Glass recycling

The State Government is standardising household waste and recycling services, to make Victoria’s future recycling system more sustainable.

Under the Circular Economy (Waste Reduction and Recycling) Act 2021, all Victorian councils must provide a standard, four-stream waste and recycling system to households by 2030.

This will ensure that more of what we dispose of can be recovered and recycled into new things.

Glass often breaks during the collection process which contaminates other valuable materials such as paper and cardboard, reducing their quality and ability to be recycled.

Keeping glass separate means more materials can be recycled into valuable products and ultimately keeps more materials out of landfill.

Households with access to a kerbside bin service will receive a fourth 120L purple-lid bin for glass recycling, to be emptied once a month.

Glass recycling drop-off points will be set up at rural transfer stations for residents who do not have access to the kerbside service.

The same glass items that you can currently put in your mixed recycling bin, i.e.

• Glass jars (empty, lightly rinsed): pasta sauce, jam, condiments etc.
• Glass bottles (empty, lightly rinsed): oil, wine, sauce, cordial, champagne, beer, spirit etc.

Broken glass bottles and jars can also go in your glass recycling bin.

Put all other glass items in your red-lid rubbish bin.

Different types of glass melt at different temperatures, and so can’t all be recycled. This is why some glass items cannot be put in the glass recycling bin, including:

• Drinking glasses
• Broken windows or mirrors
• Broken light bulbs
• Vases
• Glass or ceramic cooking dishes
• Perfume or makeup containers

Dispose of these non-recyclable glass items in your red-lid rubbish bin.

Broken glass jars or bottles can be put in your glass recycling bin. It is also OK if a glass bottle or jar breaks when you place it into the bin.

All other types of broken glass or glass materials should be placed in your red-lid rubbish bin.

Empty and lightly rinse your glass bottles and jars, however they don’t need to be spotless.

Labels can stay on glass bottles and jars.

We do not know yet if lids and caps will be accepted in our glass recycling service. This detail will be confirmed once a glass recycling contractor is appointed.

Residents will receive updated information about using the glass recycling bin when it is delivered. We will also make information available on the Council website and through local media.

120L, the same size as your red-lid rubbish bin.

Once a month.  

Collection schedules and days will be confirmed once a glass recycling contractor is appointed.

Residents will receive updated information about collection schedules when the glass recycling bin is delivered. New bin collection calendars will also be available at our Service Centres and on the Council website.

A new glass re-processing facility will be established at the Mildura Landfill site where all glass will be crushed and available for use in maintenance and construction projects. This will have significant economic benefits for the region, by creating new jobs in construction and operations.

We are aiming to have this new service operating from July 2024.

The exact dates will be finalised over the coming year once a contractor is appointed and we work through the details. We will keep residents informed with regular updates and provide lots more information over the next twelve months so you have plenty of time to prepare.

120L glass recycling bins will be delivered a couple of months before the service starts. Residents will also receive an information pack on the four-stream system and using the new glass bin.

Households will not be able to opt-out of this service.

All Victorian households must have access to a four-stream recycling service, by law, by 2030. We see this as a vital step in reducing the amount of waste we send to landfill and ensuring that recycled materials can be used for another purpose in the local environment.

Audits show that on average, 43% of the mixed yellow-lid recycling bin is glass (by weight).

Having a glass-only bin on your property will also ensure no glass is put in a mixed recycling bin.

Council is also looking to review its kerbside bin policy to provide more flexibility in how businesses use and access the service. We will work closely with businesses on this and communicate information when it is available.

We encourage all businesses to reduce their waste and recycle as much as possible. We will assist to resolve any bin issues as best we can and work with businesses regarding their individual circumstances.

Council is also looking to review its kerbside bin policy to provide more flexibility in how businesses use and access the service. We will work closely with businesses on this and communicate information when it is available.

We understand there is limited space in some circumstances, such as rear laneways and in units. We will assist to resolve any bin issues as best we can and work with all property owners regarding their individual circumstances.

Council is also looking to review its kerbside bin policy to provide more flexibility in how businesses use and access the service. This may be particularly relevant for those businesses with limited rear lane storage space. We will work closely with businesses on this and communicate information when it is available.

Weight should not be an issue if the glass bin is used correctly.

Advice received from other councils also indicates this should not be an issue. For example, at Macedon Ranges Shire Council the average weight of a 120L glass recycling bin is 15-16kg.

Only glass drink containers (such as bottles) will be eligible under the Container Deposit Scheme (CDS). Sauce and oil bottles and glass jars will not be accepted through the CDS.

Audits show that 13.4% (by weight) of glass in the average yellow-lid recycling bin would be eligible under the CDS.

The kerbside glass recycling service will be a convenient option for those people who choose not or are unable to use the CDS.

It is estimated the new service will cost an average of $22.52 per property, per year. This will be added to the Waste Management Charge on Council rates notices.

This cost is calculated based on:

• Estimated annual cost of $885,072 ($32.47 per property) to provide a 120L monthly glass service
• Estimated annual savings of $271,264 ($9.95 per property) due to reduced freight costs by processing glass locally