Where and how to dispose of sandbags as ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred clears

The rains have eased up and floodwaters have receded, meaning it’s time for the clean-up from ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred to begin.

If you’ve found yourself heaped with a pile of sandbags you no longer need, here’s a quick guide for what you can do with them.

Save for the future

Some councils, including Byron Shire, are recommending residents hold onto their leftover sandbags in case more wet weather hits. 

If your bags didn’t get wet, you can store them for up to 12 months.

Keep them in a cool, covered area out of direct sunlight and protected from the elements.

Sandbags must be discarded if they show signs of deterioration.

Revive your garden

If you’ve got a patch of yard or garden that needs some love after the wet weather, leftover sand that didn’t get wet could come in handy.

That’s an option the Sunshine Coast Council recommends.

Sand can be used as a top dress, or to fill sods and depressions and won’t suffocate grass beneath. 

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Gardening Australia’s Jerry Coleby-Williams also has a weed-whacking recipe that uses sand.

It’s made up of equal parts dry washed sand; sulphate of potash or sulphate of ammonia; and iron sulphate.

Here’s his guide on how to mix and use it on your lawn.

Once you’ve used up your leftover sand, you can either store the empty bags for reuse, or they can go straight into your general waste bin.

How to handle wet bags

Sandbags that have come into contact with floodwaters may contain chemicals, waste and disease.

These sandbags can’t be reused and will need to be thrown away.

Make sure to wear sturdy gloves when handling them.

Where to dispose of sandbags

Disposing of sandbags in an unsafe way can pose health and safety risks and potentially harm wildlife.

Coastal councils have urged residents not to dump sand on beaches, even if erosion has taken place because the sand might be dirty or contaminated. 

If your sandbags came into contact with floodwaters, or are no longer required, you should dispose of them at a council waste or resource recovery site.

Keep in mind that sandbags that have come into contact with oil or other contaminants will not be accepted by all recovery sites.

Check with your local council for which sites such bags can be disposed at, and let staff at the gate know when you arrive.

Here’s a list of sites where you can dispose sandbags. 

Moreton Bay 

Brisbane

Gold Coast 

Northern NSW

If your local government area isn’t listed in the table above, stay tuned to your council’s website, where an announcement will be made shortly.