Business waste collection
Waste collection options for businesses in Yarra and answers to frequently asked questions.
We provide most local commercial properties with the same domestic waste and recycling collection service as residents, with the same types and sizes of bins and collection frequency.
This service does not replace commercial waste collection services and should not be used to dispose of waste generated from business activities.
What are the options for businesses operating in Yarra?
Option 1: Opt into the Council kerbside waste collection service
Ideal for: domestic waste from staff kitchens and bathrooms in small retail shops, offices and professional service workplaces.
This service can include bins for rubbish, recycling, food and garden organics (FOGO), and glass.
Option 2: Engage private waste collection service provider
Ideal for: hospitality and food-based businesses, larger retailers with lots of cardboard and soft plastics and other industries that require more frequent collections or have specific recycling requirements, such as chemicals, e-waste or textiles.
Private waste collection companies can provide larger bins and more frequent collections as well as additional recycling streams like paper and cardboard, cooking oil, soft plastics and more.
Option 3: A combination of both Council and private waste collection services
Ideal for: those with lower volumes of waste whose needs are mostly met by the Council service, but that also want a larger bin, more frequent collections or additional recycling streams that we don't offer.
If you move into a premises that has Council bins onsite, but you don't wish to use our service, please get in touch with us to have them removed. Otherwise, you will be charged for the service on your rates notice.
Option 4: Drop small quantities of cardboard off to Burnley Depot
Please be aware that large quantities of cardboard are not permitted at Burnley Depot and instead require a private collection service provider.
FAQs
Separately rated properties may be provided with a Council waste and recycling collection service. New services need to be organised or approved by the property owner.
If your property is not registered as a separately rated property, it is not eligible for separate bins, and you will need to share the existing bins.
If you are eligible for Council bins, you can choose which of the bin types we offer to have.
The standard Council bin collection service is for rubbish, recycling, food and garden organics (FOGO) and glass.
For example, if your business does not produce glass bottles and jars to recycle or domestic food and garden organics (such as food scraps from a staff lunchroom or garden waste), then you can opt out of our FOGO and glass collection services but still have your rubbish and recycling collected by Council.
For information about what goes in each Council bin, visit our ‘what to put in your bins’ page
If you do not have Council waste and recycling collection services, please contact the company that collects your bins to find out what can and can’t go in them, as this may differ from the Yarra service.
For information about when to put your bins out and when they will be collected, visit Council’s bin collection page.
In accordance with General Local Law (Clause 51), Council bins must not be placed out for collection more than 24 hours prior to the scheduled collection and must be returned to your private property within 24hours of the collection taking place.
Visit our 'new bins, repairs and replacements' web page for information about the bin sizes we have available and how to request a larger or smaller bin.
240L rubbish bins are being phased out for commercial properties. If they are reported missing, damaged or stolen, they will be replaced with 80L rubbish bins.
We can provide bin posters and bin lid stickers for Council bins. They show you what can and can't go in each bin.
However, these bin posters and stickers are only suitable for businesses with a Council waste and recycling collection service.
The cost of your bins and bin collection service is paid for by the property owner. This cost is based on the property value and is added to the property owner’s annual rates notice.
If you choose to engage a private waste collections contractor, it is important to familiarise yourself with the local laws around waste. These can be found in Part 17, Clause 54 – 57 of our General Local Law.