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Official council sources

Yarra City Council
bin guide

Yarra uses separate bins for rubbish, mixed recycling, glass, and food and garden organics. These rules apply to Council bins; private apartment and business services may differ.

At a glance
  • Rubbish bin: Weekly.
  • Recycling bin: Fortnightly.
  • Glass bin: Every four weeks from 6 July 2026.
  • Food and garden organics bin: Weekly, on the same day as rubbish.

Sort it right

What goes in each bin

Use these rules for Council-provided bins. If your building uses a private service, check its signs or ask the service provider.

Red or dark green lid

Rubbish bin

Weekly.

For household waste that cannot go in Yarra’s recycling, glass or FOGO bins.

Yes — place in this bin

  • Nappies and wet wipes
  • Glassware, crockery and mirrors
  • Kitty litter and animal droppings
  • Non-recyclable plastic packaging

No — keep out of this bin

  • Batteries and electronic items
  • Recycling, glass and FOGO material
  • Oil, paint, solvents and liquids
  • Hot ashes, syringes and building materials
Check the full council guidance ↗

Yellow lid

Recycling bin

Fortnightly.

For empty paper, cardboard, cartons, metal and the rigid plastics accepted by Yarra.

Yes — place in this bin

  • Paper, cardboard, junk mail and egg cartons
  • Metal cans and metal lids
  • Milk, juice, soy and stock cartons
  • Clear plastic bottles marked 1, plus plastic items marked 2 or 5

No — keep out of this bin

  • Glass — use the purple-lid bin
  • Soft plastics and plastic bags
  • Aerosol cans
  • Loose plastic lids and plastics marked 3, 4, 6 or 7
Check the full council guidance ↗

Purple lid

Glass bin

Every four weeks from 6 July 2026.

For empty glass bottles and jars. Lids can stay on.

Yes — place in this bin

  • Beer, wine and spirit bottles
  • Pasta sauce and condiment jars
  • Olive oil and sauce bottles
  • Other empty glass bottles and jars

No — keep out of this bin

  • Drinking glasses and vases
  • Pyrex and other cookware
  • Light bulbs
  • Perfume containers, mirrors and window glass
Check the full council guidance ↗

Lime green lid

Food and garden organics bin

Weekly, on the same day as rubbish.

For loose food scraps and accepted garden material that Yarra turns into compost.

Yes — place in this bin

  • Fruit, vegetables, meat, seafood and bones
  • Bread, cereal, dairy, eggs, rice and pasta
  • Leaves, grass, weeds and small branches
  • Loose tea, coffee grounds, newspaper and paper towel

No — keep out of this bin

  • Plastic or compostable bags and packaging
  • Tea bags, coffee pods and fruit stickers
  • Pet waste, nappies and wet wipes
  • Liquids, cooking oil, treated wood and oversized branches
Check the full council guidance ↗

Important rules

Use the service properly

  • Empty recycling and glass containers and keep them free of food and liquids.
  • Place recycling loose in the yellow-lid bin — never inside bags.
  • No plastic or compostable liners in Yarra FOGO bins.
  • Put bins out after 5 pm the night before or by 5 am on collection day.
  • Check for a Yarra logo on apartment or business bins; private services can use different rules.

Common questions

Quick answers

Can compostable liners go in Yarra’s FOGO bin?
No. Yarra does not accept compostable or biodegradable liners, bags or products in FOGO.
Can meat, seafood and bones go in FOGO?
Yes. Put them in loose with packaging, ties and stickers removed.
Do these rules apply to every apartment building?
Only if Yarra City Council provides the bins. Check for the Yarra logo or ask your building manager about a private service.

Also useful

More council waste services

Glass recycling collection

Purple-lid glass bins are collected every four weeks from 6 July 2026; use the address lookup for dates.

View council information ↗

Hard rubbish bookings

Eligible Yarra households can book up to two free hard rubbish collections per calendar year.

View council information ↗

Recycling drop-off centres

Yarra operates resident recycling drop-off services at Clifton Hill and Burnley, with accepted materials varying by site.

View council information ↗

Traceable information

Official council sources

Checked 29 July 2026. Collection arrangements can change after this date. Let us know if this is incorrect.

  1. Bin collection ↗Address lookup required for exact collection dates · Weekly rubbish collection · Fortnightly mixed recycling collection · Weekly FOGO collection · Four-weekly glass collection from 6 July 2026
  2. Yellow-lid recycling bin ↗Accepted paper, cardboard, cartons, metal and eligible rigid plastics · Glass excluded from mixed recycling · Plastic bags and soft plastics excluded
  3. What to put in your bins ↗Accepted FOGO food and garden materials · Excluded FOGO contaminants · Private services may use different rules
  4. Book a hard rubbish collection ↗Up to two free eligible household collections per calendar year · Online or phone bookings · Two-cubic-metre and item restrictions
  5. About Yarra ↗Richmond is one of the suburbs included in Yarra municipality
  6. Recycling drop-off centres ↗Resident drop-off centres in Clifton Hill and Burnley · Accepted materials vary by site
  7. Four-weekly glass collections to support a more efficient service ↗Four-weekly glass collection change · Four-stream waste system · Address lookup for upcoming dates