Changes to how often bins are collected

Following a unanimous decision by Council at the 26 April 2022 meeting, we’ve changed how often your landfill (red lid) and food and garden waste (green lid) bins are collected. Read info about landfill bins audit.

From August 2022:

• Food and garden waste (green) bins are collected weekly
• Landfill (red) bins are collected every two weeks

Recycling bins (yellow lid) will continue to be collected fortnightly.

Your landfill bin will also remain the same size, however you can request an additional or larger bin. If you currently have a larger or additional bin, you can downsize your bin at any time.

Properties with shared bins may receive a weekly general waste collection. If you are unsure whether this applies to you, contact 9518 3555 or mail@monash.vic.gov.au

If you have council bins allocated to your individual address

This change applies to you.

Find your next bin collection day

Download your waste collection calendar

If you don’t have a green bin, we can work with you (or the property owner, where applicable) to get one delivered or look at alternate options to support your waste disposal needs. Please complete the request a green waste bin application form.

If you don’t have a kitchen caddy, please visit Request a new or additional bin.

If you live in an apartment building, or share bins with other properties

Your landfill bin may continue to be collected weekly. If you are unsure whether this applies to you, contact 9518 3555 or mail@monash.vic.gov.au

We will work with property owners and body corporate to look at ways we can further support your waste needs before we consider changing your landfill waste to a fortnightly collection. 

Landfill bin audit

In assessing the content of Monash bins, we found that 73% of items in the landfill bins could be diverted elsewhere to be recycled.

Another factor in our consideration of this change is understanding landfill sites are filling almost to capacity with dumped waste. Victorians currently send four million tonnes of waste to landfill.

A report from the Victorian Auditor-General warns that landfill sites will be exhausted by 2026 without urgent action. 

How we’re supporting you

During the consultation, we heard that you need more space in your recycling bin and that you were concerned about nappies, medical waste and smelly bins. Following your feedback, we’re making some changes to help households transition to this new waste service:

A free larger red bin, or an additional bin, is available for eligible households with:

• 2 or more children in nappies, or
• A medical condition that generates excess waste, or
• 6 or more members in the household, and who are experiencing financial hardship

Request a free additional or larger bin by completing the special consideration form.

Other households can pay to upgrade their landfill bin or get a second bin. We can also provide one-on-one support to help you to reduce your waste and learn what can go in your bins. If we can’t find suitable solutions to reduce your waste, we may provide you with a larger landfill bin, or an additional bin for free (conditions apply). 

The cost of an additional recycling bin has been reduced:

The cost for an additional recycling bin has been reduced to $65 per year. If you are currently paying for a second recycling bin, this reduced cost will automatically be applied to your rates.

A sample pack of compostable liners will be delivered to residents with a green bin

Compostable liners can help to reduce smells and insects when recycling food. To help see if using compostable liners would be suitable for you, households with a green bin will receive a one-off sample pack of certified compostable liners. If you don’t want to use these liners, you can gift them to a friend, neighbour or family member.

If you would like to continue using compostable liners, these can be purchased from local supermarkets, hardware stores or select online retailers. More information: Lining your caddy

Smaller bins available upon request

If you have difficulty moving or washing a large bin, or don’t need the extra bin space, contact us to discuss the option of changing your yellow or green bin to a smaller size.

Why we are changing?

Sending food waste to landfill harms the environment. When food breaks down in landfill, it releases methane gas and contributes to climate change. Placing food scraps in your food and garden waste bin is one of the best ways we can work together to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill and lower the impact of climate change.

By changing how often landfill bins and food and garden waste bins are collected, we can continue to collect food waste every week and have it composted, rather than sent to landfill.

An independent report by the Victorian Auditor-General’s Office also estimated that Victoria will run out of landfill space by 2026. We need to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill and address climate change – and we all have a part to play.

More information

Read the Landfill Re-direction: Improving food waste recycling(PDF, 290KB) report approved by Council at the April 2022 meeting.

Read the Waste Collection Community Perceptions(PDF, 1MB) report to find out what we heard during the community consultation.