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What can go in your bins

Getting the right items in the right bin will ensure as much of it is recycled and composted as possible.

What goes in your landfill bin (red lid)
What goes in your recycling bin (yellow lid)
A-Z guide to recycling in Monash
What goes in your food and garden bin (green lid)
What can you take to the Recycling and Waste Centre
Changes to how often bins are collected

What goes in your landfill (red lid) bin and diversion options

Your landfill bin (red lid) is for any items that cannot be recycled through your recycling bin, food and garden waste bin or other recycling services.

Plastic bags, plastic film, soft plastics
Food packaging (box and wrapping food comes in) and fruit stickers (stickers on fruit, vegetables and other produce)
Baby wipes, wet wipes, nappies, sanitary items, pet waste (wrapped)
Broken drinking glass, mugs, ceramics (wrapped), broken crockery, cutlery, pyrex (wrapped)
Clothing, footwear, textiles (good quality can be donated and other textiles can be recycled through Upparel)
Cosmetic containers (or recycled through TerraCycle)
Dryer lint, vacuum dust (wrapped), gloves, garden hose, gardening tools, mirrors, window glass, polystyrene, foam meat trays
Takeaway coffee cups, lids, straws
Toothbrush, toothpaste tubes (or recycled through TerraCycle)
Toys (excluding electronic items), PPE (rapid tests, gloves, masks)
Long life milk and juice containers (UHT, Tetra Pak)

More info: Rubbish collection

What goes in your recycling bin

Only accepted paper, cardboard, hard plastic containers, glass bottles and jars, aluminium and steel cans go in your recycling bin. Put these items loose in your recycling bin.

Hard plastic bottles and containers

Milk, cordial, water, soft drink bottles (leave lids on), meat trays, biscuit trays, takeaway containers, cream bottles, yoghurt and ice cream containers, margarine and butter containers, cleaning, detergent and shampoo bottles, strawberry and berry punnets

Paper and cardboard

Paper (postcard size or larger), newspaper, magazines (remove plastic packaging and put in your rubbish bin), milk, juice cartons, advertising material, junk mail, flyers
Butcher's paper, fish-and-chip paper, greeting cards, envelopes, wrapping paper, nooks, notepads, paper bags
Cardboard boxes (please flatten), cereal boxes, tissue boxes, pizza boxes, egg cartons

Glass bottles and jars (lids on)

Sauce bottles, drinks containers, jars from jams, spreads, coffee jars, salsa, pasta sauce jars

Steel cans

Fruit tins, vegetable cans, pet food tins, aerosol cans (must be empty)

Aluminium cans and foil

Aluminium foil (scrunch into a ball), aluminium trays, soft drink cans, aerosol cans (must be empty)

If you find your recycling bin gets full before bin collection day, you can request an extra bin: Request a new or additional bin

More info: Recycling collection

What goes in your food and garden bin

Your food and garden waste bin (green lid) is for food scraps, garden prunings and some organic material.

Garden prunings

Grass clippings, flowers, leaves, weeds, plants, small shrubs, straw, hay
Small branches and sticks (no longer than 40cm, or 10cm in diameter)

Food scraps

Food can go in the bin loose or wrapped in paper towel or newspaper. No other food packaging is accepted. You can also use certified compostable bin liners.

Fruit, vegetables, avocado stones, meat, seafood, bones (raw and cooked), baked goods, bread, pastries, eggshells, dairy, cheese
Rice, pasta, cooked leftovers, mouldy, out-of-date food, takeaway, fried foods
Chocolate, lollies, coffee grinds, tea leaves, tea bags (remove the label from tea bags. Fabric/silk tea bags not accepted)

Other organic material

Paper towel, tissues, serviettes, shredded paper, paper (smaller than postcard size)
Human hair, animal hair, animal feathers
Newspaper (1 or 2 sheets only, used to line the caddy), cardboard (single sheet only, used to line the bottom of the bin)

If you find your green waste bin gets full before bin collection day, you can request an extra bin: Request a new or additional bin

More info: Food and garden waste collection