At a glance
- Who it’s for
- Sunshine Coast households with a load for the tip: a garden clean-out, a renovation, old electronics or furniture to give away
- What to do now
- The council says recyclables and many household items are free to drop off, and that loads with mixed waste streams are charged at the higher general rate
- Open 7 days
- Beerwah (8am to 5pm), Buderim (7am to 5pm), Caloundra (7am to 5pm), Nambour (7am to 5pm)
- Weekend and part-week sites
- Kenilworth, Mapleton, Witta and Yandina, with hours listed below
- Green waste
- Not free: $9 for a small load, $20 for a medium load, $37 for a large load
- Last checked
- Monday 9 November 2026, against the Sunshine Coast Council waste pages
- Not yet confirmed
- General waste prices: the council’s pages point to PDF fee brochures and its fees and charges list rather than a table on the page
Sunshine Coast Council runs eight waste disposal and resource recovery centres, and four of them are open seven days a week. Beerwah, Buderim, Caloundra and Nambour take loads every day except Christmas Day, while Kenilworth, Mapleton, Witta and Yandina open for part of the week. Green waste is not free: the council charges $9 for a small load, $20 for a medium load and $37 for a large load. This guide uses the council’s own waste pages, checked on Monday 9 November 2026. Times are Queensland time, which has no daylight saving.
Where are the Sunshine Coast tips and when are they open?
| Site | Address | Tip hours |
|---|---|---|
| Beerwah resource recovery centre | 121 Roberts Road, Beerwah | 8am to 5pm, 7 days |
| Buderim resource recovery centre | Syd Lingard Drive, Buderim | 7am to 5pm, 7 days |
| Caloundra landfill and resource recovery centre | 171 Pierce Avenue, Caloundra | 7am to 5pm, 7 days |
| Nambour landfill and recovery centre | Cooney Road, Nambour | 7am to 5pm, 7 days |
| Kenilworth transfer station | Brooloo Road, Kenilworth | 8am to 1pm, Saturday and Sunday |
| Mapleton transfer station | Delicia Road, Mapleton | 8am to 1pm, Friday, Saturday and Sunday |
| Witta resource recovery centre | Corner of Cooke and Witta Roads, Witta | 8am to 5pm, Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday |
| Yandina transfer station | Browns Creek Road, Yandina | 9am to 2pm, Saturday and Sunday |
Every site is closed on Christmas Day. The council says all eight accept EFTPOS and credit cards, and that no cheques are accepted. Two sites list limits on what they take:
- Buderim takes no trucks with general waste unless they are hand unloaded, and only tips metal, green waste and concrete for recycling.
- At Nambour, trucks and waste greater than 4.5 tonne are not accepted. The council says the Nambour landfill is not yet open for commercial trucks, and asks vehicles over 4.5 tonne GVM to use the Caloundra facility, because the site is part of the Nambour waste precinct project.
When do the recycle markets open?
Five of the eight sites have a recycle market next to the tip, where the council says you can find furniture, homewares, sporting equipment and building materials that are brand new or hardly used. Kenilworth, Nambour and Yandina have no recycle market.
| Recycle market | Opening hours |
|---|---|
| Beerwah | 9am to 2pm, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday |
| Buderim | 8am to 4pm, Wednesday to Saturday; 10am to 3pm, Sunday |
| Caloundra | 8am to 4pm, Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday; 10am to 3pm, Sunday |
| Mapleton | 8am to 1pm, Friday, Saturday and Sunday |
| Witta | 9am to 2pm, Saturday |
On public holidays the Buderim and Caloundra markets open from 9am to 4pm, except on Good Friday, Anzac Day, Labour Day and Christmas Day, when the council says they are closed. The Beerwah, Mapleton and Witta markets are also closed on those four days. For the Buderim market, the council warns that vehicles waiting to enter before 8am must not queue on the roundabout or restrict access to the hospital.
The council’s rules for shoppers are short: wear closed-in footwear, take everything you buy on the day, and bring a friend to help load bulky items such as furniture.
What can I drop off for free?
The council’s tips have a resource recovery area where many items can be dropped off free of charge. For domestic customers, the council lists the following as free to dispose of:
| Item | Accepted at, according to the council |
|---|---|
| Anything accepted in the yellow lid recycling bin | All council tips |
| Scrap metal, such as roofing iron and bicycles | No site limit listed |
| White goods, such as fridges (degassing is not required) | No site limit listed |
| Clothing, via the charity bin | Beerwah, Buderim and Caloundra |
| Engine oil, up to 20 litres | No site limit listed |
| Cooking oil, up to 20 litres | Beerwah, Buderim, Caloundra and Nambour |
| Paint, up to 100 litres | Beerwah, Buderim, Caloundra and Nambour |
| Household chemicals, up to 20 litres | Beerwah, Buderim, Caloundra and Nambour |
| Electronic waste, including printers, TVs and computers | No site limit listed |
| Printer cartridges | All sites except Kenilworth and Yandina |
| Mobile phones, chargers and cords | No site limit listed |
| Gas bottles | All sites except Kenilworth |
| Car batteries | No site limit listed |
| Fluorescent lamps | Beerwah, Buderim, Caloundra and Nambour |
The council says its waste strategy focuses on keeping recyclable items out of landfill and giving items the longest life possible.
Is green waste free on the Sunshine Coast?
No. The council’s FAQ says it does not have free disposal of green waste, also called garden waste, at the tips. The prices are:
| Green waste load | Price |
|---|---|
| Small load | $9 |
| Medium load | $20 |
| Large load | $37 |
The council does not define small, medium and large on the page. It suggests a cheaper route for regular garden waste: order a second garden organics bin. Each bin can take 80 kilograms of green waste, collected every fortnight from the kerb.
How can I pay less at the tip?
The council says loads containing mixed waste streams are charged at the higher general disposal fee. Keeping garden organics separate from general waste, or soils separate from concrete and clean plasterboard, lets you pay the lower fee for each stream. It also says you can drop off re-usable and recyclable items for free in the sorting area and save on tip charges.
For prices on other loads, the council points to its Transfer station waste disposal charges brochure, its Landfill waste disposal charges brochure and the full fees and charges list for 2026-27. Those prices are not repeated on the waste facilities page, so this guide does not list them.
Why does the council charge for tip loads?
The council says it operates under a transparent pricing policy and does not cross-subsidise landfill costs through higher wheelie bin charges. Its FAQ says rates do not include the cost of excess waste disposal at landfills, which is charged on a user-pays basis, and that disposal fees vary with the rising costs of running the services. Commercial waste is subject to the Queensland waste levy, and the council notes that falsely declaring commercial waste is an offence with a penalty of up to $39,165. Commercial credit accounts are accepted at all sites except Kenilworth and Yandina.
What are the rules on site?
The conditions of entry apply at all eight sites, including the recycle markets, and anyone who enters agrees to follow them. The main ones:
- Enclosed footwear is mandatory; bare feet, thongs and sandals are not permitted.
- Children must be supervised and remain in the vehicle at all times, and animals must be restrained and remain in vehicles.
- Obey the displayed speed limits and give way to site machinery.
- Dispose of waste only in the approved locations; reload fees apply to waste that is incorrectly declared or put in the wrong area.
- Smoking, vaping and lighting fires are prohibited.
- Scavenging and unauthorised disposal are prohibited.
The sites have 24-hour CCTV, and staff can refuse entry, ban a person from one or more centres, or take the matter to prosecution. A person who is banned can appeal in writing to the council’s Chief Executive Officer within 7 days, and must be told the decision within 28 days. The council’s contact number for enquiries is 07 5475 72 72.
For car parks elsewhere on the Sunshine Coast, see our guides to PARKnGO Mooloolaba Central and PARKnGO Lightning Lane cover those car parks.
Sources
- Sunshine Coast Council — Waste and recycling facilities (addresses, hours, recycle markets, green waste fees, FAQs; checked 9 November 2026)
- Sunshine Coast Council — Items with free disposal
- Sunshine Coast Council — Waste facilities Conditions of Entry
- Sunshine Coast Council — Fees and charges (full list of waste fees)
Featured image: aerial panorama of Maleny facing Lake Baroon, Queensland, photographed in 2023 (photo: Bob Tan / CC BY 4.0) (text added)
OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with Sunshine Coast Council. Hours and fees are as the council’s waste pages listed them on 9 November 2026.