Victoria · Melbourne · Need it gone?
Green waste removal in Melbourne
In Melbourne, small amounts of green waste go in the lime green FOGO bin where your council has rolled one out. Victoria has committed to food and garden organics collections in every council area by 2030, so not everyone has one yet. Bigger loads go to council hard waste or a transfer station.
Sources Victorian Government: standardising household recyclingVictorian Auditor-General: council waste management servicesCouncil waste and recycling services, all 79 Victorian councils (archived Sustainability Victoria page)
What is free?
Free- The lime green FOGO bin, for small amounts, where your council has rolled one out.
- A neighbour with chickens will often take clean garden scraps.
What is cheap?
Low cost- A council transfer station or resource recovery centre, which sets its own fees for clean loads.
What does paying get you?
Paid- Cut, chipped, loaded and gone in an afternoon.
Sponsored listings are paid placements. Disclosure.
Does every Melbourne council have a FOGO bin?
Not yet. Victoria's four-bin standard is legislated but staged: the government committed to a food and garden organics service in every local government area by 2030, and a separate glass service in every area by 2027. Until your council switches over you may have two or three bins. Your council's website says which services it currently runs.
What can go in the lime green FOGO bin?
Where your Victorian council runs one, the FOGO bin takes food scraps and garden organics: lawn clippings, leaves, prunings that fit inside with the lid closed. A whole hedge, tree stumps and soil do not. Councils set their own accepted list and their own limits, so check yours rather than assuming a neighbouring council's rules apply.
Where do I take a trailer load of green waste in Melbourne?
A council transfer station or resource recovery centre. Each site sets its own fees and its own rules for clean loads, so check before you drive. Keep the load clean and sort out anything with its own route, like paint or e-waste, before you load. Ask whether soil and stumps are accepted at all.
Can I put green waste out with hard waste in Victoria?
It depends on your council. Hard waste is not universal in Victoria and its accepted list varies: the Auditor-General found 43 of 79 councils provided a hard waste service in 2019-20, so green waste kerbside options are a council question. Ask your council what it collects, when, and how much you may put out.
Do you do this job in Melbourne?
Removalists, recyclers, skip operators, clearance teams and organisers can apply for a labelled sponsored listing.