Apartment bins and waste collections

Find out how to contact us about bins and services for apartments. The services are different from houses.

Most buildings can get household garbage and recycling bins that are emptied weekly. Check your area’s bin day. 

Your building can also book hard and green waste collections.

Waste services – is your building eligible?

Check if your building is eligible on My Port Phillip.

If your building is not eligible for our waste services, it probably uses commercial bins. Talk to your building manager or owners’ corporation about that service.

Bin sizes for multi-unit buildings

Residents in apartments share bins. We work out the number of bins your building gets based on its waste management plan.

If you live in a semi-detached property (such as a townhouse) you get one 240-litre general waste bin to share between 2 properties (that pay rates).

You can request private bins if you have a private courtyard to store them.

Buildings with more than  50 apartments can ask for 660-litre and 1,100-litre bins. Building managers or owners’ corporations can ask us if the building is eligible on My Port Phillip or by phoning ASSIST on 03 9209 6777.

Request bin repairs, replacements or a different size

If a bin at your building is damaged, lost, too large or small, we can help.

Any resident can request bin repairs on My Port Phillip or phone ASSIST on 03 9209 6777 during business hours.

The property manager or owners’ corporation representative can request a new, extra or change to your bin on My Port Phillip.

What goes in the bin

If you are not sure how to dispose of something, find out what can go in the recycling bin at home (yellow lid).

General waste bin

Use your general waste bin (red or dark green lid) to dispose of items you can’t reuse, recycle or compost:

  • broken crockery and ceramics
  • broken window glass, drinking glass and Pyrex
  • food scraps and garden scraps (if you can’t compost)
  • cling wrap
  • lids/caps (from plastic bottles)
  • meat and bones
  • nappies
  • sanitary items
  • soiled paper
  • used paper towel and tissues.

Education for residents

We work with building managers, owners corporations, real estate agents and other agencies to improve waste management services in the buildings they manage.

To reduce waste and help everyone to understand what waste goes where, we offer:

  • waste and recycling education
  • signage installation on your site
  • posters, brochures and bin stickers.

We have created info posters that you can display in your apartment bin bay:

Find out about waste education resources by sending us a message on My Port Phillip or call us on 03 9209 6777 during business hours.

Write a waste management plan

Developers must submit a waste management plan with when they apply for a planning permit for a multi-unit development. We review plans on a case-by-case basis.

For existing buildings, owners corporations can apply for council bin services by submitting a waste management plan.

For help preparing a waste management plan read our Waste Management Plan Guidelines and use the Waste Management template (DOCX 88 KB) to submit your waste management plan through My Port Phillip.

Waste management plans are part of our requirements for sustainable design for developments.

Submit a waste management plan