Bins, Rubbish and Hard Waste Collection

Our rubbish collection service is provided by our contractor Solo Resource Recovery to all households in townships and some properties in the rural areas. Recycling and green organics are collected fortnightly on the same day as your rubbish.

There are no changes to the scheduled collection days on public holidays. However, bins are to be out by 2.00am for collection on Christmas Day.

Rubbish Routes

You can find out information about your collection days from the Recycling and Waste Guide that is mailed to residents at the end of August each year. The Recycling and Waste Guide is also available for download in the Related Information section on this page, along with the Large Print Recycling and Green Organics Calendars.

You can also find out your collection days online using our interactive map, which shows if a particular road is on the designated rubbish route.

Some property owners who are not on a rubbish collection route may still receive a service by taking their bins to a collection point on an adjacent road where the service is provided. Contact Solo Resource Recovery to find out if you are able to receive a nearby waste collection service on 5633 2009 or for more information contact us on 5624 2411.

Missed Bins

If your bin has not been collected on the scheduled day, contact Solo Resource Recovery as soon as possible on 5633 2009.

Starting a New Rubbish Service

Property owners who require a new rubbish service can complete an application form at our Customer Service Centre in Drouin or can download the relevant application form in the Related Information section on this page, then lodging the completed application form at our Customer Service Centre or email it to Council at bawbaw@bawbawshire.vic.gov.au

2022-23 Charges

Residential Service for Households:

• Rubbish service is $450.00 per year, which includes the collection of rubbish, recycling and green organics.
• Additional rubbish bin is $104.00 per year.
• Additional recycling bin is $58.00 per year.
• Additional green organics bin is $84.00 per year.

Commercial Service:

• 120 litre rubbish service is $489.00 per year for a weekly collection of rubbish and recycling.
• 240 litre rubbish service is $581.00 per year for a weekly collection of rubbish and recycling.
• Green organics collection is $84.00 per year for a fortnightly collection.
• Additional recycling bin/s available for $58.00 per bin per year.
• Bin upgrade of a 120 litre rubbish bin to a 240 litre rubbish bin is $92.00 per year.

The commercial rubbish service is an optional service.

Due to limited space in the Warragul central business district, commercial properties have the option of two pickups per week on a Tuesday and Friday, using one set of bins.

The second collection is at the cost of an additional commercial service.

Lost, Damaged or Stolen Bins

Damaged or stolen bins will be replaced free of charge. If your bin is damaged or stolen, contact Solo Resource Recovery on 5633 2009.

Moving Address

When you move house your bins must be left with the property for use by the next occupant. Bins remain with the property as part of the service provided.

Requesting New or Additional Bins

Residential Bins 

Residential property owners needing additional rubbish, recycling or green organics bins can request these at the following costs:

• Additional 120 litre rubbish bin is $104.00 per year
• Additional 240 litre recycling bin is $58.00 per year
• Additional 240 litre green organics bin is $84.00 per year

You can request additional bins by completing the application form(PDF, 114KB)

Commercial Bins 

A standard commercial service can be upgraded from a 120 litre rubbish bin to a 240 litre rubbish bin for an additional cost of $92.00 per year.

A fortnightly green organics collection can be provided to commercial properties at a cost of $84.00 per year.

Commercial properties can now apply for additional recycling bins at a cost of $58.00 per bin per year.

You can request additional bins by completing the application form(PDF, 112KB)

Bin Placement

• Bins should be placed on the nature strip before 6am on the day of collection with the front edge of the bin about 50cm from the back of the kerb and the wheels facing away from the road. Bins must be removed from the road reserve reasonably soon after being emptied.
• Where kerbing is not present, for example in rural areas, bins must be placed at a safe location for emptying, between 50cm and 1 metre from the edge of the seal (or as agreed by the collection contractor).
• In CBD areas bins must be put out no earlier than 4pm the day before collection and removed no later than 10am the day after collection. Repeat offenders will be liable for a fine after the issue of a warning.
• Bins will not be emptied if the lid is left open or rubbish is overhanging from the bin. Please also ensure that bag ties are not hanging out of the bin.
• The 240 litre recycling bin must be placed so that it can be emptied first (traffic approach side).
• Bins should weigh no more than 75-80 kgs and be spaced at least 30cm apart.
• Bagged items only should be placed in rubbish bins, with no loose items.

Unacceptable Rubbish:

• Hot ashes or liquids
• Corrosive or flammable items
• Builders rubble

Cleaning Your Bin

You can keep bins free of odour by cleaning them regularly with soapy water and a broom or handheld brush. 

Residents have several options for the disposal of acceptable hard waste through Council's hard waste service: 

• Kerbside Collections
  • One free 'at call' on demand collection (no cost, any time of year)
  • One additional paid collection (available per financial year)
• Do-it-yourself Transfer Station delivery

Your free 2 cubic metre allocation of hard waste is applicable per financial year, with a new allocation being available from 1 July annually. 

Free 'at call' Kerbside Collections

Residents are able to book one annual at call kerbside collection per financial year at no cost (conditions apply). The service allows for the kerbside collection of up to two cubic metres of acceptable hard waste placed within the front property boundary.

This service is available to all residents living at the property - whether owner or tenant, who have a kerbside garbage collection service (commercial, industrial and vacant land excluded). 

Please note: WM Waste are unable to collect from properties that are not on a kerbside serviced route. Households that don’t have a kerbside garbage service are eligible for free Do-it-Yourself Transfer Station  Delivery of up to two cubic metres of hard waste at any Council operated transfer station. 

Bookings can be made online at WM Waste Management Services or by calling 1800 969 278 between 8.00am - 5.30pm Monday to Friday.

No hard waste is to be placed on the kerbside prior to a booking being made. Upon booking, a collection date will be confirmed and hard waste can be placed on the kerbside on the weekend prior to the booked collection.  

Acceptable hard waste

Unacceptable hard waste

• Building and renovation materials including rubble, bricks or cement 
• Household waste or recyclables 
• Unwrapped panes of glass or broken glass 
• Truck or machinery tyres 
• Four-wheel drive tyres over 35 inches in diameter 
• Batteries of any type 
• Large car parts and engine blocks 
• General green waste, other than bundled prunings 
• Clay, sand or soil 
• Fence panels or pallets 
• Asbestos and other hazardous waste 
• Gas cylinders 
• Liquids including chemicals, paint, engine oil and garden sprays 
• Any item that cannot reasonably be lifted by two people, longer than 2000mm or any item weighing over 55kg. 

Do-it-yourself Transfer Station delivery

You can exchange your annual at call kerbside collection for free disposal of up to two cubic metres of hard waste or green waste at any Council operated transfer station. 

Council operated transfer stations are located at Lardner, Trafalgar, Neerim South and Erica. 

Disposals can be made in two ways: 

Any disposal which exceeds one cubic metre (e.g. 1.2 cubic metres) will be considered as one single disposal and any future disposals will incur the standard fees.  

Bookings can be made online at WM Waste Management Services or by calling 1800 969 278 between 8.00am - 5.30pm Monday to Friday. 

Bookings are required to be made at least one day prior to disposal to allow the transfer station operators to be notified, or by 4.00pm on Fridays for a weekend disposal. Disposal cannot be made on the same day as the booking.  

At the time of disposal, residents will be asked to provide photo ID which reflects the property address the booking was made under. Without photo ID with the listed address, disposals will not be accepted. 

If you intend to dispose of hard waste on behalf of another person, please advise WM Waste Management Services and they will record this information on your booking to forward onto the transfer station operators. 

No physical vouchers are issued during this process. 

Disposal must occur in the same financial year that the booking is made. For example, loads booked in the previous financial year (2021/22) that are taken to the transfer station after 1 July 2022 will be counted as use of your 2022/23 financial year free transfer station drop off allocation. 

Additional pickup service for a fee

Residents can also book a paid ‘at call’ hard waste kerbside collection once per financial year. Bookings and payments can be made through Council’s Customer Service Centre during business hours or calling Council on 1300 229 229. The cost of the additional paid collection this financial year is $74.00 and $36.00 for pensioners.  

Please note: The two paid collections held previously in October-November and March-April will no longer be provided, being replaced by the additional paid ‘at call’ collection service. 

Following the introduction of a new EPA waste levy on 1 July 2021, it now costs Council an additional $60 per tonne to dispose of waste to landfill, and you may have noticed some of our fees have increased. Other factors affecting the waste fees and charges include a significant fuel price increase, increased labour costs and the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

Another significant cost to Council is for the ongoing aftercare of the closed Trafalgar landfill, with an allocation of $450,000 provided in Council’s 2022/23 Budget. 

These factors contribute to the rising costs incurred by Council to provide its waste services and resulted in an increase in Council’s 2022/23 garbage charge of 11.9% for a residential garbage service over the previous year.

Council has been able to minimise these additional costs in our 2022/23 waste fees and charges, with many items remaining the same.

Baw Baw Shire's fees and charges are regularly benchmarked against similar sized municipalities and transfer stations operated by private operators. Council subsidises its fees to ensure affordable access is provided to the Baw Baw community.

Council’s kerbside commingled recycling collection assists in the recovery of resources from household food, beverage and goods packaging and reduces landfill.

Knowing what you can and can’t place in your kerbside recycling bin helps by reducing contamination with the wrong items and costing Council more to process.

There are many ways residents can minimise the cost of their waste disposal and recycling is one of the easiest, not only to reduce disposal costs, but also to be more sustainable. By carefully choosing the items we buy (such as products with less packaging, or those that will last longer) and rehoming or reusing items in creative ways, also helps.

Further information can be found on Council’s Recycling page (include link) and on Recycling Victoria’s website www.recycling.vic.gov.au