City of Parramatta is rolling out a brand-new, residents-only recycling drop-off this Christmas and New Year – the first time Council offers a dedicated service to help locals in the Parramatta area clear the festive clutter the right way.

The trial event is running for five days only and will temporarily transform the Rydalmere Operations Centre (ROC) into a convenient drop-off point for excess cardboard and e-waste.

City of Parramatta Lord Mayor Cr Martin Zaiter said the initiative is about supporting residents during one of the busiest times of the year while exploring temporary solutions for festive period recycling.

“We all know Christmas brings joy and a whole lot of packaging, so we want to make recycling easier, safer and more accessible for Parramatta residents, especially with e-waste and bulky cardboard that doesn’t always fit in the bin,” Cr Zaiter said.

“This trial is a first for Parramatta, we’ve never run anything like this before and the results will help shape future waste initiatives.

“I’m excited to see how residents respond. If it’s a hit, it opens the door for more community-friendly recycling options down the track.”

Drop-off dates will fall on 29 and 30 December and 2 and 3 January 2026 with opening hours between 8am-4pm from Monday to Friday and 8am-12pm on Saturdays.

Residents will drive through the centre while trained staff including traffic control unload items directly from vehicles. For safety reasons, customers must remain inside their cars and follow staff directions.

For those who cannot make it, households can still use the existing mobile problem waste service for e-waste and place cardboard in yellow-lidded recycling bins as usual.

Locals can also dispose of hazardous household chemicals safely at a free drive-through Chemical CleanOut event at the ROC from 9am-3.30pm on 21 December. 

For cardboard and e-waste drop off details, visit Council’s event page.