Four bins for a sustainable Melton

Melton is moving to a four-stream kerbside waste and recycling system.

For households receiving Council’s kerbside service, this will include:

• red-lid general waste, collected weekly
• yellow-lid mixed recycling, collected fortnightly
• green-lid Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO), collected fortnightly
• purple-lid glass recycling, collected every four weeks from 1 July 2027.

Households that do not already have a FOGO bin will receive one from mid-January 2027. Purple glass bins will be delivered from February 2027. 

The rollout will happen in three stages:

Mid-January 2027: FOGO bins will be delivered to remaining eligible households without one. They can be used as soon as they are delivered.

February 2027: purple glass bins will be delivered to households receiving Council’s kerbside collection service.

1 July 2027: purple glass-bin collections will start.

There is no change to the current weekly red-bin or fortnightly yellow-bin collection frequency. 

Victoria is moving to a standard four-stream household waste and recycling system covering general rubbish, mixed recycling, FOGO and separate glass recycling.

The purpose is to separate materials earlier so that more can be recovered and less recyclable or organic material goes to landfill. In particular, separating glass reduces broken glass mixing with paper, cardboard and other recyclable material. 

The separate glass recycling service forms part of the Victorian Government’s kerbside recycling reforms and councils are required to provide access to a separate glass recycling service.

Council is responsible for planning and operating Melton’s local service, including bin delivery, collections, resident information and implementation arrangements. 

No. Victorian councils are working within the State reforms, but local service arrangements and implementation dates vary.

Some councils already operate a four-bin system, some are currently introducing one, and some have publicly sought changes to aspects of the glass-bin model.

Melton City Council is proceeding with implementation of the required separate glass service and is focused on making the local transition as clear and workable as possible.

From mid-January 2027, remaining eligible households receiving Council’s kerbside service that do not already have a FOGO bin will receive one.

FOGO will move from Melton’s previous opt-in model to being part of the standard kerbside service.

From November 2026 until the rollout is complete at the end of January 2027, new FOGO service requests will be temporarily paused for properties that do not already have a FOGO service.

You do not need to opt in during this period. If your property is eligible and does not already have a FOGO bin, one will be delivered as part of the rollout from mid-January 2027, and you can begin using it as soon as it is delivered.

If your property already has a FOGO service, you can still request an upgrade from a 120L to a 240L FOGO bin during this period.

Immediately.

Once your FOGO bin has been delivered, you can begin putting accepted food and garden organics into it. Collections will continue fortnightly. 

Every fortnight.

It is collected with your red general waste bin, on the alternate week to your yellow recycling bin. 

Accepted food waste includes:

• fruit and vegetable scraps
• bread, rice, pasta and noodles
• leftovers
• meat and bones
• fish and seafood
• dairy products
• eggshells
• coffee grounds and loose tea leaves.

Accepted garden material includes:

• grass clippings
• leaves
• flowers and weeds
• plant cuttings
• twigs and small branches less than 3cm in diameter and 30cm long.

No.

Plastic bags, compostable bags and biodegradable bags are not accepted in Melton’s FOGO service.

Food scraps should go into the bin loose. A kitchen caddy can be lined with newspaper, paper towel or dry garden leaves. 

Council’s FOGO material is processed at a commercial composting facility. Compostable liners currently used by households do not break down adequately through that process and can reduce the quality of the finished compost.

For that reason, Melton’s service does not accept compostable or biodegradable liners. 

Do not put items such as these in your FOGO bin:

• plastic or compostable bags
• animal waste or kitty litter
• nappies or wipes
• coffee cups or coffee pods
• food packaging
• soil, rocks or bricks
• treated or painted timber
• large branches, logs or stumps
• garden tools, pots or hoses. 

You can continue home composting.

FOGO can be used for food and garden material that may be difficult to manage in a home compost system, including meat, bones, seafood, dairy, citrus, onions and some weeds. 

Practical options include:

• putting the bin out every fortnight even if it is not full
• keeping it in the shade with the lid closed
• layering food scraps between garden waste
• regularly washing the bin and kitchen caddy
• freezing meat, bones or seafood until the night before collection
• sprinkling bicarbonate of soda over food waste
• place a layer on garden waste at the bottom of the bin, to stop food waste from sticking
• spray lavendar oil at the base of the bin to deter pests
• wash your bin with your hose regularly.

The City of Melton’s FOGO material is taken to a commercial composting facility and processed into compost for use on farms and in parks around Victoria. 

Purple-lid glass bins will be delivered from February 2027 to households receiving Council’s kerbside collection service. 

1 July 2027.

Receiving the bin in February does not mean the new collection service has started. 

The bins are being delivered in advance to fit in with available supplier timelines, and ensuring that the full rollout can be completed before the separate glass service starts on 1 July 2027.

The delivery program and the collection commencement are separate operational stages.

Until 30 June 2027, residents should continue using the existing yellow recycling bin for accepted glass bottles and jars. 

The purple bin is for glass packaging, including:

• glass bottles
• glass jars.

Do not place window glass, mirrors, drinking glasses, perfume bottles, ceramics, bags, paper and cardboard, and bottle tops and lids in the purple bin.

No, bottle tops and lids should be removed.

No.

These products are made from different types of glass and do not belong with container glass.

Drinking glasses and similar household glass items belong in general waste if they cannot be reused; broken items should be safely wrapped or bagged. 

Every four weeks. 

Until the new service starts, accepted glass bottles and jars should continue to go in your yellow recycling bin.

From 1 July 2027, they move to the purple glass bin. 

When glass breaks inside a mixed-recycling collection, small pieces can become mixed through paper, cardboard and other material,

Collecting glass separately produces a cleaner glass stream and reduces glass contamination in the remaining mixed recycling. 

The purple bin will be collected every four weeks rather than weekly or fortnightly, so households can accumulate smaller quantities between collections.

The service is part of the standard kerbside system for properties receiving Council’s kerbside service.

No. Individual properties receiving Council’s standard kerbside collection service will not be able to opt out of the glass service.

The new purple glass bin is a 120-litre bin and will form part of the standard kerbside service for properties receiving Council bin collections.

The separate glass service is required under the Victorian Government’s kerbside recycling reforms, and individual properties will not be able to opt out or share a glass bin with another property.

Residents will need to store the purple bin on their property between collections. Glass bins will be collected every four weeks, and you only need to put your bin out when it needs emptying.

Yes.

The purple bin does not stop residents using the Container Deposit Scheme.

Eligible drink containers can continue to be returned through CDS Victoria for the applicable refund. The purple bin provides a kerbside option for accepted glass packaging, including glass that may not be eligible for the CDS. 

No.

Residents can use either service depending on the item and their preference. Eligible containers can still be taken to a CDS refund point; other accepted glass bottles and jars can go into the purple bin once collections begin.

The Container Deposit Scheme applies only to eligible beverage containers. It does not cover every glass bottle or jar used by households.

The Victorian Government’s household waste reforms separately require local councils to provide access to glass-only recycling.

The annual Waste Service Charge for 2026/27 is $380 per property.

It funds a range of Council waste services, including kerbside collections, hard waste and the operation of the Melton Recycling Facility. 

The 2026/27 Waste Service Charge includes costs associated with preparing for the new four-bin service, including purchasing and delivering new FOGO and glass bins.

It also funds Council’s wider waste and recycling system rather than an individual bin or collection alone. 

The new service requires expenditure before the first collection takes place.

During 2026/27 Council is procuring and delivering bins and undertaking other implementation work so the new system can operate from 2027.

The Waste Service Charge also covers existing waste and recycling services throughout the year. 

There is no separate invoice or individual bin-delivery fee.

The kerbside waste service is funded through the annual Waste Service Charge, which is paid as part of Council rates.

The Waste Service Charge is reviewed and set by Council each financial year based on the costs of providing the overall waste and recycling service.

The adopted charge for 2026/27 is $380. Future-year charges will be determined through future Council budget processes. 

Yes.

There is no planned change to the existing weekly red-bin collection frequency as part of this rollout. 

Yes.

The yellow lidded mixed-recycling bin will continue to be collected fortnightly. 

Visit Council’s Find my bin day page and enter your address.

It shows upcoming waste and recycling collection dates for your property. The new household waste guides will also include a QR code linking directly to the service. 

Bins should:

• be out by 6am
• have the lid fully closed
• be placed at least 50cm apart
• have clear access away from cars, trees and other objects
• face towards the kerb unless Council directs otherwise.

Bins should be brought back onto the property within 24 hours of collection.

Incorrect items can contaminate an entire collection stream and interfere with sorting or processing.

Council will monitor contamination as the new services roll out and provide targeted information where recurring problems are identified.

For individual items, residents can use Council’s Waste A–Z guide. 

Do not put batteries in any household bin.

Batteries can start fires in collection vehicles and waste facilities. They should be taken to an appropriate battery or e-waste collection point.

Council’s Waste A–Z guide provides current disposal options.

Yes. Property owners or tenants can request changes to the standard bin options with proof of residency.

Additional bins, which attract an annual fee, can only be requested by property owners. 

Council currently offers 120L and 240L bins for general waste (red lid), recycling (yellow lid) and FOGO (green lid).

The new glass bins (purple lid) will only be available as 120L bins.

Find out more about requesting and upgrading bins

Contact Council on 03 9747 7200 or you can report it online.

Damaged Council bins can be repaired or replaced where required.

It applies to households receiving a Council kerbside waste collection service.

Some apartment, townhouse and unit developments use private waste collection through an owners corporation or building manager. Residents in those properties should check their existing waste arrangements. 

Properties receiving Council’s kerbside service have annual waste entitlements that can be used for hard waste collections and/or drop-offs at the Melton Recycling Facility.

Find out more on Council’s Kerbside bins and waste entitlements page. 

Use Council’s Waste A–Z online guide.

It provides disposal or recycling information for items including batteries, e-waste, chemicals, building materials, tyres, household glass and other materials that cannot go in normal kerbside bins. 

There are different views across Victorian local government about the mandated separate glass service.

Some councils have argued for more flexibility, greater reliance on the Container Deposit Scheme or alternative collection models. Others have already introduced separate glass services or are proceeding with implementation.

The requirement for a separate glass recycling service is in place under the Victorian Government’s kerbside reforms.

Melton City Council has resolved to continue planning and implementation of the local service, with glass collections to start 1 July 2027.

Council’s role is to implement the required service locally and provide residents with clear information about how it will operate. 

No. The separate glass recycling requirement is now part of Victoria’s household waste and recycling framework. Council is required to provide a compliant glass service and is planning for Melton’s service to commence on 1 July 2027.