Waste & Recycling FAQs

What CAN and CAN'T go in your red-topped landfill bin?

What CAN go in your landfill bin:

  • polystyrene containers and trays,
  • foam packaging,
  • broken kitchen and oven ware,
  • storage and baking ware,
  • pet droppings and litter,
  • broken glass (wrapped in newspaper),
  • nappies and wipes,
  • all lids,
  • garden hoses,
  • coffee pods,
  • UHT and long-life cartons,
  • takeaway coffee cups,
  • textiles,
  • vacuum cleaner bags,
  • plant pots.

 

What CAN'T go in your landfill bin:

  • e-waste (anything with a plug or batteries),
  • asbestos,
  • tyres,
  • mattresses,
  • garden waste,
  • hazardous liquids,
  • paint tins,
  • motor oil,
  • chemical waste,
  • batteries,
  • light globes,
  • recyclables.

What CAN and CAN'T go in your yellow-topped recycling bin?

What CAN go in your recycling bin:
  • plastics including drink bottles, shampoo bottles, laundry detergent bottles, milk bottles, food containers (eg. margarine, yoghurt or ice cream containers)
  • paper (newspapers, stationary, magazines, etc) and unwaxed cardboard products
  • aluminium and metal cans
  • aluminium foil.

Please remember that recycled items need to be packed loose and not in plastic bags, plastic bags can cause process machines to jam and malfunction.

What CAN'T go in your recycling bin:

  • polystyrene containers and trays,
  • foam packaging,
  • bread bags,
  • cling wrap,
  • squeeze bottles,
  • magazine wrapping,
  • CD and DVD cases,
  • plastic bags,
  • nappies and wipes,
  • broken crockery,
  • aerosol cans (can explode during the sorting process),
  • light globes,
  • coated cardboard (long-life containers, takeaway coffee cups and some chemical boxes (dishwasher powder, for example) and waxed cardboard,
  • milk/juice cartons and UHT/Tetra packs,
  • metal pots and pans.

Please don't pack goods in plastic bag, these can cause the processing machines to jam and malfunction.

What CAN and CAN'T go in your glass bin?

What CAN go in your glass bin:

  • glass bottles and jars (rinse and remove lids).

 

What CAN'T go in your glass bin:

  • broken windows and glassware,
  • broken crockery,
  • storage and baking ware,
  • perfume bottles and lids (corks, plastic or metal lids)

All these items need to be wrapped in newspaper and placed in the red-topped landfill bin.

 

What CAN and CAN'T go in your green waste bin?

What CAN go in your green waste bin:

  • grass clippings,
  • weeds,
  • garden prunings,
  • small branches and twigs (maximum 100mm diameter x 400mm long).

 

What CAN'T go in your green waste bin:

  • plastic bags,
  • garden pots,
  • garbage,
  • rocks/concrete,
  • soil,
  • garden hoses.

How can I reduce the amount of waste and recycling I produce?

Sustainability Victoria has some great resources on its website for reducing your household waste.

What do I do with waste that can’t be put in any of the bins?

Depending on what the waste is, most waste that can’t go in bins can be taken to a transfer station.

Find out what waste transfer stations can and can’t accept (including costs), as well as information about other waste disposal services.

Find information about chemical waste disposal.

Have a look at Sustainability Victoria’s website for information on other waste services.

What do I pay for kerbside collection?

What can I take to the transfer stations, and what does it cost?

How should I put my bin out for collection?

To help our collection trucks and to make sure your bin is emptied every time, please put your bin/s near the kerb or roadside with the wheels facing your house or property.

If in doubt, check the lid and follow the arrows showing 'This Side To Road'.

Other tips that help our collection trucks:

  • place bins at least one metre apart and close to the road;
  • make sure the bin lids can close easily;
  • don't jam waste into your bins – this can mean some waste may get stuck in the bin during collection.

When will my bins be collected?

Landfill bins are collected weekly in Beaufort and Avoca. Recycling is collected fortnightly, on the same day as landfill. Glass and green waste are collected once every four weeks.

In other areas, (Rural) landfill and recycling bins are collected fortnightly on alternate fortnights, and glass is collected once every four weeks.

Find out when your bin will be collected

Why wasn’t my bin collected?

If your bin wasn’t collected today, there are a couple of things to check first:

  • Was it the right collection night for that bin in your area? Check your bin collection dates.
  • Did you take your bin out in time for the trucks to collect it? We strongly recommend putting your bins out the night before your scheduled collection day to make sure your bin is collected.
  • Bad weather, increased loads, and traffic can cause delays to the truck, so please keep in mind that individual pick up times can vary (collection may not happen first thing in the morning, it may happen later in the day).
  • Is there a sticker on your recycling bin? The sticker tells you the bin was checked today and contained a high level of non-recyclable items. Information on the sticker and the accompanying letter tell you what to do next.  
  • Collection will only vary on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, and we will let you know about this change. This change usually delays the collection schedule.

If you've sure none of the above is what caused your bin to be missed, report a missed collection by lodging a Customer Action Request, and it will be collected within a week.

Can I get a larger or additional bin or have it collected more often?

If the standard bins are too small or fortnightly collection is not often enough for you, you can apply for more bins, but please know there is an additional cost for this.

Contact our customer service team for more information.

Note: please have a look at Sustainability Victoria's website for more information on how to reduce your waste.

Do I need to bring the bins in? I don't have the space to store them.

Yes, you will need to bring your bins onto your property as they cannot be left on the nature strip. This stops others from placing items in bins and also prevents them from being damaged.

If you live in a block of units, shared bins may suit you better.

What happens to bins that are damaged or destroyed?

All bins are owned by Council.

Any bins that are lost or damaged will be repaired or replaced.

Please get in touch with our customer service team if you need your bin repaired or replaced.

Can compostable bags go in the green waste bin?

No, at the moment they cannot.

How do I report illegally dumped rubbish?

The easiest way is to make a report is to fill our a Customer Action Request.

You can also lodge a report at the Council offices in person, by telephone, or email.

 

How should I dispose of nappies?

Nappies can go in your red-topped landfill bin. If odour is a concern, you can double-bag them.

If you’re interested, you can find more information about environmentally-friendly alternatives to disposable nappies on Sustainability Victoria's website.

How should I dispose of pet waste?

Pet waste can go in your red-topped landfill bin. If odour is a concern, you can double-bag pet waste.

If you have large amounts of pet waste, it may be worth looking into a pet waste composting system for your home.

What do I do with aerosol cans?

Where do I get rid of clothes I no longer need?

Clothes need to be placed in your general rubbish bin.

However, if clothes are in good condition, consider disposing of your unwanted items mindfully by donating them to a recycling or opportunity shop.

Salvation Army Thrift Shop
114A High St, Avoca

Beaufort & District Op Shop
35 Neill St, Beaufort

Beaufort Op Shop
17 Havelock St, Beaufort

Why is there a Waste Facilities Levy for properties that don’t have dwellings, and what does the levy cover?

The Waste Facilities Levy covers the ability of unimproved properties (i.e. no dwellings) to have access to Transfer Stations and contribute to general township amenity, including public street bins and street cleaning, as well as the environmental rejuvenation of old tip sites and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) fees.

What if I have a very long or steep driveway, will trucks be able to collect the bins from my house?

You will need to have your bins at the end of your driveway on your road. It may mean leaving your bins just inside your property boundary and taking your waste and recycling down to the bins.

If you have serious concerns about the waste and recycling truck accessing your bins, please lodge a lodge a Customer Action Request telling us about your concerns and that will help us assess any access issues for your property.

What if the waste and recycling truck can’t access my road?

Our waste and recycling contractors can collect bins from all properties in the Shire.

If you have serious concerns about the waste and recycling truck accessing your bins, please lodge a please lodge a Customer Action Request telling us about your concerns and that will help us assess any access issues to your property.

You have more questions?

If you have any concerns or queries, please contact Council on 1300 797 363.

Find out more about our waste and recycling collection services.