Your rubbish bin lid may be changing

Published on 19 February 2025

We’re changing lids on rubbish bins to help make recycling easier for everyone.

If you have a dark green rubbish bin lid, we will replace it with a red lid throughout May and June.

A red lid helps everyone know it's the landfill bin. This change matches the standard four bin lids across Victoria. This means less confusion and more chances to get recycling right, whether you’re at home, visiting friends, or away on holiday.

If you have a dark green lid, continue putting your rubbish bin out on your regular collection day.

In May and June, leave your rubbish bin out until 5pm so our teams can change your lid.

If your bin is not out for collection and is missed, you’ll need to contact us. Rubbish bin collections will continue as normal. To change your lid from dark green to red, our teams will visit each area once during May and June.

For more information, refer to the frequently asked questions below or call us on 03 9217 2170.

Frequently asked questions

Why are rubbish bin lids being changed?

By having the same four bin lid colours standardised across Victoria, people will be able to sort waste with ease. The change aims to improve recycling and reduce confusion.

If you're at home or somewhere else in Victoria, you will easily know which bin is the right bin to choose.

When is my rubbish bin lid changing?

We are replacing all dark green rubbish bin lids throughout May and June.

Simply put your rubbish bin out on your usual collection day and leave it out until 5pm. Our teams will change the lid.

What do I need to do?

Place your bin out as you normally would on your usual collection day. Leave your rubbish bin out until 5pm.

If you have a dark green lid, our teams will replace it with a red one.

Is there a cost to residents for replacing the bin lids?

No. The replacement of rubbish bin lids is part of our commitment to meeting the state government’s recycling standards and managing waste in our community.

Will this affect what I can put in my bins?

No. The rubbish bin lid replacement won’t change what goes into your bins.

However, this is a great time to refresh your knowledge of what can and can’t be placed in your rubbish, recycling, glass recycling and food and garden waste bins.

Before placing an item in the rubbish bin, check that it cannot be recycled or repurposed. You can explore easy, free and local options to dispose of your unwanted items. Visit our A-Z guide to waste and recycling to learn more.

Never put batteries, including vapes and e-cigarettes, in the rubbish bin. Batteries can cause fires in collection trucks and in landfill, putting our community at risk. Chemicals, paint, gas bottles and e-waste also do not belong in any bin.

Can I opt out of this bin lid replacement?

No. Bin lid standardisation is mandatory under the Victorian Government’s Recycling Victoria Policy.

This policy aims to help everyone manage waste more easily and reduce confusion across the state.

What if I’m not home during the changeover?

If your bin is out for collection on your usual day, your bin lid will be changed by our teams on the street.

If your bin is not out for collection, it will be missed and your lid will not be changed.

If you know in advance that you won’t be home, you can arrange for someone else to put your bins out for you and leave them out until 5pm.

What if my bin is missed?

We’ll help get this sorted. If your bin doesn't have a red lid yet and your neighbours bin lids have been changed, call us on 03 9217 2170.

Are there any changes happening to how often my rubbish bin is collected?

Your rubbish bin (red lid) will continue to be collected each week. Long term, our plan is to keep working toward a low waste community.

Our next step is to introduce weekly food and garden waste bins for every household.

This is important because almost half of all waste in the rubbish bin is actually food scraps or garden waste that could have been quickly composted. This waste instead sometimes spends decades creating harmful gases in landfill.

In the food and garden waste bin (green lid), kitchen scraps and garden waste become high-quality compost that's used in local parks, kindergartens and farms.

Once weekly food and garden waste bin collections are in place for everyone, we’ll be looking at changes to rubbish bin collections in 2027. We will keep everyone updated as plans develop.