Your weekly garbage collection is for household waste that cannot be recycled. Garbage bins have red lids. Depending on whether you live in a house or a multi-unit dwelling, the bin will be either 120 or 240 litre capacity. Unit dwellers share bins. If you have a PROBLEM with the garbage service, contact us.
What cannot go in my garbage bin?
Tips for reducing household waste
How should bins be presented?
You can help the drivers to pick up, empty and replace your bins safely and easily by:
- putting bins out on the kerb the night before or by 5:30 am on collection day.
- positioning bin handles to face your residence.
- not overfilling your bin and, to avoid spills, making sure the bin lid is shut.
- leaving a space of at least one metre between your bin and any obstructions, like trees, cars or poles. In addition, there should be at least 30 centimetres between bins.
What cannot go in my garbage bin?
For Occupational Health & Safety reasons, the following items must NOT be placed in the garbage bin. If such materials are present, your bin will not be collected. Please refer to our other waste services for disposal.
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Types of items that must not be placed in the garbage bin include: |
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| Car parts |
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| Paints, poison and medicine |
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| Building materials (bricks, tiles and sand) |
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| Hot ash |
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| Sawdust |
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Tips for reducing household waste
Approximately 50 per cent of garbage by weight is food waste. You can reduce garbage going to landfill and increase nutrients in your garden or pot plants by composting food waste, garden yard clippings, shredded newspaper and other organic materials. A worm farm can turn food scraps into rich plant food, and is small enough to use in a unit.
You can also:
- buy products with reduced or no packaging
- buy products in bulk to limit packaging
- only buy what you need
- choose products that come in reusable or refillable packs
- choose products that are reusable, rechargeable or recyclable rather than disposable
- choose products made from recycled materials or that are packaged in recycled material
- use your own shopping bags rather than plastic bags
- use the kerbside recycling service for recyclable materials, including the green waste recycling service
- donate unwanted goods to not-for-profit organisations
- reuse unwanted goods via the Bower Reuse and Repair Centre
- use natural cleaning products to reduce the chemicals and chemical waste in your home - check out the easy guide to natural cleaning.