Your bins are getting a makeover!
The State Government has proposed new rules that will change the way residents sort their waste at home. The new system proposes a four-bin system:
- General rubbish/landfill (red lid)
- Mixed recycling (yellow lid)
- Food and green waste (FOGO) (green lid)
- Glass (purple lid).
What’s changing on the Mornington Peninsula?
- Households with the “old” bin lid colours (dark green for general rubbish and light blue for recycling) will receive new bin lids next year.
- Households without a food and green waste (FOGO) bin will receive one next year.
- Glass bins will NOT be introduced yet. We are advocating alongside other councils against the requirement for glass bins. Most glass can be recycled through the Container Deposit Scheme, meaning a separate bin could be unnecessary and costly for the community.
Please share your thoughts on a separate glass bin in the survey below.
Why the change?
The State Government has told us that they want waste rules and bin lid colours to be the same across all Victorian councils. Consistent rules and bin lid colours will lead to less confusion, which will lower contamination rates and minimise waste disposal costs for everyone.
Since 2021 the State Government has increased the landfill levy by 126 per cent, so keeping food waste out of landfill is key to driving costs down. Placing food scraps in the food and green waste (FOGO) bin can reduce landfill waste by up to 40 per cent.
The State Government’s deadline for these changes is currently 1 July 2027, however there are still some unknown factors, and we are waiting for the final rules.
We need to start implementing these changes now to meet the State Government's deadline.
Our plan between now and 1 July 2027
We will begin rolling out these changes next year. In the meantime, we’re preparing for a smooth transition by:
- Asking our community about their current waste habits to understand their needs, wishes and concerns.
- Informing our community about what’s changing and why.
- Waiting for the State Government’s final guidelines to confirm exactly what goes in each bin.
- Later this year we will reach out to our residents and explain how the changeover and delivery of new bins and lids will work.
Talk to us and stay informed
Yes, this is a State Government legislated change, but your voice is still important.
We would like to understand:
- How you use our waste and recycling services
- What's working well and what isn't
- What support would help you as the new system rolls out.
Your insights will help ensure our services are easy to use for everyone on the Peninsula.
The State Government is making these changes to make recycling easier for everyone. Right now, different councils in Victoria have different rules for kerbside bins. This can be confusing. The Government wants all councils to follow the same rules so people know what goes in each bin and so recycling can improve across the state.
These new rules will start on 1 July 2027. The State Government has not yet shared the final rules for each bin, but we are already working on the main changes. This includes giving everyone a FOGO (green) bin and making sure all bin lids are the same colours used by other councils in Victoria.
No, your bin collection schedule will remain the same. General rubbish (landfill) will continue to be collected weekly, while recycling and FOGO (food and green waste) bins will each be collected once a fortnight, on alternating weeks.
Starting in April 2027, a FOGO bin for food and garden waste will be given to all households that do not already have one. The bin will be dropped off at your kerb, and you will get a letter in your mailbox with an easy “How to Use FOGO” guide.
Right now, 54,000 households on the Peninsula already have a FOGO bin. If you are one of these households, nothing will change for you.
The FOGO bin is handy to have – you can dispose of garden waste, such as clippings and weeds as well as all types of food scraps! That includes leftovers, bread, meat, seafood, dairy, fruit – the list goes on! What goes into the FOGO bin becomes nutritious compost for Victorian farmers.
Free your landfill bin of food scraps and enjoy a bin with more space! When people use the FOGO service, we can reduce the amount of waste we send to landfill by up to 40%! This is good for the environment and makes sense financially because landfill fees are so high.
The State Government has introduced standard bin lid colours for all households in Victoria. This change will remove confusion and make it easier for everyone to use the right bin. On the Mornington Peninsula, this is especially helpful because we get nearly seven million visitors each year, and our recycling bins often have high contamination.
We have known about this change for a while. A few years ago, we started using the new lid colours on all new bins and on bins that needed replacement lids. You may have already seen some homes on your street using the new colours. If your household already has the new colour system, your bin lids will not be changed.
FOGO stands for Food Organics Garden Organics
