Have you heard of Brisbane’s Good Neighbour Clean-up Scheme? If you haven’t, it might be something either you could look into for yourself or for someone you know.
So, what is it?
The new scheme is aimed to help our most vulnerable and elderly residents. By offering a free scheduled kerbside collection service to those to fit the criteria, it’s Brisbane councils way of “giving back” to our senior residents. The kerbside collection is for items that are too heavy or bulky to be disposed of by vulnerable residents. The scheme originally ran off volunteering alone. However, it now utilises local contractors to pick up bulky items to assist eligible residents to dispose of their unwanted household items.
Be sure to consider weather or not you would prefer to sell your items online in Facebook, marketplace or Gumtree groups before deciding to use this service.
What kind of items can be collected?
The items listed below are examples of items that are eligible for collection.
- Bath and laundry tubs
- Bikes and sporting equipment
- Carpet and rugs
- Electronic waste
- Furniture
- Mattresses
- Small household appliances
- White goods
- Wood products.
Items that WILL NOT be considered for collection
The following items will not be collected by the service:
- Bricks, concrete, dirt and stones
- Car parts, tyres and batteries
- Commercial builders waste
- Garden waste
- Gas bottles
- Glass and mirrors
- Household waste and recycling that could be disposed of in a household rubbish or recycling bin
- Linoleum and fibro sheeting potentially containing asbestos
- Liquid and household hazardous waste (e.g. asbestos, paint, chemicals, oils).
Am I eligible?
To be eligible, applicants must:
- Live in the Brisbane City Council area.
- Be over 60 years of age and are frail.
- Have a disability (no age restrictions apply).
- Have no friends, family or neighbours who can assist, and have no access to alternative support in the home.
- Not have received a collection under this service in the last 12 months.
How to organise the service
- Call Brisbane City Council on 07 3403 8888. to make a collection request.
- Provide your details to Council and receive a call back within seven days with an update on the service request and to confirm the types of items to be disposed of.
- Once your collection is scheduled, items can be placed out on your kerbside for collection. They will not be collected from inside your property boundary or home.
- Only place items on the kerbside after you have your scheduled collection time and on that specific day.
What if I’m not eligible?
If you don’t qualify for this service, there are other options for you. Some of these include donating to charity (Some Brisbane charities including Lifeline and the Salvation Army offer a free pick-up service for pre-loved furniture), selling (or giving away) your items online, take the items to your local resource recovery centre or tip shop.
All of the information above was sourced from Brisbane City Council’s web page detailing the Good Neighbour Clean-up scheme. Visit their page for further information.
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