{"id":387005,"date":"2026-04-19T08:39:11","date_gmt":"2026-04-19T08:39:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/387005\/"},"modified":"2026-04-19T08:39:11","modified_gmt":"2026-04-19T08:39:11","slug":"victorian-councils-rubbish-statewide-mandate-that-all-homes-must-have-four-wheelie-bins-recycling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/387005\/","title":{"rendered":"Victorian councils rubbish statewide mandate that all homes must have four wheelie bins | Recycling"},"content":{"rendered":"

When Victoria<\/a> embarked on its four-bin system for household waste back in 2020, the goal was to position the state as a leader in recycling.<\/p>\n

The rollout of a purple-lidded bin for glass \u2013 a fourth bin alongside organics, recycling and rubbish \u2013 would be a \u201cgamechanging\u201d way to keep glass and other valuable resources out of landfill, then environment minister Lily D\u2019Ambrosio said.<\/p>\n

Purple bins were trialled in some areas in 2019, with a statewide rollout expected to be completed by 1 July 2027.<\/p>\n

But as local governments tally the costs of the extra kerbside service \u2013 particularly since the launch of the state\u2019s container deposit scheme, which accepts some glass bottles – concerned councils and residents are questioning whether four bins is better than three.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho has the space for all these bins?\u201d asked one person on social media. \u201cI have had a purple bin for 3-4 years. I have put it out for collection twice,\u201d said another. \u201cTotal waste of money.\u201d<\/p>\n

Four bins for each household became the centrepiece of Victoria\u2019s recycling reforms, announced in the wake of waste export restrictions and the closure of major recycling company SKM Recycling<\/a>. The overhaul also saw the launch of a container deposit scheme in 2023.<\/p>\n

So far, 42 of the state\u2019s 79 councils have implemented a separate glass recycling service.<\/p>\n

Now, as the deadline approaches, a coalition of 35 councils is calling on the state government to pause the glass bin deadline and consider alternatives, like expanding the range of containers able to be accepted under the container deposit scheme.<\/p>\n

Sign up for the Breaking News Australia email<\/a><\/p>\n

One of those councils is Manningham, which covers suburbs such as Bulleen and Doncaster in Melbourne\u2019s north-east. It says the group supports efforts to improve glass recycling but is concerned about the added cost of the service, which would ultimately be passed on to residents.<\/p>\n

Independent research (commissioned by the group) estimates purple bin collection could cost a typical council $4m to implement, and $1.4m a year to operate.<\/p>\n

Other criticisms include the lack of space available for accommodating four bins; the low use of the glass service in places where it has been rolled out; and the environmental impact of added truck movements.<\/p>\n

Manningham mayor, Jim Grivas, says the council wants to work collaboratively on a solution. \u201cWe are asking the state government to listen to our concerns, delay the mandatory implementation date of mid-2027, and expand the container deposit scheme which is already in regular use,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Several councils \u2013 including Boroondara<\/a>, Stonnington, Whitehorse, Hume, Cardinia and Campaspe \u2013 have voted to postpone any rollout, despite it being a legal requirement from the state government.<\/p>\n

Why glass in the mix is a problem<\/p>\n

Australians produce about 52kg of glass waste per capita each year, according to national data<\/a>, most of which comes from households.<\/p>\n

The national glass recycling rate for 2022-2023 \u2013 the latest full year with data available \u2013 was about 61%. South Australia has the highest recovery rate at 73%. Victoria recycled 71%.<\/p>\n

Jeff Angel, director of the Total Environment Centre says glass has always posed a problem for commingled recycling.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s mixed up with all the other recyclables, gets contaminated itself, but also breaks up fairly easily \u2013 either when it\u2019s put in the bin or then lifted up into the collection truck,\u201d he says. \u201cIt just smashes, and when it smashes it infiltrates the other recyclables like paper and cardboard.\u201d<\/p>\n

Separating the glass from other recyclable material helps by reducing contamination and improves the recovery rate. But a separate bin isn\u2019t the only solution, he adds.<\/p>\n

Most container deposit schemes accept glass, as well as aluminium, plastic and paperboard drink containers and cartons, although the range of eligible items differs by state and territory. Most offer a 10 cent refund for each container.<\/p>\n

Glass wine and spirit bottles have been accepted through Queensland\u2019s container refund scheme since 2023, which several other states \u2013 including Western Australia, South Australia and New South Wales \u2013 plan to follow. In Victoria, glass food jars and wine bottles are not eligible.<\/p>\n

The quality of material returned through container deposit schemes is much cleaner, Angel says, with the refund providing an added incentive.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, it maximises the recycling, maximises the cleanliness, and as we\u2019re now discovering, relieves the local councils of millions of dollars of expense,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

South Australia claims about 11% of glass placed in kerbside bins<\/a> was recycled back into glass containers, compared to 99% of material returned to container deposit depots. In Queensland\u2019s container refund scheme, the recovery rate for glass is about 88%.<\/p>\n

Gayle Sloan, chief executive of the Waste<\/a> Management and Resource Recovery Association of Australia, says a separate glass bin is unnecessary if kerbside and deposit schemes are working well together. \u201cThree bins plus container deposit gives you a comprehensive service.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jennifer Macklin, the circular economy lead at BehaviourWorks Australia, says greater source separation is generally positive and many councils have successfully introduced the new system, suggesting that the practical challenges – like space, logistics and behaviour change \u2014 are real but manageable.<\/p>\n

Container deposit schemes have excellent glass recovery options, including colour separation, she says, and could be expanded to include glass food containers alongside drink bottles.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis type of expansion, while complex to implement, could reduce the need for kerbside glass separation altogether, while achieving even higher recovery rates and outcomes,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

\"CrossingCrossing Bass Strait in a boat made entirely of rubbish \u2013 video<\/p>\n

A Victorian government spokesperson says the state has invested $129m to support councils with the rollout \u2013 including funding for new bins, drop-off facilities and to support the delivery of education campaigns.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe container deposit scheme [CDS] has been embraced by Victorians and complements the rollout of Victoria\u2019s four-stream waste and recycling system. Many items, such as glass bottles and jars, are not suitable for CDS Vic \u2013 the glass bin allows households to conveniently recycle these at home.\u201d<\/p>\n

The president of the Municipal Association of Victoria, Jennifer Anderson, says waste collection is one of the highest costs for local government, so councils want the ability to decide what works best for their area. \u201c[Councils] want it to be the most effective and efficient service on behalf of their ratepayers,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Councils that are yet to introduce a glass service want a \u201ctwo-way\u201d conversation with the government \u2013 about what\u2019s best for the planet, the state\u2019s circular economy initiatives and financially sustainable, she says.<\/p>\n

They also want to see the business case that underpinned the state government\u2019s decision.<\/p>\n

Continuing to mandate the rollout of glass bins across Victoria is a kind of stubbornness, Angel says.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s obvious on economic and environmental grounds to use the container refund scheme,\u201d he says. \u201cWe\u2019ve spent enormous amounts of money investing in new return points and depots and reverse vending machines, and they have the capacity to take a lot more or to be easily expanded.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"When Victoria embarked on its four-bin system for household waste back in 2020, the goal was to position…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":387006,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[273,111,139,69,147],"class_list":{"0":"post-387005","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-environment","8":"tag-environment","9":"tag-new-zealand","10":"tag-newzealand","11":"tag-nz","12":"tag-science"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/387005","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=387005"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/387005\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/387006"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=387005"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=387005"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=387005"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}