Hard waste collection

Booked Hard Waste 

From 1 July 2022 we moved to a booked hard waste collection service. 

Eligibility to book a hard waste collection

Residential properties

You are eligible to book a hard waste collection if the waste charge is paid at your property, either by you or your landlord, and you receive a Council-provided kerbside waste collection service (i.e. if your bins will have Council's logo on them).

The number of hard waste bookings per year are based on the property address. They are not based on the people living at the property. This means that if you move into a property where the annual allocation has already been used, you will need to wait until the new financial year to access a Council hard waste collection.

Commercial and non-residential properties

You are eligible to book a hard waste collection if:

  • The waste charge is paid at your property, either by you or your landlord, and you receive a Council-provided kerbside waste collection service (i.e. if your bins will have Council's logo on them) AND
  • It is safe for you to place hard waste on your property frontage.

To be placed safely hard waste must not obstruct or hinder the use of any road or footpath. Properties in retail precincts are not entitled to the hard waste service if there is a lack of property frontage and ability to place waste safely.

Mixed-use sites

Where a development comprises both residential and commercial uses, both uses can book a collection if the waste charge is paid and Council bins are in use, and it is safe for them to place their hard waste on their property frontage.

If you're not sure call us on 9240 1111 to find out. You can find out more about the waste charge on our Understand your rates page.

How do I book a hard waste collection?

There are 2 ways you can book a hard waste collection:

1. Call WM Waste Management Services, our hard waste contractor, on 9721 1915; or

2. Use the online booking form.

Book a hard waste collection 

After your booking has been confirmed you will be sent a 'how to guide' for using the service, which outlines how and when to place your items on the nature strip.

How much waste can I put out for collection?

You will have 2 options for your booked collection depending on how much waste you have to dispose of.

You can book either 2 collections of up to 1 cubic metre of hard waste each financial year (July - June). This amount is approximately equal to the size of two washing machines. Or, if you need a larger collection you can make a 'double booking' for up to 2 cubic metres.

If you book a 1 cubic metre collection but place more waste than this on your nature strip, we will collect up to two cubic metres of hard waste. We will count this as a 'double booking' and you will not be able to make a second booking for the year.

If you place more than 2 cubic metres out for collection we will leave waste in excess of 2 cubic metres and you will receive a knock back notice. You will need to remove and dispose of the remaining items.

You can leave hard waste items neatly on your nature strip starting on the weekend before your collection period. 

All items left out for hard waste collection must be light enough for two people to lift together.

What can be put out for hard waste?

You can put the following items out for collection:

  • Old or broken furniture
  • Up to 10 pieces of timber (no longer than 1.5m)
  • Boxes of odds and ends
  • Porcelain, ceramics and window glass (please wrap and label 'glass')
  • Tools and lawn mowers
  • Large toys or sporting equipment
  • Mattress and bed base (one per household)
  • Whitegoods such as stoves, washing machines, dishwashers and refrigerators. Always remove the doors from these appliances before putting them out for collection.
  • e-waste (any item with a plug, battery or cord). You can learn more about e-waste on our eWaste page.

How do I cancel a hard waste booking?

You need to give at least 5 business days’ notice to cancel your collection and book for a later time. If you don't, we will still apply your booking to your property. This means you cannot use your booking in future.

To cancel your booking before the week it is due to occur, please contact WM Waste Management Services on 9721 1915.

Consider donating your unwanted items

We encourage you to look for ways to donate your items before putting them in hard waste. You can find a list of places that accept donations in Merri-bek on our Recycling A to Z page

  • There are certain items that cannot go in your hard waste. If you put these items out with your hard waste we will not collect them and you will receive a knock-back notice. If you receive a knock-back notice you have 24 hours to remove the incorrect items from your hard waste. If you do not remove the items you may receive a fine.

    You cannot put the following items out for hard waste collection:

    • Asbestos
    • Syringes
    • Household chemicals
    • Pesticides
    • Automotive fluids
    • Fuels
    • Building/construction/renovation materials (cement sheeting, rubble, bricks, plasterboard and concrete)
    • Tyres
    • Car batteries
    • Large car parts
    • Paint
    • Motor oil and liquid wastes
    • Gas bottles
    • Household batteries
    • Waste from commercial and industrial operations
    • Household garbage
    • Household recycling (including cardboard boxes)
    • Garden organics (such as tree prunings and branches)

    If you need to dispose of any of these items go to our Recycling A to Z page to find out where they will be accepted. Charges may apply for some services.

  • Hard waste items are either sent to landfill or recycled. Landfill harms the environment, so we want to reduce the amount of items that go there. Please consider whether you can donate, rehome or fix items before you put them out for collection. You can find a list of places that accept donations or collect them from your home on our Recycling A to Z page.

    We send mattresses and bed bases, white goods, and e-waste to be recycled after we pick them up as hard waste.

    The following items are sent to landfill:

    • Old or broken furniture
    • Timber (no longer than 1.5m)
    • Boxes of odds and ends
    • Porcelain, ceramics and window glass
    • Tools and lawn mowers
    • Large toys or sporting equipment

  • Outside of the hard waste collection period you cannot put your unwanted goods on the nature strip. This is illegal and you could receive a fine of up to $9,000.

    Your options for disposing of unwanted goods outside of the collection periods are:

  • The hard waste service is no longer just for households, it is now available to residential properties, commercial properties and mixed-use sites, however eligibility criteria does apply.

    Residential properties:

    • Can book a collection if the waste charge is paid at the property, either by the resident or the landlord, and they receive a Council-provided kerbside waste collection service (i.e. the bins have Council’s logo on them).

    Commercial and non-residential properties:

    • Can book a collection if the waste charge is paid at the property, either by the resident or the landlord, and they receive a Council-provided kerbside waste collection service (i.e. the bins have Council’s logo on them)

    AND

    • It is safe for them to place their hard waste on their property frontage.

    To be safely placed hard waste must not obstruct or hinder the use of any road or footpath. Properties in retail precincts are not entitled to the hard waste service if there is a lack of property frontage and ability to place waste safely.

    Mixed-use sites:

    Where a development comprises both residential and commercial uses, both uses can book a collection if the waste charge is paid and Council bins are in use, and it is safe for them to place their hard waste on their property frontage.

  • If you put the wrong items out with your hard waste we will not collect them and you will receive a knock-back notice.

    If you receive a knock-back notice you have 24 hours to remove the incorrect items from your nature strip. If you do not remove the items you may receive a fine.

    If you put out more waste than you have booked for we will collect up to 2 cubic metres and count it as a double booking. You will not be able to make a second booking for the year.

    If you place more than 2 cubic metres out for collection we will leave waste in excess of 2 cubic metres and you will receive a knock back notice. You will need to remove and dispose of the remaining items.

  • No, not at this stage. Under the amended Kerbside Waste Service and Charge Policy, people living in residential properties that use a private waste contractor will be able to book a Council hard waste collection for a fee. This service is not available during the trial phase of the booked service but will become available if Council decides to continue with a booked hard waste collection service at the conclusion of the trial.

  • Community members will continue to be able to salvage items for reuse from booked hard waste collections.

    We know some people in our community like being able to reuse and repurpose items by putting them out on the kerbside during hard waste collections in the hope that someone else will take them. Reusing items is a much better outcome than sending them to landfill, or even being recycled.

    Our preferred method for reuse is for items in good condition to be donated to charity or given away via one of the many online options available, such as Gumtree or Facebook / Hard Rubbish Rescue Groups. This ensures that items are not damaged and can be reused by others.

     

More information about the booked hard waste service can be found in our hard waste flyer.