Recycling Household Help Program

It's a priority for our community 
In August 2025 over 1,600 individuals and organisations took part in our surveys to help shape Council's Waste and Recycling Strategy 2030. Environmental sustainability was the top priority across all groups who took part. When asked how bin misuse should be addressed, education was the preferred approach.  

Keeps workers safe 
Putting incorrect items in your recycling bin can put truck drivers and recycling facility workers at risk. It can also create an unsafe and unpleasant workplace and make sorting materials difficult or impossible. 

Reduces cost
Putting incorrect items in the recycling bin can result in genuine recyclables going to landfill. This can increase waste and recycling services for the whole community, as it costs more to divert a recycling truck to landfill. 

Community benefit 
Putting incorrect items in your recycling bin can waste the recycling efforts of your neighbours, if the truck ends up being directed to landfill for being too heavily contamination with non-recyclables. 

Damage equipment 
Placing incorrect items in your recycling bins can damage the collection trucks and the recycling equipment.

Circular economy 
In 2020, the Victorian Government released a circular economy plan to reform Victoria’s waste and recycling industry, Recycling Victoria: A New Economy. The policy outlines the systemic change required to cut waste and boost recycling and reuse of our precious resources. Communities and councils have an important role to play in supporting the transition to a circular economy at a local level.

Pilot program
Council ran a successful Recycling Household Help pilot program from May 2024 to March 2025. Across the pilot areas, we recorded a 95% reduction in major contamination in the mixed recycling bins inspected during this period. This strong result demonstrates the initiative’s effectiveness in improving household recycling habits. Based on this proven success, Council is now expanding the program across the municipality.

Residents can find information on the ‘Which bin does it go in?’ tool, where you can search how to dispose of specific materials.

You can also download the waste and recycling app, ‘LoopedIn Councils’ app from your app store and select Hobsons Bay when setting up.

When the bin is emptied into the truck's hopper, a photo of the contents is taken. Drivers are asked to select a contamination type from the below list:

1. Plastic bags & soft plastic
2. Clothing & textiles
3. Polystyrene
4. Building materials
5. Hard waste
6. Electronics & batteries
7. Food/Garden waste
8. General rubbish
9. Glass

These items should not go in the recycling bin.

No. The Recycling Household Help Program aims to help our community improve their recycling behaviors at home. It is not a punitive program.

No. The Recycling Household Help Program uses camera technology in the trucks, so drivers can see the bin contents as it moves through the truck. 

No. Recycling Household Help Program is being run in accordance with Council’s Privacy Policy.

Hobsons Bay City Council is strongly committed to protecting and preserving an individual’s right to privacy and to the responsible and fair handling of their personal, sensitive and health information.

All kerbside bins are owned by, and are the property of, Council. Any information gathered is used solely for the purpose of improving our waste collection service and resource recovery opportunities.

Cleanaway, Council’s waste and recycling management service provider, has stringent data management procedures in place. Council data is managed securely by Cleanaway, during and after the contract has expired.

If at any time there are concerns with the way Cleanaway is managing data security, Council has the right to audit the service provider in accordance with contract terms and conditions.

We are concentrating on recycling bins (yellow-lidded bins) only, because they have the highest levels of contamination.

Yes. Community members can call the Hobsons Bay Language Line on 9932 1212 which offers recorded information about the key Council services in nine community languages, with an option to connect directly to an interpreter and the Council Officer, should the caller require more information.

We can also offer written waste education resources as the residents preferred language. Please emailenviro@hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au to request translated materials.

If you need further help accessing Council’s interpreting and translating services, please call us on 1300 179 944.

We understand it can be frustrating if you have a neighbour who is using your household bin. In the first instance, please consider asking your neighbour not to use your bin. They can contact Council on 1300 179 944 if they require a larger bin.

To assist with this matter, Council may also send a letter to the whole street about bin etiquette. Please contact us on 1300 179 944 to arrange this.

Residents have the option to increase their number of bins and/or to upsize their bin at a cost. Click here to learn more.

The photo included in your letter is just a snapshot of the bin contents at the time of emptying, so the incorrect item may not always be visible. However, the driver records the contamination type at the point of collection based on what they observe as the bin is tipped into the truck and this is what we rely on when generating the letter. 

The Victorian Government has waste management strategies and legislation in place, driving higher levels of recycling and less waste to landfill. Local councils and residents play an important part in Victoria’s transition to a sustainable and thriving circular economy.

Council incurs increased costs when waste is sent to landfill due to government levies which have financial implications for the community.

Council is committed to continual improvement and achieving its aims to divert more waste from landfill however, Council can’t do it alone; everyone in our community has a shared responsibility to live more sustainably and solve our waste crisis, together.

Furthermore, putting the wrong items in the wrong bin:

• Makes sorting materials difficult or impossible
• Results in materials being sent to landfill that could have been put to good use
• Makes the waste and recycling service cost more for everyone (levies for general waste disposal increase and costs must be recovered through rate rises). 
• Damages collection trucks and processing equipment
• Poses a risk to truck drivers and workers doing the sorting of materials

Makes the waste and recycling service cost more for everyone (levies for general waste disposal increase and costs must be recovered through rate rises).

If the bin photographed isn’t yours, please contact Customer Service on 1300 179 944 or by email customerservice@hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au and Council or Cleanaway will investigate.

Please make note of the following:

• The date the incorrect item was recorded 
• Any details about bin mix-ups (e.g. swapped bins, shared driveways)