Your options for rubbish removal in Nowra
In short: For a big clean-up, a skip bin is usually the simplest way to remove household or garden waste. For a few bulky items or a trailer of garden waste, council's depot or its booked pick-up service may be enough.
Most Nowra households have three ways to get rid of more rubbish than fits in their bins:
- A skip bin, delivered to your driveway and taken away when you're done.
- Taking it to the tip yourself, at Shoalhaven City Council's West Nowra Recycling & Waste Depot.
- Council's green and bulky waste collection, a booked, paid pick-up from outside your property.
Which one makes sense depends on how much you have, what it is, and whether you have a trailer and the time to do the runs.
Option 1: a skip bin
In short: A skip suits jobs with a lot of mixed rubbish, heavy waste or many trips' worth of garden waste, because you load it at your own pace and it's taken away in one go.
A skip sits on your driveway (or on the street with council approval) for an agreed hire period. You can fill it over a few days, and you don't need a trailer, a ute or anyone to lift heavy items onto a truck. Skips can also take things council's pick-up won't, such as building materials, soil, concrete and carpet, as long as you choose the right bin and tell the operator. They can't take asbestos, gas bottles, batteries, tyres or chemicals in a normal load. See what can go in a skip and the size guide.
For a deceased estate, a house move or a big garage or shed job, see our clean-outs guide.
Option 2: the West Nowra tip
In short: If you have a trailer and only a load or two, you can take rubbish to council's West Nowra depot yourself.
Shoalhaven City Council's West Nowra Recycling & Waste Depot is at 120 Flatrock Road, Mundamia. Council lists it as open 8am to 5pm every day, closed on public holidays except Easter Monday. It has a weighbridge, landfill, garden waste drop-off, textile recycling and a Community Recycling Centre for household problem waste. It's a cashless site. Asbestos is accepted by appointment only. Council also runs smaller depots around the Shoalhaven.
Eligible ratepayers get two household waste vouchers and two garden waste vouchers with their rates notice every July. Council says each voucher covers up to 300 kg at a depot with a weighbridge (or up to 1 m³ at a depot without one) and is valid until 31 July the following year. Pre-sorting your recycling at the depot can make your vouchers go further.
Option 3: council's green and bulky waste collection
In short: Council will collect excess garden waste or bulky household items from outside your property, but you have to book and pay first, and there are limits on what it takes.
Shoalhaven City Council runs a booked green and bulky waste collection for residents. You book and pay before putting anything out, then leave items just outside your fence or property boundary, not on the footpath or near the road. Household and garden waste vouchers can be used to pay.
- Bulky items it takes: furniture, mattresses (wrapped in plastic), whitegoods and electrical items, bikes, toys, garden tools, rolled rugs and general household items. Each item must be safe for two people to carry.
- Garden waste it takes: bagged or boxed grass and leaves, and small prunings tied in bundles up to 1 m long. Logs or branches over 150 mm across aren't accepted.
- What it won't take: bricks, concrete, rocks, soil, building materials, carpet, car batteries, gas bottles, oils, tyres, pallets, chemicals and anything that may contain asbestos.
What about my red and yellow bins?
In short: Your kerbside bins are for everyday rubbish and recycling, not clean-ups.
Shoalhaven households have a red-lid landfill bin collected weekly and a yellow-lid recycling bin collected fortnightly. Shoalhaven doesn't have a separate green garden bin. Council says garden waste can go in the red bin, and it offers the depots and the booked collection for larger amounts.
So which is easier?
In short: Pick a skip for big, mixed or heavy jobs. Use the depot or council's pick-up for small amounts of the waste they accept.
- A skip bin usually makes sense for a full clean-out, a renovation, heavy waste like soil or concrete, or when you don't have a trailer or the time for several tip runs.
- The depot suits one or two trailer loads, especially if you have vouchers to use.
- Council's pick-up suits a few bulky items or a little extra garden waste that two people can carry.
Want to compare? Request a free skip quote and weigh it up against the other options.
Frequently asked questions
What is the easiest way to get rid of a lot of rubbish in Nowra?
It depends on how much you have and what it is. For one or two loads, a trailer run to the West Nowra depot, using your council waste vouchers if you have them, may be enough. For a big clean-out, heavy waste or many loads, a skip bin is often the easier option, because you load it at your own pace and it's taken away in one trip.
Where is the tip in Nowra?
Shoalhaven City Council's West Nowra Recycling & Waste Depot is at 120 Flatrock Road, Mundamia. Council lists it as open 8am to 5pm every day, closed on public holidays except Easter Monday. It's a cashless site.
Does Shoalhaven City Council pick up bulky rubbish?
Yes, through its booked green and bulky waste collection. You book and pay first (vouchers can be used), then leave items just outside your fence or property boundary. Items must be safe for two people to carry, and building materials, soil, carpet, tyres, chemicals and asbestos aren't accepted.
Can I use my council waste vouchers for a skip bin?
Council says its household and garden waste vouchers are for its recycling and waste depots and its booked green and bulky collection. Private skip hire isn't one of the listed uses.
Does Shoalhaven have a green waste bin?
No. Council says garden waste can go in your red-lid bin. For more than that, you can take it to a depot's garden waste drop-off, book council's garden waste collection, or hire a green waste skip.
Can a skip bin take building rubbish and soil?
Usually, yes, which is one reason people choose a skip over council's pick-up. Heavy waste such as soil, concrete and bricks normally needs a smaller bin with a weight limit, and asbestos can never go in a general skip. Tell the operator what you have when you request a quote.
Do I need a permit for a skip bin on the street in Nowra?
A skip wholly on your own property generally doesn't need council approval. A skip on the road, footpath or nature strip is different. See our council skip permits guide for what Shoalhaven City Council requires.
Ready to book? Request a free quote. See also clean-outs or go back to the Nowra skip bins homepage.
Where this information comes from
- Shoalhaven City Council: Green and bulky waste collection services
- Shoalhaven City Council: Household and garden waste vouchers
- Shoalhaven City Council: West Nowra Recycling & Waste Depot
- Shoalhaven City Council: Your waste services (red bin, garden waste, why no green bin)
- Shoalhaven City Council: Fees and charges (kerbside service description) (PDF)
Council services, hours and rules change. Check with the council or facility before you rely on them. Checked 26 October 2026.