Greater Dandenong residents currently have access to three kerbside bin services, including general waste, mixed recycling and optional food and garden waste.
To standardise household waste and recycling services across the state, the Victorian Government has legislated that a glass service must be provided by all Councils by 1 July 2027. The purple lid glass bin service is not optional for councils or households.
To comply with the Victorian government’s policy, the new purple lid glass bins are proposed to be delivered between April and May 2027, with collections starting in July 2027 for glass jars and bottles.
Separation of household waste and recycling into the four material streams (general waste, mixed recycling, food and garden waste, glass) helps reduce contamination. It increases the volume and quality of materials we can recover for recycling and reuse and allows us to get the most value from our resources.
When glass mixes with other recyclables in our yellow-lid bins, it can break which contaminates paper and cardboard, making them unrecyclable. Separating glass means cleaner recycling, more materials are reused, and less waste sent to landfill.The glass bin will be collected once every four weeks.
There are no proposed changes to the weekly red general rubbish bin and yellow mixed recycling and green food and garden waste bin collection services at this stage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is there going to be a separate bin for glass?
By collecting glass separately, we can make sure more of it is recycled.
Glass jars and bottles can be made into various products. Some of these products include new roads, new footpaths and new bottles and jars.
Separation of household waste and recycling into the four material streams helps reduce contamination. It increases the volume and quality of materials we can recover for recycling and reuse and allows us to get the most value from our resources.
When glass mixes with other recyclables in our yellow-lid bins, it can break which contaminates paper and cardboard, making them unrecyclable. Separating glass means cleaner recycling, more materials are reused and less waste sent to landfill.
How often will it be collected?
We will collect your glass bin once every four weeks.
There are no proposed changes to the weekly red general waste bin and yellow mixed recycling and optional green food and garden waste bin collection services at this stage.
We’ll keep you in the loop if anything shifts along the way.
When will these changes happen?
The new 120 litre purple lid glass bins are proposed to be delivered between April and May 2027.
When will collections begin?
Collections will be starting in July 2027 for glass jars and bottles.
Will the new service be optional?
No.
The new four bin service is a compulsory part of the Victorian Government's 2020 Recycling Victoria: A New Economy which will see a standardised 4-bin waste and recycling system for residential households across the state by 2030.
Each residential property with a mixed recycling bin (yellow lid) must also have a glass-only bin on the premises to ensure no glass is placed in a yellow mixed recycling bin.
Once the purple-lidded glass bin is rolled out, glass will then be considered contamination in the yellow mixed recycling bin.
Why isn’t there a smaller bin available?
We understand that every household is different, we will provide a standard 120 litre glass bin to all residents to ensure the service meets diverse household needs.
I don’t receive Council kerbside waste services, will I need a glass bin service?
All households that currently receive a council kerbside bin service will be included in the glass recycling bin service. If you do not currently receive a council kerbside bin service, and instead your bins are collected by a private service, you will not receive a glass recycling bin service from council.
I live in a Multi Unit Development (MUD) with limited bin storage space. Will I receive the same service as a single unit development?
MUDs often face bin storage and presentation space issues.
Following assessment of MUDs within the municipality, it has been determined that some MUDs require fewer than one bin per household, and several households might share a purple-lidded bin.
This will also resolve the problem of limited storage and collection space.
We will work directly with MUDs Owners Corporations to ensure efficient service is delivered to the community.
What type of glass can be recycled in the new service?
What will be accepted?
- Glass bottles such as wine, beer, spirits, olive oil, etc
- Glass jars and containers such as jam, pasta sauce, condiments etc
What cannot be accepted?
- Lids, bottle caps and corks
- General waste
- Other recyclables
- Light globes, mirrors, perfume bottles, drinking glasses and window glass
- Ceramics such as plates, cups and bowls
- Glass kitchenware (e.g. Pyrex and baking dishes)
- Plastic bags
Why can’t glass kitchenware, drinking glasses or window glass go into the separate glass service?
These glass items have a higher melting point and for this reason are unable to be used to make new products.
Will I need to remove lids and labels from the items that will go into my glass bin?
All lids should be removed from bottles or jars before placing it in your glass recycling bin.
Plastic and metal lids should be placed in your yellow mixed recycling bin. All other lids and corks should be placed in your general waste bin. It is not necessary to remove labels before placing into the separate glass service.
Please ensure all items are empty before placing in your glass bin.
Can I put broken bottles and jars into the bin?
Yes, you can carefully put broken bottles and jars into the glass bin.
What happens to the glass that is collected?
Glass is a valuable material that can be recycled repeatedly, providing a sustainable packaging option for products.
Separation of household waste and recycling into the four material streams helps reduce contamination. It increases the volume and quality of materials we can recover for recycling and reuse and allows us to get the most value from our resources.
When glass mixes with other recyclables in our yellow-lid bins, it can break which contaminates paper and cardboard, making them unrecyclable. Separating glass means cleaner recycling, more materials are reused and less waste sent to landfill.
In the new system, glass collected through the kerbside glass bin will be sent to a licensed processing facility called a Glass Beneficiation Plant. The glass will be used to make other bottles and used for construction and road material products.