Where to send the weird stuff: a hard-to-recycle cheatsheet
Broken microwaves, dead batteries, preloved toys — three Aussie outfits making it stupidly simple to do the right thing.
Wish you knew where to drop off your broken microwave, fix your shoes, or rent a tent instead of buying one?
REcheck — REcheck is a free Aussie search tool that maps every nearby option to REuse, REpair, REnt, REpurpose or REcycle almost anything — before you bin it.
Pros
- Type the item, see what's within 50km — no guesswork
- Covers the full ladder: repair and rent, not just recycle
- Aussie-built, no login, no fluff
Cons
- Coverage is strongest in metro areas — patchier in regional towns
- Relies on community to flag new 'takers'
- Some listings still need a phone call to confirm hours
Cheatsheet
- 1Open recheck.au and type the item (e.g. 'microwave', 'shoes', 'cot')
- 2Set the radius to 50km and scan the map
- 3Pick the closest option and check the RE type — REpair beats REcycle
- 4Call ahead for big items to confirm drop-off times
- 5Spotted a missing local? Use 'Tag a taker' to add them
Why bother
Most stuff isn't actually rubbish — it just needed a 30-second search. REcheck turns 'I'll deal with it later' into 'done by lunchtime'.
Wish you knew where to recycle dead batteries, old solar panels, or your kid's busted tablet — and actually trust it gets recycled?
SheRecycles — SheRecycles is a field-verified recovery map for batteries, e-waste, solar and clean-tech — so you know the drop-off point is real, signposted, and actually open.
Pros
- Every point is checked in person, not scraped from a database
- Focuses on the high-stakes stuff: batteries, e-waste, solar
- Flags visibility, access and signage so you don't waste a trip
Cons
- Sydney-strongest for now while the field-mapper network grows
- Narrower scope than general recycling directories
- Some features still on a waitlist
Cheatsheet
- 1Open the SheRecycles recovery map for your suburb
- 2Filter by stream: batteries, e-waste, solar or clean-tech
- 3Check the field-verified note before driving over
- 4Bag batteries with terminals taped — never loose in the boot
- 5Drop a feedback note if signage was wrong, so the next person doesn't get burnt
Why bother
A single lithium battery in landfill can spark a fire that burns for weeks. Getting it to a verified drop-off takes 10 minutes and quietly protects the people who run our waste trucks.
Wish you knew what to do with the mountain of preloved toys your kids have outgrown — without binning them or guilt-keeping them?
Joy of Giving — Joy of Giving is a volunteer-run Aussie charity that rescues clean preloved toys and books and rehomes them to families who need them — over 25,000 a year.
Pros
- Saves toys from landfill AND gets them to families who'll love them
- Registered charity, run entirely by volunteers — 100% goes to the mission
- Partnered with multiple councils, so drop-offs are local
Cons
- Toys must be clean, complete and in good nick — no broken bits
- No soft toys or anything battery-powered with leaks
- Drop-offs happen at scheduled events, not 24/7
Cheatsheet
- 1Sort toys: clean, complete, working — anything broken goes to e-waste
- 2Check joyofgiving.net/get-involved for the next collection or toy swap
- 3Bag books separately so volunteers can sort fast
- 4Host your own toy drive at school or work using their guide
- 5Volunteer at a sort day if you want to see where the toys actually land
Why bother
Every rescued toy is one less in landfill and one more on a kid's birthday. It's the rare bit of decluttering that genuinely makes two families happier.
Know more than I do?
If you've figured out a better way, I'd love to hear it. Best tips become the next TopTip (with credit, of course).
Send me your tip
