Willoughby City Council

Council clean-up rules last checked: June 2026.

Willoughby City Council provides each household with three automatic scheduled kerbside collections per year and one separate booked collection. Both are capped at 2 cubic metres and nothing longer than 2 metres is accepted. Mattresses and ensemble bases are not part of either service but have their own separate free booking. TVs, computers, and all other e-waste are excluded from both services. If you have items the council will not collect, more than 2 cubic metres to move, or cannot wait for a booking slot, Paul's Rubbish removes it same-day across Willoughby.

The scheduled service runs automatically three times per calendar year, no booking is needed. Items must be placed on the nature strip by Sunday evening of your collection week and labelled with a scheduled clean-up label. Collections run Monday to Friday of that week.

The one annual booked collection is arranged online and lets you pick a date. Willoughby Council recommends booking at least one month in advance to secure a preferred slot. Items go on the nature strip the night before the collection date.

Most items collected through the scheduled and booked services go straight to landfill. Selling or passing on good-condition items before putting them out is worth considering.

Scheduled vs Booked

• How many per year: 3 scheduled (runs automatically) vs 1 booked.
• How to start: scheduled needs no booking; booked is online, choose a date.
• How far in advance: scheduled happens in your allocated week; booked recommends at least 1 month.
• When items go out: scheduled is Sunday evening of collection week; booked is the night before your booked date.
• Labelling: scheduled requires a scheduled clean-up label; booked just place items on the nature strip.
• Vegetation: not included in scheduled; a separate booking as vegetation under booked.

How to prepare for Willoughby City Council kerbside pick up

When planning to get rid of large household junk with the Willoughby City Council, here is a checklist of things that you must comply with in order for a successful collection.

• Your unwanted waste is accepted by the Willoughby City Council (see below)
• The pile is less than 2 cubic metre in volume
• Small and loose items should be in bags or boxes
• Items must not be longer than 2 metres
• All white goods must have their doors removed
• All items must be clearly labelled to avoid penalties from illegal dumping
• The pile is not obstructing any walkway or path

Household items accepted by Willoughby City Council

Scheduled and booked, household goods:

• Household furniture (except mattresses and ensemble bases)
• Small appliances
• Soft furnishings
• Carpet and linoleum, must be cut into 1-metre lengths and bundled, maximum 0.5 cubic metres
• Other non-recyclable household items
• Whitegoods and metal items, e.g. fridge, washing machine, remove doors from whitegoods before placing on the nature strip

Booked collection, vegetation (separate category, book separately):

• Bundled and tied garden organics, maximum 1 metre in length
• Tree prunings and loppings
• Untreated timber
• Christmas trees
• Palings without nails, maximum 0.5 cubic metres

Household items NOT accepted by Willoughby City Council

• TVs, computers, and all e-waste, not accepted; use the council's A-Z recycling guide or Sustainable options list for disposal options
• Batteries, including embedded batteries in toys and appliances
• Mattresses and ensemble bases, see the separate free mattress booking service below
• Items longer than 2 metres
• General household waste and small household items
• Cardboard
• Hazardous materials, gas bottles, asbestos, liquids (paint, chemicals, oil)
• Building materials, bricks, concrete, roofing
• Car batteries and car parts; tyres
• Mirrors and sheets of glass
• Polystyrene (Styrofoam)
• Vegetation: branches greater than 75mm in diameter
• Vegetation: branches or untreated wood in sections longer than 1 metre
• Painted or chemically treated timber
• Whole wood pallets; whole fences; timber with nails

Mattresses and ensemble bases have their own separate free booking. They are not collected through the standard scheduled or booked kerbside clean-up. Book the dedicated mattress service at willoughby.nsw.gov.au/Residents/Waste-and-recycling/Booked-mattress-collections.

Which suburbs does Willoughby City Council cover?

The Willoughby City Council covers 15 suburbs and an area of approximately 22.6 km squared with a population of over 74,000 (2016 census).

• Artarmon
• Castle Cove
• Castlecrag
• Chatswood
• Chatswood West (shared with City of Ryde)
• East Willoughby
• Gore Hill (shared with Municipality of Lane Cove)
• Middle Cove
• Lane Cove North (shared with Municipality of Lane Cove)
• Naremburn
• North Willoughby
• Northbridge
• Roseville (shared with Ku-ring-gai Council)
• St Leonards (shared with Municipality of Lane Cove and North Sydney Council)
• Willoughby

The alternative option

Willoughby's annual booked slot requires at least a month's notice and fills up during peak periods. The three scheduled collections run in fixed council-allocated weeks, you don't choose when. If you have mattresses to move, items the council excludes, or a full property clear-out that won't wait for your next scheduled week, Paul's Rubbish is a same-day option.

Book before 10am and we can be there the same day. There's no separate mattress booking, we remove mattresses in the same job with no extra charge. No volume cap, no kerbside-only restriction: we hand-remove from inside the garage, spare room, or backyard and take what the council will not. Request a free quote on 0407 125 125.

Council vs Paul's

• Collections: the Council offers 3 scheduled per year (fixed weeks) + 1 booked per year; Paul's is any day.
• Wait for a booking: the Council recommends at least 1 month in advance; Paul's is same-day if booked before 10am.
• Volume: the Council caps 2 cubic metres per collection; Paul's has no volume limit.
• Mattresses: the Council requires a separate free booking; Paul's removes them in the same job, no extra charge.
• Access: the Council is kerbside only, crews cannot enter premises; Paul's carries it out from inside.
• Items they exclude: the Council leaves you to arrange separately; Paul's takes what the council won't.

Why Willoughby residents call Paul's: over 15 years clearing Sydney homes, public liability insured, a 100% satisfaction guarantee, and over 400 Google reviews. Free quotes, no volume limit, same-day service across Willoughby and the North Shore.