X-rays should not be put in your recycling bin at home. They can only be recycled through specialised recycling services.
Drop-off recycling points in Victoria
Always call ahead to check if it will be accepted before dropping it off.
Ecocycle
5-11 Reo Crescent, Campbellfield, 3061. Phone: (03) 9308 9415. No fees apply.
Siltech
7/220 Barry Rd, Campbellfield, 3061. Phone: (03) 9357 9540. This site has a collection bin located outside the premises, so x-rays can be dropped off for free at any time.
How to recycle x-rays
Some organisations have recycling collection points for x-rays. Use the directory on this page to see if there is a recycling drop-off point in your area.
Here are some other options:
- Contact your council to see if they have a recycling drop-off point in your area. Many councils accept x-rays at recycling stations at libraries and community recycling centres.
- Contact the radiologist, hospital or x-ray facility that you got it from to see if they accept old x-rays.
- I-MED Radiology clinics accept x-rays from any medical imaging procedure for recycling. To find a clinic near you, visit the I-MED Radiology Network website. Always call ahead to check if it will be accepted before dropping it off.
- If you cannot find a recycling option for your x-ray, you can put it in your garbage bin.
Why should I recycle my x-ray?
X-ray films contain silver in the form of halides, which can be extracted and converted into pure silver.
Silver is a critical component of a range of technologies, especially medical and electrical. Due to the demand, silver is still regularly sourced through mining. Extracting the silver from old x-rays and recycling it reduces the demand for new resources to be extracted from the earth.
What happens to the x-ray when I recycle it?
X-ray films that have been collected for recycling are processed in a refinery to extract the silver. The x-ray films are heated using temperatures of over 1,000 degrees celsius. The silver is extracted and converted into a more pure silver form so it can be used to make new products such as silver solder, jewellery, the silver plating of utensils, electrical components and film manufacture.
