With the holiday season quickly approaching, Council is encouraging residents to ensure that correct items end up in the right bins as the season often brings in extra waste and recycling.
By recycling right, we reduce waste to landfill, conserve natural resources, save energy and support local jobs in recycling and manufacturing.
Putting the wrong items into kerbside bins leads to higher processing costs and can result in other recyclables being unable to be processed and sent to landfill.
What items can go in your blue recycling bin?
- Paper and cardboard, including paper wrapping, flattened cardboard boxes and greeting cards.
- Glass bottles and jars with lids removed, including empty wine or beer bottles and jam jars.
- Loose metal lids from jars and bottles.
- Steel cans, aluminium cans, trays and foil with food waste removed.
- Hard plastic bottles and containers with the numbers 1 to 5 such as empty soft drink bottles, milk bottles with lids removed, and ice cream tubs.
- All items must be loose and not bagged so they can be efficiently processed.
What can’t go in your blue recycling bin and how you can dispose of them:
- Household waste needs to go in your general waste bin.
- Milk/juice cartons liquid paperboard or Tetra Pak (for example, the packaging used for fresh or long-life milk, soy or alternative milk) cannot be recycled as they only contain a small amount of recyclable material between two plastic layers.
- Small plastic caps, such as those on milk or juice bottles, are too small to be processed and need to go in your general waste bin.
- Black plastics such as meat trays and plants pots need to go in your general waste bin.
- Cellophane, foil wrapping and ribbons need to go in your general waste bin.
- Disposable cutlery, coffee cups, used serviettes, paper towel and paper plates need to go in your general waste bin.
- Clothing, textiles and fabrics can be donated to second-hand stores or charity bins. Worn or damaged items can be placed in your general waste bin or for large amounts you can find a special drop-off location.
- Polystyrene, including packing insulation and Styrofoam food and drink packaging needs to go in your general waste bin.
- Household batteries can be returned to ALDI or Office Works and car batteries can be dropped off at Hampton Park Transfer Station.
- E-waste can be disposed of through a hard waste collection or dropped off at Hampton Park Transfer Station.
- Household chemicals and hazardous items can be disposed of through the Detox Your Home program.
What about food waste?
Food waste cannot be recycled in your blue bin. However, you can now put unbagged food waste items in your dark red bin with your garden waste. Your food and garden waste is collected to create valuable compost and soil nutrient for Victorian farms. Find out more about food waste recycling.
Your waste services this Christmas
Your bin days will not change over the Christmas and New Years holiday period. You can find out when your bins are collected with our handy online tool. Please ensure your bins are placed out the night before as collections may be earlier than usual.
Christmas tree disposal and other unwanted items
Before you go on holidays or in the new year, you can dispose of Christmas tree using a number of ways. Search the most suitable disposal option for you.
Also find out how to best way to dispose of other unwanted items using our Waste Disposal Directory.