sat 25 Nov