Household problem waste recycling services and events disrupted

The St Mary’s facility is a key processing site for household problem waste, including paint, gas bottles, batteries, cooking oils, and other materials commonly collected from CleanOut events and CRCs, services jointly run by local councils and the NSW EPA.

Due to the temporary closure of the St Mary’s facility, the following services are currently impacted:

• NSW Household Chemical CleanOut events scheduled for February and March – 11 have been cancelled in metropolitan areas and 15 in the Northern Inland region.
• Community Recycling Centre services in Sydney, the Blue Mountains, and Newcastle – six CRCs in these areas have closed and several others are operating with reduced services.

Households are encouraged to check with their local council or visit the EPA website for the latest information before visiting a CRC.

If your local CRC is closed or operating with reduced capacity, household problem waste should be safely stored in a cool, dry place, in clearly labelled containers, and kept out of reach of children and pets until services resume.

The NSW EPA is currently working with Cleanaway and local councils to resume all services as soon as it is safe to do so. Updates will be posted on our website as more information becomes available: Find CRCs or Chemical CleanOut events

An EPA investigation into the cause of the February fire has commenced. Cleanaway has also been issued a clean-up notice requiring them to address onsite issues and any potential offsite impacts of the fire.

As of 24 February 2025, the following eight CRCs are currently closed:

Blaxland, Buttonderry (Central Coast), Canada Bay, Katoomba, Leichhardt, Lismore, St Peters and  Newcastle.

The following CRCs are currently offering a reduced collection service:

Artarmon, Awaba (Lake Macquarie), Bungendore, Camden, Cessnock, Hornsby, Kiama, Liverpool, Queanbeyan, Randwick, Wingecarribee and Wollongong.