Glass recycling bins
On this page:
Your new glass recycling bin
Your new 120 litre glass recycling bin will arrive between April and May 2023.
From July, glass bottles and jars will go in this bin and will no longer be accepted in your mixed recycling bin.
When your bin arrives, take it onto your property for safe storage. You can start collecting your glass bottles and jars in this bin when it arrives.
Please do not put it out on the kerbside until collections begin in July 2023.
When will my glass recycling bin be collected?
Monthly collections of this bin will begin in July 2023.
Some residents will need to take their glass bottles and jars to a glass recycling drop-off point. This will mostly affect residents in units and apartment blocks. We will be in touch if this affects you.
Why am I getting a new glass recycling bin?
The Victorian Government is standardising household waste and recycling services across the state. All Victorian council kerbside services will move to a 4-bin system.
By sorting your glass into a separate bin, you are improving the quality of recyclables in Merri-bek.
Can I change the size of my glass recycling bin?
The available sizes for glass recycling are 120 litre (standard) or 240 litres (2 x 120 litre bins).
From August 2023, you can request an additional 120 litre glass bin. There will be no changeover fee, but your waste charge will change. Smaller bins cost less and larger bins cost more.
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Put your bins out by 5:30am on your bin collection day. You can also put your bins out the night before.
Put your bin on the kerb at the edge of your street. Make sure the bin is facing the street and that there are no objects within 30cm (such as a car, tree or another bin).
Any waste left beside or on top of the bin will not be collected.
If your street is a court or cul-de-sac, place your bins along the straight part of the kerb.
Below are some diagrams that show this placement.
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Only glass bottle and jars can be put in your glass recycling bin, for example:
- Pasta sauce, jam, and condiment jars
- Oil bottles
- Beer and wine bottles
- Medicine and toiletry glass bottles and jars
- It is okay to put broken glass bottles and jars in your glass recycling bin.
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Different types of glass have different melting points, so we cannot recycle different types of glass together.
Please do not put any of the following in your glass recycling bin. These should be wrapped and placed in your general rubbish bin.
- Drinking glasses
- Window glass
- Mirrors
- Vases
- Glass cooking dishes (e.g. Pyrex)
- Perfume bottles
- Crockery such as plates, dishes and mugs
Loose lids and plastic bags should go in the general rubbish bin.
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- Lids should be firmly attached
- Loose lids go in your general rubbish bin (red lid)
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Follow the steps below to recycle your glass bottles and jars:
- Sort glass bottles and jars separately in your home.
- Put glass bottles and jars in your glass recycling bin loose, not in plastic bags.
- Glass bottles and jars must be empty.
- Lids should be firmly attached.
- No need to remove labels from bottles and jars.
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Broken glass makes other items like cardboard, paper and plastic hard to recycle. By putting your glass bottles and jars in a separate bin or drop-off point, more of it can be recycled into new things.
It also reduces contamination in your mixed recycling bin, making sure that paper, card and plastics can be recovered effectively, improving the quality and value of these materials to be turned into new products.
Glass does not degrade through the recycling process, so it can be recycled again and again.
More information on our new 4-bin service
We understand that not all households have space to store 4 bins. That's why we are providing a slightly different service to people living in units, townhouses and apartments.
For more information on how the new 4-bin service will affect your household, please visit our new 4-bin service page on Conversations Merri-bek.
Get ready for the new 4-bin service by thinking about how you can reduce your waste and checking that you are sorting your waste correctly now.