Glass Recycling Bin

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Collections for the new purple-lidded glass recycling bins will commence from October 2024.

Collections will occur once every four weeks on your current bin collection day.

Residents are encouraged to begin placing glass bottles and jars into the purple-lidded bins ahead of the first collections. 

To find out your upcoming bin collection schedule, residents can: 

  • Download the newly updated Baw Baw Waste Guide(PDF, 4MB) (Printable PDF) on Council’s website 

  • Download the newly updated Waste Collection Map(PDF, 8MB) (Printable PDF) on Council’s website

  • Pick up a hard copy of the Baw Baw Waste Guide booklet from Council’s customer service centres in Drouin and Warragul

  • Call Council’s customer service team on 5624 2411.

Below are the most frequently asked questions regarding the new glass recycling bins: 

What can go in my glass recycling bin?

Glass bottles and jars including: 

  • Glass bottles of beer, wine, soft drink and olive oil bottles 

  • Glass jars of pasta sauce and condiment jars for jams, spreads and preserves 

  • Glass bottles and jars for medicine or toiletries 

  • It is ok to place broken glass bottles and jars in the glass recycling bin 

Residents are encouraged to rinse all jars, remove all lids or corks and place items in the glass recycling bin loosely (do not bag recyclables). 

Lids and corks can be placed in the red-lidded general rubbish bin. Labels can be left on. 

What can't go in my glass recycling bin?

Any glass item that isn’t a glass bottle and jar including: 

  • Drinking or wine glasses 

  • Window glass, fish tank glass, glass doors 

  • Pyrex or glass containers 

  • Bakeware or ovenware 

  • Ceramics or stoneware 

  • Perfume bottles 

  • Light bulbs 

  • Mirrors 

  • Vases 

These items are made to melt at a higher temperature in the manufacturing process compared to glass bottles and jars that contained food or drink and therefore cannot be recycled in the same process. 

These items should be donated if possible or placed in your red-lidded general rubbish bin where appropriate. 

Lids and corks can be placed in the red-lidded general rubbish bin.

The above items should be donated if possible, or placed in your red general rubbish bin where appropriate. 

What are the benefits of recycling glass?

Separating glass bottles and jars into a new glass recycling bin will help improve recycling quality and keep unnecessary waste out of landfill.  

When broken glass is present in the yellow-lidded mixed recycling bin it makes other items like cardboard, paper and plastic hard to recycle due to broken glass contamination. This contamination often results in the recyclable materials going to landfill. 

By putting your glass bottles and jars in a separate glass recycling bin, more glass can be kept out of landfill and recycled into products like new glass bottles and jars, and even new road base. 

Why has a new glass recycling bin been introduced?

All Victorian Councils are required to introduce a separate glass recycling bin as part of the Victorian Government’s Recycling Victoria: A new economy policy – a 10-year policy and action plan to improve waste and recycling.

As part of this policy, all households will transition to a four-waste stream system to support the circular economy. 

Roll out of the new 120L purple-lidded glass recycling bins took place between June and August 2024 to households across the state, on behalf of the Victorian Government. 

What if I am a commercial property with a Council waste collection service?

The purple-lidded glass recycling bin will only be introduced to residential households at this stage. 

Where will the glass be recycled?

Glass will go to a Material Recycling Facility (MRF) located in Dandenong.

Can I opt-out of the glass recycling bin service?

All residential households are required to have access to the separate glass recycling service as part of the Victorian Government’s Recycling Victoria: A new economy policy. 

Consideration will be given for multi-unit developments and retirement villages for shared bin arrangements. 

Will the glass recycling bin have a RFID installed in it?

No, the glass recycling bin will not have RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) installed.

Will the yellow-lidded mixed recycling bin still be collected fortnightly?

Yes, the mixed recycling bin will be collected fortnightly. 

There will be no other changes to waste collection services. 

As of the date of signing, the Chief Executive Officer has certified that this material is not considered to be electoral material in accordance with Council’s Governance Rules made under the Local Government Act 2020, Civic Place, Warragul.

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