Bin changes

New red lid general waste bin 

Every Council in Victoria is required to transition to a standardised bin system with uniform bin colours by 2027.

These changes include:

• Red-lidded general waste bins
• Green-lidded food and green waste bins (called food organics and garden organics FOGO)
• Yellow-lidded recycling bins
• The introduction of a separate glass recycling service.

This is part of the Victorian Government’s Circular Economy Strategy to cut waste and boost reuse and recycling. The aim is to have the same household bin system, no matter where you live.

We won’t be changing the recycling bin or introducing a separate glass service just yet but we will keep you informed when we do.

 If your household that still has an old dark green general waste bin, no worries - simply put your old dark green bin out and complete this form to get your old dark green bin collected and recycled.

We were unable to simply change the lids due to the variety of different bin types that are currently in use across the community. These bins are from a range of suppliers which require different lids and hinge points.

It would be logistically challenging and inefficient to try and retrofit the diversity of bins that exist. The reason we’ve opted for a black body is that they can be made of higher recycled content.

The old bins will get recycled locally in Cheltenham at Astron Plastics and will be recycled into new bins.

To reduce waste

Since launching our food and green waste service three years ago, Bayside’s landfill waste has dropped to the lowest levels on record – but we can still do more.

Reducing waste ending up in landfill is important because:

• Food scraps and garden waste are valuable resources that can be recycled into a high-quality compost to be used in local farms, parks, and gardens.
• Decomposing food in landfill emits a damaging greenhouse gas (methane) into the atmosphere, contributing to climate change. 
• Victoria is running out of landfill space which is driving up the cost to dispose of waste. This cost is passed directly onto ratepayers via the waste charge on your rates notice. By making this change, we’re helping minimise future cost increases.

Residents asked us to make the switch

Over 83% of Bayside households now have a food and green waste bin and recycle food scraps which get turned into compost.

Many of these residents have asked for weekly collection to reduce issues of smell and mess, and because their general waste bin doesn't fill up as quickly with recyclables and food waste going into the correct bins. 

By making the switch to when the food and green waste and general waste bins are collected, we can reduce our general waste by up to 25%.

We know this because we're not the first council to make the switch. We're joining 17 other Victorian councils that have already made the bin collection switch successfully.

From community consultation we undertook in 2021, we know that fortnightly household rubbish collection will be a challenge for some, particularly those who are yet to take up the food and green waste service.

Detailed information about the changes was been sent to every household and business in Bayside. If you didn't get yours, you can view the booklet online or contact us to request a hard copy.

Households with specific waste needs

We’re offering free service provisions to support households with specific and unavoidable waste needs to make the switch more equitable.

• Large households with six or more members
• Households with two or more children in nappies
• People living with a disability and their carers
• People with a chronic condition and their carers

Eligible households are entitled to one of the following options:

• Upsize to a 140L or a 240L general waste bin
• Up to three 80L general waste bin (Where an 80L bin is the most suitable due to a person's ability to manoeuvre a large waste bin)

Other households

After trying your best to minimise general waste, you may need a different bin size to accommodate the change in collection.

• Request an additional or larger bin (cost added to rates)
  Households that are not in any of the eligible groups but require additional waste capacity are able to request an additional or larger bin with the cost added to their rates.
• Upsize to the standard 140L bin (revert to standard rate)
  Households who have downsized their bin to 80L and currently pay a reduced cost will be able to upsize to the standard 140L size, which will revert to the standard rate.

We understand that some households may want to order a smaller, larger or additional bin to adequately manage the amount of waste they produce. 

Request a change to your bins

We understand that some households may want to order a smaller, larger or additional bin to adequately manage the amount of waste they produce. 

Click here to request a change to your bins

Fortnightly general waste collection will be particularly challenging for residents who don’t yet use the food and garden waste service. Consider ordering a food and green waste bin. 

Two bin sizes are available for food and green waste:

• 240 litre - standard size for current food and green waste bins and the same size as the standard blue recycling bins
• 120 litre - slightly smaller than standard size for general waste bins.

A one-off charge of $99 applies (if you are experiencing financial hardship, please contact us).

If you're renting, you can still register for food and green waste.

You will receive a brand new bin for your food and green waste, a kitchen caddy, a 150-bag roll of compostable liners, and some information to help you get started. 

Order a food and green waste bin

Food and green waste bins accept all food scraps and garden waste as well as paper towel, newspaper, and tissues and is turned into a high-quality compost to be used on farms, parks, and gardens. 

Find out more about what happens to food and green waste

We've found that households that dispose of all food scraps and garden waste in their food and green waste bin, all recyclables in their blue recycling bin, and return all of their soft plastics to the store, often have lots of room left over in their general waste bin. 

Find out what goes in what bin

More than 50% of the average Bayside general waste bin is food waste, which can be recycled via our food and green waste service.

We encourage residents who are not already using the food and green waste service.

Recent bin health checks also show that residents who are currently using the food and green waste recycling service are still putting food in the general waste bins (around 36%). Recyclable materials also make up 18% of general waste bin contents.

By recycling correctly, e.g. putting all food waste in the food and green waste bin and all recyclables in the recycling bin, you will be able to accommodate the change to fortnightly general waste collections.

Check out our comprehensive guide to where specific items can be recycled, donated, or disposed of. 

A-Z Waste & Recycling Directory

Download your bin collection calendar

Type in your address and find out your bin collection day. 

Bin collection day