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Household Chemical CleanOut

Household Chemical CleanOut

The leftover chemicals in your home – including paints, solvents, pesticides and even cleaning products – can be hazardous and should be disposed of safely.

The safest approach is to take them to our Chemical CleanOut collection, run by the City of Sydney and NSW Office of Environment & Heritage.

Collection details

Date: Sunday 8 July 2012

Time: 9.00am - 3pm

Where: Old South Sydney Hospital, 3 Joynton Avenue, Zetland

Enter from Portman Street

What to take

The chemicals and other products listed below are accepted at CleanOuts.

  • 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 (e.g. photographic chemicals)
  • Gas bottles
  • Fire extinguishers
  • Fluorescent lamps
  • Light globes
  • Smoke alarms

Only household quantities are accepted (the maximum container size is 20kg or 20L). Please transport your items carefully and stay in your vehicle at the drop off site – an attendant will come to you.

Remember, computers, mobile phones, cameras and other electronic goods are not accepted at CleanOut – keep them until the next e-waste drop off day.

Can't make it to this collection? Find other drop-off points Sydney-wide.

Visit the Household Chemical CleanOut website or call the NSW Environment Line on 131 555.

2011 drop-off collection


Watch the video from last year's collection:

The City's annual Household Chemical CleanOut collection 2011 was a great success with more than 450 of you dropping off dangerous chemicals throughout the day including:

  • 4,000 tins containing almost 10,000 litres of paint
  • 1,300 kgs of oil
  • 1,000 kgs of batteries
  • 734 propane gas bottles containing 817 kgs of gas
  • Almost 300 kgs of various poisons
  • 360 kgs of unknown chemicals and general liquids


To date the City has collected more than 43 tonnes of potentially hazardous household chemicals. Many chemicals are recycled. Others need to be disposed of correctly and safely; if sent to landfill, DDT and toxic elements such as mercury, cadmium and lead could leach into the environment.

Related links

Household Chemical CleanOut

NSW Office of Environment & Heritage

Last Updated: Wednesday 9 May, 2012

Please Note:
While care is taken to ensure accuracy, the City of Sydney cannot guarantee that information expressed here is correct and recommends that users exercise their own skill and care with respect to its use. The City of Sydney makes no warranty or undertaking, whether expressed or implied, nor does it assume any legal liability, whether direct or indirect.