Residents in Artarmon and surrounding areas are being advised of the temporary restrictions for paints, oils, and several other hazardous materials at the Artarmon Recycling Centre following a significant industrial fire last month.
The massive blaze at the Cleanaway Chemical Waste Recycling Facility in St Marys, which erupted in February, required more than 100 firefighters to control as gas cylinders and chemicals exploded up to 60 meters into the air. This incident has disrupted recycling services across Sydney, including the Waltham Street facility in Artarmon.
Photo Credit: Facebook / Rick Turner
“Due to the industrial fire at Cleanaway Chemical Waste Recycling Facility in St Marys, the CRC will not be accepting paint, oils, light globes, gas cylinders, household batteries, embedded batteries and aerosols at this time,” a spokesperson confirmed.
The Artarmon Community Recycling Centre has implemented temporary restrictions on several items:
- Water and oil-based paints
- Motor and cooking oils
- Gas bottles, aerosols, and fire extinguishers
- Fluorescent, halogen, and LED globes and tubes
- Household and lead acid batteries
The facility continues to accept other recyclable materials, including electronic waste, x-ray films, textiles, printer cartridges, and car batteries. Local residents are being asked to hold onto restricted items until further notice.
This disruption affects all Household Chemical CleanOut events and Community Recycling Centres services that operate in partnership with councils and the NSW EPA.
Local environmental authorities have not yet provided a timeline for when normal operations will resume at the Artarmon facility, as cleanup and recovery efforts continue at the St Marys site.
Published 4-March-2025
