Council bin guide

Brimbank City Council
bin guide

Brimbank collects general waste weekly and mixed recycling fortnightly. Food and garden organics is currently an optional fortnightly service, so check what the property actually receives.

At a glance
  • Recycling bin: Fortnightly, alternating with food and garden organics weeks.
  • Food and garden organics bin: Fortnightly for properties that subscribe; the service has an annual fee until the July 2027 system change.

Sort it right

What goes in each bin

These rules are for council bins. If your building uses a private bin service, check its signs or ask the provider.

Yellow lid

Recycling bin

Fortnightly, alternating with food and garden organics weeks.

For clean, dry and empty household paper, cardboard, accepted rigid containers and metal packaging.

Yes — place in this bin

  • Metal cans, tins and empty aerosols
  • Clean, dry paper and flattened cardboard
  • Empty glass bottles and jars
  • Hard plastic bottles and containers

No — keep out of this bin

  • Plastic bags, film, wrap and bagged recycling
  • Polystyrene and soft plastics
  • Food scraps and garden waste
  • Batteries, electronic items and household chemicals
Check the full council guidance ↗

Bright green lid

Food and garden organics bin

Fortnightly for properties that subscribe; the service has an annual fee until the July 2027 system change.

An optional service for loose food scraps and small garden material that can be processed into compost.

Yes — place in this bin

  • Fruit and vegetable scraps
  • Meat, bones, seafood and eggshells
  • Leaves, plants, twigs and grass
  • Coffee grounds and loose-leaf tea without tags or staples

No — keep out of this bin

  • Coffee pods and tea bags
  • Kitty litter and animal droppings
  • Plastic, compostable or biodegradable bags and packaging
  • Treated wood, ash, vacuum dust and large branches
Check the full council guidance ↗

Important rules

Local bin rules

  • Keep recycling loose rather than putting it in plastic bags.
  • Empty containers and keep paper and cardboard clean and dry.
  • Use only loose food and garden material in the FOGO bin; compostable packaging and liners are not accepted.
  • FOGO is currently optional. Owners can order it from Council, while renters need their landlord to arrange it.
  • Keep lids closed and put a subscribed FOGO bin out even when it is not full.

Common questions

Quick answers

Does every Brimbank property have a FOGO bin?
No. The food and garden organics service is currently optional and charged annually. The address lookup confirms the collection zone, not whether a household subscribes.
Can recycling go in a plastic bag?
No. Place accepted recycling loose in the yellow-lid bin; bagged recycling is not accepted.
Can compostable bags go in Brimbank’s FOGO bin?
No. Council excludes plastic, compostable and biodegradable bags, packaging and liners.

Where this comes from

Council sources

Last checked 31 July 2026. Council information can change. Spot a mistake?

  1. Bin collection information
  2. Recycling bin guidance
  3. Food and garden organics bin guidance