Waste & recycling
How Stonnington's household bins work today. Households have three bins: general rubbish (red lid), collected every week; recycling (yellow lid), collected every two weeks; and food and garden organics, or FOGO (lime-green lid), also every two weeks. Glass bottles and jars go in the recycling bin. Use the council's address lookup to find your bin days.
New to these terms? Read them in plain English
- Bulky / hard waste collection
- Pickup or drop-off for large items that don't fit in your bins.
Bin collection at a glance
- General rubbish (red lid)
- Every weekThe standard bin is 120 litres. For items that can't be recycled or composted, such as soft plastics, wrapped pet waste and nappies. E-waste and batteries, building waste, chemicals, oils and paints, syringes and hot ash can't go in any bin.What goes in each bin →
- Recycling (yellow lid)
- Every 2 weeksThe standard bin is 240 litres. Loose, not bagged: rigid plastic bottles and containers, glass bottles and jars, paper and cardboard, steel cans and empty aerosols, aluminium cans and foil. No soft plastics, textiles, toys, ceramics or large plastic items.What goes in recycling →
- Food and garden organics — FOGO (lime-green lid)
- Every 2 weeksThe standard bin is 120 litres; a 240-litre bin costs more. Food scraps (including meat, bones and seafood), garden prunings (branches up to 10 cm across and 40 cm long) and small amounts of paper. No animal poo, cat litter, plastic bags, soil or shellfish shells. Free kitchen caddies and liners are available from the council's customer service centres. FOGO has its own charge on your rates notice (see Rates & fees).What goes in FOGO →
- FOGO rollout
- Houses done (Dec 2025); apartments and units from early 2027In December 2025 the council delivered 120-litre FOGO bins and caddies to eligible standalone houses and some townhouses that didn't have one. Eligible apartments and units follow from early 2027, as part of the state's move to a consistent four-stream household waste system. Only properties with a council waste service are eligible, and a limited opt-out is available.FOGO rollout →
- Glass (separate bin)
- No separate glass bin — glass goes in the recycling binThe council says it doesn't offer a separate glass-only kerbside collection, and households should keep using the yellow-lid recycling bin for glass. The state's standard lid colours are purple for glass, lime green for food and garden, yellow for recycling and red for general rubbish.Council's bin guide →
- Hard waste
- 2 scheduled collections a year (spring and autumn); spring 2026 runs 7 September to 21 OctoberPut items on the nature strip no more than 24 hours before your zone's date. Items must weigh under 20 kg and be shorter than 1.5 m (mattresses excepted), and the whole pile must be under 5 cubic metres. No building materials, tyres, paint, gas bottles, chemicals or batteries. You can also pay for a booked collection at other times. The council is surveying residents about the future of the service until 12 October 2026.Hard waste dates →
- Drop-off
- Stonnington Waste Transfer Station, 43 Weir Street, MalvernOpen 7 days: Monday to Friday 10 am–3:30 pm, Saturday 9 am–3 pm, Sunday 10 am–3 pm. Closed New Year's Day, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Fees apply; bring proof that you're a resident or ratepayer, or non-resident fees apply. Card only (no cash or AMEX). No hazardous materials, chemicals or asbestos.Hours, items and fees →
- Find your bin day
- Council address lookup (and the MyStonnington app for reminders)Put bins out from 3 pm the day before collection and bring them in the same day. Bins are collected on weekday public holidays.Check your bin day →
We describe the bins the way the council does. Your waste charge depends on the size of your general rubbish bin, and FOGO is charged separately (see Rates & fees). Apartment buildings may use shared bins or a private collector; check with your owners corporation.
Sources — check it yourself
- City of Stonnington — Waste and recycling · Sep 2026
- City of Stonnington — Your bins · Sep 2026
- City of Stonnington — Find your bin days · Sep 2026
- City of Stonnington — Food and Garden Organics (FOGO) bin rollout · Sep 2026
- City of Stonnington — Find your hard waste dates · Sep 2026
- Connect Stonnington — Hard waste collection (survey) · Sep 2026
- City of Stonnington — Drop off waste and recycling at the Waste Transfer Station · Sep 2026
- Victorian Government — Standardising household recycling across Victoria (lid colours) · Sep 2026
Figures are current as at the dates shown and may change — always confirm with the linked source. See the notice at the bottom of the page for full details and how to report a correction.