General waste (red) bin

Please bag all materials.

The following items go in the general waste (red) bin:

• coffee cups (even those labelled recyclable must go in general waste) 
• coffee pods (nespresso collect their own pods at participating locations) 
• crockery – cups, plates 
• dog poo and kitty litter – (must be bagged) 
• food scraps – all food scraps and garden waste should go in your FOGO (green) bin.  If you do not have a FOGO (green) bin, you can order a bin here 
• glass (broken only). Glass products such as drinking glasses, pyrex, window glass and mirrors (wrap in newspaper and place in a bag in your bin) 
• light globes (incandescent only) - wrap in newspaper and bag. Fluorescent lights must be disposed of in a specialised bin provided at the Melton Recycling Facility
• long life cartons and tetra packs - juice boxes, long life milk containers (even if they have the recycling symbol, must go in the general waste) 
• nappies, pads, tampons and sanitary items - (must be bagged)
• noxious weeds 
• polystyrene, foam and meat trays (even if they say they are recyclable) 
• receipts (these are made from a non-recyclable paper).  Ensure you shred or cut up receipts with personal information on them 
• styrofoam – break down boxes and bag to stop small beads from polluting the environment 
• soft plastics - plastic bags, chip packets, biscuit wrappers, frozen berry and vegetable bags 
• textiles - clothes, shoes, sheets, bedding and towels 
• tissues, napkins, paper towel and wet wipes 
• vacuum cleaner dust (bagged) 

Still not sure? Refer to our A-Z guide for your home. Anything with WB goes in your red bin! 

Never place batteries in your bins.  Batteries can cause fires in bin trucks and landfills and can cause pollution of water ways. 

The following materials are not accepted in the general waste bin or any other bin at home. These items must be disposed of at a specialised disposal facility (limits may apply):

• asbestos
• batteries (can be disposed of at the Melton Recycling Facility and at most major supermarkets)
• building materials (bricks, timber, concrete etc.). These items can be disposed of at Melton Recycling Facility using your waste entitlements or for a fee
• chemicals and solvents – These items can be disposed of at Detox Your Home events
• e-waste – Melton Recycling Facility and other participating locations have free disposal options for e-waste 
• gas bottles - 9kg LPG bottles can be taken to the Melton Recycling Facility and butane canisters can be disposed of at Detox Your Home events
• oil – cooking oil and engine oil can be disposed of at Melton Recycling Facility
• paint and paint tins – can be disposed of at Melton Recycling Facility

Still not sure? Refer to our Waste A-Z guide. 

The contents of your general waste (red) bin go directly to landfill at the Melbourne Regional Landfill in Ravenhall.

Landfilling is the least preferred option for waste disposal in Australia.  If you would like to reduce your waste, visit the Waste A-Z guide.

While our recycling efforts are on the rise, City of Melton residents are still producing approximately 39,705 tonnes of household waste each year. (Source: Melton City Council waste collection records as of 30 December 2025).  This equates to 6404 large African elephants!

Data collected through our annual waste audit indicates at least 60 per cent of our landfill waste contains recyclable materials.  For more information, check the Know Your Council website to compare council waste diversion and fees.