Yarra is developing a Waste and Recycling Strategy to make sure we are delivering the most efficient and effective services for our community. 

The Strategy will outline short and long-term goals to support our diverse and growing community through smarter waste management, reduced waste generation, while navigating the rising costs and state regulations – both of which pose significant challenges for local councils and their communities. It will also include a review of the waste services we provide and their associated costs.

The Victorian Government introduced the Circular Economy (Waste Reduction and Recycling) Act in 2021, with the aim of developing the circular economy in Victoria. The Act introduces changes that have a major impact on how all local councils manage waste, and includes:

• A commitment to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill

• Sharp increases to the waste levy per tonne (a levy paid to the Victorian Government by every council based on the amount of waste sent to landfill)

• A commitment to provide all households with a 4-stream waste service (glass, recycling, food and green organics and rubbish)

In Yarra, we introduced a glass bin service in November 2020, which has seen 90% of glass collected turned into new glass bottles and jars. We introduced a food and green organics (FOGO) bin in July 2024, which has seen 96% of FOGO collected turned into compost.

• To reduce contamination. When glass is broken in the recycling bin, it spoils the paper, cardboard and plastic, making them harder to recycle. When food and garden material break down in a landfill, they produce harmful greenhouse gases like methane which contribute to climate change.

• To improve glass and FOGO recycling. If you collect these materials separately, they are easier to recover. This reduces the use of virgin materials, making the most of limited natural resources. 

• To support local manufacturing businesses.

• To improve circular economy processes such as reduced environmental impact while more productively using natural resources.

• When food and garden material break down in a landfill, they produce harmful greenhouse gases like methane which contribute to global climate change.

• Landfills can also cause water pollution when harmful chemicals and landfill bi-products leach into surrounding groundwater.

• We are running out of landfill space. Victoria’s current landfills are expected to be full by 2035.

• It is cheaper to process recycling and FOGO material which in turn is cheaper for residents.

Yes, in specific circumstances you can contact Council and upsize or downsize your bins.

• Recycling bin sizes available are 120L or 240L

• Glass bin sizes available are 80L, 120L or 240L

• FOGO bin sizes available are 120L or 240L

Council runs a kerbside waste collection service to all eligible properties.

For large apartment buildings, this kerbside collection would not be adequate for the buildings needs and/or there is often not enough space on the kerbside for bins to be presented for collection. Private waste companies can offer tailored collection schedules and use smaller trucks to visit basement bin rooms.

In Yarra, standard waste services are provided to all residential properties on the rates notice, with different arrangements for commercial properties and large apartments. Commercial properties can use the standard service for household waste but often need a private service for operational waste. Apartments with private waste services are generally not eligible for council hard rubbish and may be excluded from some other council services, like the FOGO service, so residents should check with their building manager for more information.

On your annual rates notice, you will find waste services as two separate items:

• Public Waste Collection

• Household Bin Collection

The rate cap does not apply to these public waste and household bin collection charges. However, 2025/26 increases to these charges have been set to match the rate cap.

We use money collected through these charges to cover the costs of providing waste and recycling services, not including community education programs or other cleaning services, such as graffiti removal.

The increasing cost of providing waste services far exceeds the Victorian Government’s rate cap, which over the last three years has been between 3% and 3.5%.

Increases to the Victorian Government’s waste levy are substantial. The levy has risen substantially in the last 5 years, from $65.90 per tonne in 2020/21 to $169.79 per tonne in 2025/26.

The Victorian Government has introduced a requirement for all councils to introduce a four-stream bin service (glass, recycling, food organics and green organics, and rubbish). The implementation of these services is expected to cost Yarra around $5 million.

Our waste service charge comprises two elements: a public waste collection charge and a household bin collection charge.

Public waste collection

The public waste charge includes services such as:

• street sweeping

• park and street bin collection and processing

• litter removal

Household bin collection

The household waste charge includes services such as:

• household bin collection and transport to processing facilities for rubbish, recycling, glass and FOGO

• hard rubbish collection and processing

The household bin collection charge only applies to properties that are eligible for our household bin collection service.

In Yarra, bin compliance is governed by the general local law which requires bins to be placed out for collection the night before and returned to private property within 24 hours of collection. It is an offense to leave bins on the kerb for longer than 24 hours after collection. Business waste rules differ, and businesses must use private collection services for commercial waste.

• Timing: Place bins out the night before collection, in residential streets collections begin from 6am so bins must be presented before then at the latest

• Return: Remove bins from the kerb within 24 hours of collection.

• Hard rubbish: Do not place hard rubbish out more than 24 hours before the scheduled collection.

Business waste rules

• Private services: Businesses must use private collection services for commercial and customer waste, as the Yarra Council service is for staff kitchen and bathroom waste only.

• Hard rubbish: Hard rubbish collections are not available for commercial properties.

If you own an apartment and do not receive a kerbside waste collection, you will not be charged a household bin collection charge. You will still be charged for the public waste collection rate.

Melbourne will start to run out of landfills in the next 10 years. The State Government has developed an Infrastructure Plan suggesting the best way forward is to invest on Waste to Energy facilities. These could include combustion, gasification and pyrolysis. These processes can generate electricity, heat, and fuels from waste materials that would otherwise go to landfill.