Monash waste wins for National Recycling Week
Published on 12 November 2025
Well done Monash! In the past financial year, we kept more than 30,000 tonnes of food and garden waste from going to landfill – avoiding filling 79 basketball courts with methane-producing material.
125,000 tonnes of recycling bin material was converted into new items helping Monash achieve our ambitious target of a 70% diversion rate, keeping waste away from landfill.
Greening our city with our green bins
Did you know the food and garden clippings you put into your green bin are recycled into compost that can be used in our Monash parks and community gardens?
That's why it's so important to only put food scraps and garden clippings in your green bin.
Follow these simple tips to help us divert even more food and garden waste, and make nutrient-rich compost for our green spaces.
Look for lime-green and certified symbol
When buying liners for your caddy, always check the packaging features for all of these things:
1. Must be labelled 'compostable'
2. Be lime-green in colour
3. Must have exact seedling logo (below).
You can buy lime-green certified compostable liners at Council locations, supermarkets, hardware stores and online.
More liner tips
No plastic
Plastic bags and other plastic materials can't go in the green bin.
Monash residents can take plastic bags to the Monash Recycling and Waste Centre for free. Some supermarkets also accept soft plastics again.
No timber
People often think timber can be put in the green bin, but this isn't true!
Timber, sleepers, wood packaging is often treated with chemicals like pesticides or paint, which contaminate the compost.
Only small pieces of natural wood (like small branches and sticks from your garden) can go into your green bin.
To dispose of timber, take to the Monash Recycling and Waste Centre (costs apply) or store it at home for a future hard waste collection. You can also put small amounts of timber in the landfill (red-lid) bin.
Unsure if an item can go in your green bin?
Search the A-Z Guide to recycling in Monash
National Recycling Week runs from 10-16 November 2025. For more information and recycling resources, visit Planet Ark.