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Waste and recycling FAQs

This page can help with all of your questions about waste and recycling. 

Do you have a question about waste or recycling? This information will help you to use our services correctly and contact the right people for support.

If you still need help, please call 9205 5555 or submit an online request form.

Frequently asked questions

We collect your recycling weekly, alternating between glass and other recyclables. If you need a larger bin for other recyclables, request a free upgrade to your yellow-lid recycling bin.

Find out when to put out your bins for collection on our bin collection page.

Yes, you can contact us to upgrade your bin to a larger size.

Bin sizes

Bin typeSizes available
Recycling120 and 240 litre
Glass80, 120 and 240 litre
Rubbish80, 120 and 240 litre
FOGO120 and 240 litre

To change any of these, please submit a request and select 'upsize or downsize my bin'. Eligibility criteria apply.

We also have initiatives and resources for residents and businesses, including:

Visit our apartments, units and townhouses page for more information.

Visit our bin collection page for more information.

If we haven't collected your bin was not collected by 4pm, please call 9205 5555 or report a missed collection online.

The purple-lid glass bin allows you to keep glass separate from other recyclables in your yellow-lid recycling bin. It helps us improve the quality of what we collect and use what’s thrown out for new products.

You can recycle glass bottles and glass jars only by putting them in your purple-lid glass bin, but please remove all lids.

The standard purple-lid glass bin is 80 litres (85cm high x 45cm wide x 52cm deep). This is the same capacity as your existing rubbish bin.

If you live in an apartment block, you will receive a shared bin which may be larger:

  • 120-litre bin (88cm high x 46cm wide x 48cm deep)
  • 240-litre bin (100cm high x 58cm wide x 66cm deep).

The number of bins you have, and their size, will depend on how many people live in your building.

You can still place clean paper, cardboard, plastic water bottles, metal items, milk and juice cartons (Tetra Paks and liquid paperboard) in your yellow-lid recycling bin.

We no longer accept aerosol cans and plastics (labelled 3, 4, 6 and 7) in the recycling bin.

Our recycling processor cannot take items that aren't sorted correctly. This causes problems for the machinery and contaminates the recycling system. It could even result in a load of recycling going to landfill.

If we find the wrong items, including glass, in your yellow-lid recycling bin, we'll place a sticker on the bin to let you know it is contaminated (has the wrong items inside).

You may need to remove the items and submit a missed bin request to arrange a new collection.

You can create more bin space by:

  • squashing plastic bottles (labelled 1 and 2), containers (labelled 5) and cans
  • flattening cardboard boxes
  • scrunching foil

Completely flattening cardboard and other recyclables can save up to 60% of the space in your yellow-lid recycling bin.

Advantages for fortnightly collection schedules include:

  • better cost effectiveness
  • the ability to roll out the glass bin at no extra cost to you
  • keeping the amount of rubbish and recycling vehicles on our streets to a minimum
  • reducing the amount of bins on the street on collection days

Learn more about waste and rates on our separating waste service charges from your rates page on Your Say Yarra.

Unfortunately, no. Our manufacturers only want plastics 1 and 2 in the form of a bottle, which can be easily sorted and recycled back into bottles.

Each type of plastic is processed differently, melts at a different temperature and has its own specific end market.

Plastic typeRemade into...
Plastic code 1 bottles (such as single-use water or soft drink bottles).New bottles.
Plastic code 2 bottles (such as detergent bottles).New detergent bottles.
Plastic code 2 bottles (such as milk and juice bottles).Plastic bollards, pallets, fence or barrier railing and decking boards.
 
Plastic code 5 containers (such as ice cream containers, butter containers and yoghurt containers)
 
New food grade containers and casing around electric cabling.
 

We can't recycle lids until manufacturers use the same plastic for lids and containers.

Plastic lids still need to go in the rubbish bin.

Since May 2023, we've accepted these items in our kerbside yellow-lid bin:

  • Tetra Pak food and drink cartons
  • Milk and juice cartons

This is because our recycling processor, APR Kerbside, now sorts and bundle these and sends them to the SaveBoard plant for recycling.

We are committed to not sending contaminated material to our processor. This allows manufacturers to use recycled material without jeopardising the quality of their product.

We have developed some stickers that you can put on your bins. These state that you've sorted your waste correctly and ask people not to put their rubbish in.

Other tips include:

  • storing your bin off the street
  • only placing your bin out the night before collection
  • placing your red-lid rubbish bin closest to the street so passers-by use it first
  • storing your yellow and purple-lid bins with the handles facing towards the footpath
  • keeping your red-lid rubbish bin with the handle facing out so it's easier to use.