Detox your Home is a free service for all Victorian householders, provided by Sustainability Victoria in collaboration with local councils and funded via the landfill levy.

The service is only for Victorian householders. Detox your Home events are open to all Victorian householders no matter where you live. For farm chemicals please visit the ChemClear website and if you are a business wishing to dispose of chemicals used commercially please refer to the Yellow Pages under 'waste reduction and disposal services' for chemical disposal companies or visit https://businessrecycling.com.au/

Registration is required for some events in metropolitan Melbourne to help event planning and traffic management.

Register for free online or by calling 1300 363 744.

Once you have registered, the collection-point address will be provided. Registration is not required for events in regional Victoria.

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The Detox your Home service is only available for the disposal of household chemicals. Any business seeking to dispose of chemicals used for commercial or industrial purposes should either:

• contact a chemical collection service provider (search the Yellow Pages under 'waste reduction and disposal services')
• visit businessrecycling.com.au.

Generally the wait time is ten to twenty minutes for this service, but it could be longer depending on the time of day and the number of residents who attend.

Disposing of paint is now easier for you. Rather than wait for an annual mobile collection in your area, paint can be dropped off at permanent drop-off sites or at a Paintback site all year round.

If you are not sure of the contents of a container, label it as 'unknown chemical'. Please do not guess the chemical's name. Remember to safely handle your toxic chemicals when travelling to the event location.

There is no limit on the volume of materials you drop-off, however the maximum acceptable weight or size of any single container is 20 kilograms or 20 litres. Decanting is not permitted so bring chemicals in disposal containers.

Use your car or trailer to drop-off your toxic household chemicals. If you don’t own a car you might like to organise a group drop-off with friends, families and neighbours.

With one car, or better still a trailer, you can collectively dispose of toxic household chemicals, making your homes safer, keeping waterways cleaner, and minimising environmental pollution. Be careful to safely handle your toxic chemicals.

Chemicals pose a safety hazard if left on the street awaiting collection.

Putting household chemicals in your regular rubbish bins is dangerous. The products could explode, ignite, leak or mix with other chemicals.

It’s also dangerous to pour chemicals down the drain. The chemicals could pollute our waterways, harming animals and vegetation, contaminating our drinking water supply and making rivers and beaches unsafe for swimming.

Toxic chemicals dropped off at Detox your Home events are immediately sorted, placed in sealed drums and transported to a specialist waste treatment facility.

Every effort is made to recycle chemicals or use them for other purposes such as energy recovery. As a last resort, a small amount of chemicals will be stored in secure landfills in accordance with Environment Protection Authority (EPA) Victoria’s requirements.

There are up to 33 mobile events held at various locations across Victoria annually. If you miss a local event you can: 

• register for another upcoming collection at a location convenient to you
• use a permanent drop-off site. Some household products (paint, household batteries and fluorescent lights) can be dropped off all year round at permanent drop-off sites.

If you are unable to access any events to safely dispose of your chemicals, you might consider

• contacting a chemical collection service provider (search the Yellow Pages under 'waste reduction and disposal services')
• visit Recycling Near You website

Detox your Home events are centrally located to ensure a regular and consistent service for all Victorian householders no matter where they live.

There are up to 33 annual events providing you the option to attend a location most convenient for you. Your local council will promote and provide information for annual events in your area/region.

Highly toxic chemicals are not accepted at permanent drop-off sites. Permanent drop-off sites are not equipped to manage chemicals as they pose a high risk when combined or stored in large volumes over a period of time. Permanent sites will therefore only accept low risk products – household paint, batteries, fluorescent tubes and compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs).

Detox your Home events are designed, managed and licensed to accept chemicals.

Detox your home events are accessible at specific locations and dates as per an annual schedule; they are free to attend and accept highly toxic household chemicals only.

Permanent drop-off sites are typically located at council owned transfer stations and depots and accessible all year round; they accept household paint, batteries and fluorescent lights for free.

Contact your local council for other products you can drop off at permanent sites, associated disposal fees and opening hours.

Before attending a Detox your Home event it is important that you check the items which are accepted and not accepted at these events.

Permanent drop-off sites are typically located at council depots and transfer stations that accept other items like gas bottles, car batteries, motor oil and so on. Contact your local council for other products you can drop off at permanent sites, disposal fees and opening hours.