Our community is reducing landfill, saving resources, lowering emissions and creating valuable compost by recycling food and garden waste in the weekly green bin.
Weekly green bin collections
Weekly green bin update — Glen Eira achieves a new recycling record!
In the first six months of weekly green bin collections, the amount of Glen Eira’s waste being recycled and composted has hit a record high.
For the past decade, the percentage of Glen Eira’s waste that is diverted from landfill has been around 50% or lower. Since weekly green bin collections began, the average amount of waste we’ve recycled or composted has increased to 64% — meaning the majority of Glen Eira’s waste is now saved from landfill.
Thanks to your efforts, we have prevented an estimated 6,494 tonnes of carbon emissions being released into the atmosphere from landfill — equivalent to 1,769 cars being taken off the road for a year.
We are now also recycling 45% more food and garden waste in our green bins and 6% more in our yellow bins.
Why is the green bin collected weekly?
Rather than sending food scraps to landfill where they rot and contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, food recycled in the green bin creates compost that is used to nourish soils on Victorian farms, parks and gardens.
When green bins were collected fortnightly, waste audits found that 40 per cent of what was in our rubbish bins was still food and organic waste. That means 40 per cent of waste that was going to landfill could be recycled in our green bins. Many community members asked Council to move to a weekly green bin collection to reduce odours and better support food waste recycling.
By emptying green bins every week, it is easier than ever to recycle your food waste.
Can I apply for additional or larger bins?
We understand that some household circumstances have special waste needs. If your household is included in the following groups, you are eligible for a larger or additional red general waste bin and an additional yellow recycling bin at no extra cost:
- families with six or more members
- families with four or more members, where at least one member is a concession card holder
- families with children in nappies
- households with additional waste for medical reasons.
You will need to apply by filling out and submitting a special waste application. For further information about the special waste application, you can email us at recyclingandwaste@gleneira.vic.gov.au or call 9524 3333.
If you are not eligible for special waste, you can still request additional or larger bins. Just be aware that larger red bins and additional bins cost more and will need approval from your landlord or property ratepayer. Contact us on 9524 3333 or at mail@gleneira.vic.gov.au to organise these bins.
How to apply for additional bins due to special waste needs
If your household is eligible for additional bins due to special waste needs, you will need to complete and submit our online special waste application and attach the relevant supporting documents.
Once your application has been approved, the property rates will be changed to show that a special waste arrangement is in place. If applicable, we will organise for the larger or additional bins to be delivered within 10 working days.
You will be asked to reapply for a larger or additional red bin and additional yellow bin every two years to demonstrate that you are still eligible. Contact us if you need a copy of the form posted or emailed to you.
Supporting documents required
Families with six or more members:
- evidence to show that there is a family of six (6) or more at the property (a Medicare card or similar)
- if you are a renter, evidence that shows you are a resident (eg. a utility bill or lease).
Families with four or more members, where at least one member is a concession card holder:
- evidence to show there is a family of four (4) or more at the property (a Medicare card or similar).
- a copy of a current State Government concession card (eg. a Health Care Card in the name of one of the residents at the property).
- if you are a renter, evidence that shows you are a resident (eg. a utility bill or lease).
Families with children in nappies:
- evidence to show that there is a family of two (2) or more at the property (a Medicare card or similar)
- if you are a renter, evidence that shows you are a resident (eg. a utility bill or lease).
Households with additional waste for medical reasons:
- a letter from a medical practitioner stating that there is need for extra capacity to dispose of additional waste associated with a disability or medical treatment.
- if you are a renter, evidence that shows you are a resident (eg. a utility bill or lease).
Green bin tips and tricks
- Put your green bin out for collection every week so it can be emptied. Even if it is not full, put your green bin out each week to help avoid odours.
- Use layers of dry materials between food waste. Place an initial layer of garden waste such as dry leaves, grass clippings or garden prunings in the bin to prevent food from sticking to the bottom. If you don’t have a garden, you can use layers of newspaper, pea straw or hay. Add more layers of dry material as the bin fills up to act as moisture buffers and contain smells.
- Keep the bin closed and in a shady spot. Where possible always keep your green bin in the shade and make sure the lid stays completely closed.
- Freeze smelly food scraps. Put particularly smelly foods such as meat, dairy and seafood in a container in the fridge or freezer until the night before collection.
FAQ's
How do I order a green bin?
If your household does not have a green bin, you can order one by contacting us on recyclingandwaste@gleneira.vic.gov.au or 9524 3333.
How do I order a kitchen caddy?
You can collect a free kitchen caddy from our service desk at Glen Eira Town Hall (located corner Hawthorn and Glen Eira Roads, Caulfield). There is no requirement to call or email in advance. Our kitchen caddies are dishwasher safe.
There is one kitchen caddy available for each household. If your kitchen caddy breaks and needs replacing, please bring it into Town Hall and we can swap it over for a new one.
I live somewhere with shared bins, what do I do?
If you live in a residence with shared bins, please ask your owner corporation to contact us on recyclingandwaste@gleneira.vic.gov.au or 9524 3333.
Our Waste Champions Program is available to support residents living in apartment blocks or flats with shared bins. The program aims to help everyone reduce waste and recycle more.
We’ll provide your residence with recycling and waste signs and large poster-sized bin stickers to help everyone know what goes in your red, yellow and green bins. As a Waste Champion, you’ll also be able to contribute ideas for how we can better support people using shared bins.
Recycling posters and bin stickers are available to anyone with shared bins, contact us on recyclingandwaste@gleneira.vic.gov.au to arrange resource collection.
How did you consult the community?
Community consultation began in a Have Your Say survey during November and December 2018, called ‘How’s your bin?’ and a Community Voice survey in February 2019. Results from both surveys informed the decision to trial the weekly green bin service in McKinnon and Ormond, which started in October 2019. Surveys of the trial area found 69.4 per cent of respondents preferred the weekly green bin, fortnightly red bin collection.
How did we get here?
In May 2018, food waste recycling was introduced to the fortnightly green bin collection service.
With food waste in the green bin and less waste in red bins, many community members have asked Council to move to a weekly green bin collection to reduce odours and better support food waste recycling.
In October 2019, we commenced a trial in McKinnon and Ormond to test whether a weekly green bin, fortnightly red bin service could support our community’s waste needs, reduce waste to landfill and increase food recycling.
The results of the weekly green bin trial were positive, with resident feedback and waste audits finding:
- More food in green bins. The amount of food waste being placed in the green bin increased by 91 per cent.
- Less waste going to landfill. The amount of waste sent to landfill decreased by 29 per cent.
- Better recycling habits. The amount of recyclables in the red bin reduced by 45.7 per cent.
- High community support. Surveys of the trial area found 69.4 per cent of respondents preferred the weekly green bin, fortnightly red bin collection.
Following the success of the trial, on 21 July 2020 Council resolved to rollout a weekly green bin, fortnightly red bin collection service across the municipality.
In February 2020 the State Government released Recycling Victoria, a circular economy policy and action plan which sets Victoria’s waste and resource recovery goals for the next ten years. The plan aims to help Victoria waste less and recycle more, with statewide targets to be met by 2030, including:
- reducing per capita waste by 15 per cent, and
- halving the amount of organic waste sent to landfill by 2030.
The weekly green bin trial showed that introducing a weekly green, fortnightly red bin collection is one way we can support our community to reduce waste and save food from landfill.
In May 2020, Council declared a climate emergency and joined the growing movement calling for urgent action to address climate change. Council also committed to new carbon emission reduction targets — zero net emissions for corporate emissions by 2025 and zero net community emissions by 2030.
When food waste breaks down in landfill it releases methane, a greenhouse gas 25 times stronger than carbon dioxide. By supporting our community to put food waste in the green bin, we can lower waste-related emissions and help combat climate change.
What about my yellow recycling bin?
Yellow recycling bins will still be collected every two weeks — alternating with the red bin.
We know yellow bins sometimes end up full before collection day. You can make space in your recycling by crushing plastic bottles and flattening and pulling apart cardboard boxes.
If you need extra space in your yellow bin, you can order an additional yellow bin at a much lower cost than a red bin.
Can I use compostable or biodegradable liners in the green bin?
Compostable or biodegradable bin liners cannot be used in Glen Eira’s green bin, even plant-based liners made from vegetable or corn starch. Compostable liners are not compatible with the rapid composting process used to turn our food and garden waste into compost in 6-10 days. So, the processing facility does not accept them and will send any material in a compostable caddy liner to landfill.
We will continue to investigate caddy liner options when they become available
For now, we want to ensure that as much as our food and garden waste is composted as possible, and that the compost we create from our food waste is of the highest quality and free of contamination, as it is used on Victorian agriculture, parks and gardens.
You can wrap your food scraps or line your kitchen caddy with newspaper, paper towel or plain paper bags (such as mushroom produce bags). There are also paper liner products that are especially designed for kitchen caddies.
Many residents in Glen Eira report really good results with newspaper or paper towel, especially when liquids are drained off before wrapping in newspaper and when food scraps are layered with garden waste.
Can I get my green bin cleaned?
Private bin cleaning services are available to the general public and Glen Eira residents are able to arrange a bin clean with any provider.
Council does not offer a bin cleaning service.
