Let’s be clear on glass: Council urges rethink on purple bin plans

The Victorian Government has directed all councils to introduce a separate glass recycling bin for households by mid‑2027, as part of statewide kerbside reforms.

Council is calling on the Victorian Government to pause the mandatory rollout of a new glass‑only household bin and instead, work with councils and communities to deliver a more effective, affordable and environmentally responsible approach to glass recycling.

While Council supports improving recycling outcomes and reducing waste to landfill, it does not believe a fourth household bin is currently the right solution for the shire.

Cardinia Shire’s current recycling system is performing strongly, with:

• Less than 2% of glass bottles and jars currently ending up in landfill.
• 84% of households regularly using their yellow‑lid recycling bin.

Council believes this demonstrates that the existing system is working well and that adding another bin may not deliver meaningful improvements.

Independent modelling commissioned by councils found that introducing a separate glass‑only service would be expensive to set up and costly to run.

For a typical council, implementation costs are estimated at around $4 million, with ongoing operating costs of approximately $1.4 million each year. These costs would be passed on to households through higher waste charges, averaging around $27 per household per year.

Council is also concerned about the practical impacts on residents, particularly households with limited space. Introducing a fourth bin would increase storage pressures, add complexity to sorting waste, and result in more collection trucks on local streets, contributing to congestion, emissions and reduced neighbourhood amenity.

Instead, Council is advocating for a smarter alternative: expanding Victoria’s Container Deposit Scheme (CDS) to include wine and spirit bottles. The CDS already allows residents to return eligible drink containers for a refund and is widely used across the state. Expanding the scheme would improve glass recovery outcomes using existing infrastructure, without adding new bins, trucks or ongoing costs for households.

This approach is already being adopted or considered in other Australian states and aligns with national trends in waste and resource recovery.

At the Council meeting on 16 February, Council decided to delay implementation of the Victorian Government’s proposed fourth household bin until the government has endorsed Service Standards that will provide certainty for councils in planning for future services.

Cardinia Shire is one of 36 Victorian councils participating in the Let’s be clear on glass campaign, which calls on the Victorian Government to:

• extend the timeline for introducing a glass‑only bin
• release the business case for kerbside glass recycling
• prioritise expanding the Container Deposit Scheme as a more effective alternative

Residents are encouraged to share their views through a short survey, which will help inform discussions with the Victorian Government and decision‑makers.

To have your say and take part in the community survey on glass bins, visit https://forms.office.com/r/em2QJVtrnG

 

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a glass recycling bin?

In 2022, the state government passed legislation requiring councils to introduce an additional kerbside bin just for glass recycling by mid-2027.

Independent modelling commissioned on behalf of councils found that introducing this extra bin would be expensive to set up and costly to operate each year.

The study, which examined 22 councils, found that:

• introducing a glass‑only kerbside recycling service would cost councils a combined $75 million to implement, and
• running a monthly glass collection service would cost a typical council an additional $1.43 million each year.

These costs are expected to pass on to the community through higher waste and recycling service charges.

Councils have also raised concerns about the extra burden on households to sort their recycling and the space needed to store another bin.

Adding another kerbside collection service would increase truck movements, particularly in narrow suburban streets. It would also increase congestion and emissions and reduce neighbourhood amenity.

 

Is there an alternative to increasing glass recycling?

Yes. A Container Deposit Scheme allows people to return eligible empty drink cans, bottles and cartons to refund points in exchange for money. In Victoria, each eligible container receives a 10‑cent refund.

Expanding Victoria’s Container Deposit Scheme to include wine and spirit bottles is a proven alternative to introducing a fourth bin. Other states have already adopted, or are adopting, this approach.

An expanded scheme would recycle glass effectively without adding new bins, trucks or ongoing costs for households.