Green waste recycling service
Learn how our green waste bin rollout is reducing your household landfill waste and boosting Brisbane’s sustainability.
Green bin rollout
From 1 July 2025, Council’s green waste recycling service will become part of our core bin collection service. That means all eligible homes will use 3 bins - red, yellow and now green.
More than 160,000 households already use a green bin, and this expansion will help ensure even more garden waste is turned into compost rather than going to landfill, helping to offset the rising cost of the Queensland Government’s waste levy.
Standalone houses (single-unit dwellings) that do not already have a green waste recycling bin will get a new 240L bin with a bright green lid. The bin will be delivered between August and December 2025.
In the last 12 months, we have diverted over 43,000 tonnes of green waste, saving almost $1 million in Queensland Government waste levy costs. With garden waste making up nearly a quarter of contents in the average household’s red bin, this is a smart, practical strategy that reduces landfill, cuts levy costs and supports a cleaner, more sustainable Brisbane.
Once your bin is delivered, the green waste recycling collection will begin the following fortnight. Green waste bin collections occur every fortnight, alternating with yellow lid recycling bins.
What can I put in my new green waste recycling bin?
Acceptable items to put in your green waste recycling bin include:
- flowers and foliage
- grass clippings
- leaves and loose bark
- palm fronds
- prunings from shrubs and trees
- weeds, ivy, creepers and vines (including noxious weeds as the recycling process destroys seeds within the final composted material).
All other items are unacceptable and must not be placed in your green waste bin.
Green bins for houses (single-unit dwellings)
Owners and tenants of standalone houses (single-unit dwellings) who do not currently have a green waste bin will have one delivered to their property. This includes properties owned by the Department of Housing.
Delivery will be on a suburb-by-suburb basis. Once delivered, the green waste recycling service will begin the following fortnight.
Search for your suburb to find out when to expect your new green bin.
Green waste recycling bin delivery schedule
Green bins for multi-unit dwellings
Apartments, units and some townhouses (multi-unit dwellings) will not automatically receive a green waste recycling bin. However, you may be eligible to opt-in for the green waste recycling service. Council will assess requests on a case-by-case basis.
If a unit is owner-occupied, the owner can request a green waste recycling bin. We'll contact the owner to confirm where the bin will be placed and who will present the bin for collection.
If the property has a building manager or body corporate, they must provide approval before the unit owner contacts Council.
Unit owners can request a green waste recycling bin by:
- phoning Council on 07 3403 8888
- visiting Council.
Opting out of the service
We understand that every household has different needs, and we respect your choice to opt-out of the new service.
Residents who do not wish to receive a green waste recycling bin can request to opt-out, however this does not result in a reduction of the Waste Utility Charge, which covers all waste services in Brisbane, as well as the Queensland Government’s waste levy.
If you already have received a green waste bin, you can also request that it be removed.
Reasons for declining the green waste recycling service include:
- property size (less than 250m2 or over 5,000m2)
- limited green space (under 25m2 of lawn, garden or tree canopy)
- property conditions such as artificial turf, no room for bin storage, no garden
- use of private gardening services
- established on-site composting.
Requests must be submitted via the online form by 1 December 2025.
Unless a request form is submitted to Council, all eligible properties will automatically receive a green waste recycling bin.
To opt-out of receiving a green waste recycling bin, or to request a green waste recycling bin be removed from a property, complete our online form.
Should your circumstances change in the future, you are always welcome to opt back in to the service by completing the online bin order form or by phoning Council.
Frequently asked questions
Standalone houses (single-unit dwellings) are eligible to receive a green waste bin as part of this rollout.
Apartments, units and some townhouses (multi-unit dwellings) will not automatically receive a green waste recycling bin.
However, you may be eligible to opt-in for the green waste recycling service. Council will assess requests on a case-by-case basis.
We’re rolling out a citywide green waste bin recycling service to divert green waste from landfill and offset the rising cost of the Queensland Government’s waste levy.
The green bin service will form part of the Waste Utility Charge on your rates account.
Residents who already have a green bin will face no extra costs.
Other households will pay $12.38 a quarter, with the increase related to the Queensland Government’s waste levy.
The total annual cost of the Waste Utility Charge will be $512.96 in 2025-26.
The Waste Utility Charge includes the cost of the Queensland Government’s waste levy, bin collection (red, yellow and green lid services), kerbside bulky item collections, our resource recovery centres, recycling programs, landfill management and public bins across the city.
You can order a second green bin for an additional quarterly charge of $12.38. This will appear as a separate item under the Waste Utility Charge on your rates account.
Requests for further bins (3 or more) are assessed on a case-by-case basis. Each additional bin will be charged at $12.38 per quarter.
Learn more about ordering new bins.
Residents can opt out of receiving a green waste bin, however this does not result in a reduction of the Waste Utility Charge.
The Waste Utility Charge includes the cost of the Queensland Government’s waste levy, bin collection (red, yellow and green lid services), kerbside bulky item collections, our resource recovery centres, recycling programs, landfill management and public bins across the city.
Learn more about opting out.
If you are renting a standalone household, you do not need to apply for the green waste recycling service. The property you rent will automatically have a bin delivered between August and December 2025. Your service will begin within two weeks of delivery.
If renting an apartment, unit or townhouse, you are not automatically included in the rollout. You can apply for a green waste recycling bin, however Council will assess requests on case-by-case basis.
No, you can't put food in your green waste recycling bin.
We encourage residents to compost at home or in their local community.
If your investment property is a standalone household, you will automatically receive a green waste bin between August and December 2025. When it is delivered, the tenant can start to use the bin immediately.
If your investment property is an apartment, unit or townhouse, you can learn more about green bins for multi-unit dwellings.
If the property does not receive a green waste bin, contact Council on 07 3403 8888.
If your property has just recently been built, you can request all your kerbside bins (general waste, recycling and green waste recycling) online.
Learn more about ordering bins for newly built houses.
No.
If you already have a green waste bin, your fortnightly collection day will remain the same.
There are no changes to the collection days for red lid or yellow lid bins.
Search for your address in our calendar to find bin collection dates for your home.
Green waste is taken to our resource recovery centres. It is then shredded and collected in bulk for processing by Council contractors who compost the green waste at their facilities.
The processed green waste is then turned into mulch or compost, ready for reuse. Council even buys back a portion of this mulch for use in public spaces like New Farm Park and the botanic gardens.
To learn more, you can watch a video on Council's YouTube channel.
Yes, if you have an in-home service, it will automatically include all Council issued bins at your property.
There is no need to contact Council to arrange in-home servicing for your green bin.
Schools, kindergartens, churches and businesses are not included in the city-wide green bin rollout. They may still apply for a green waste recycling bin through Council’s standard business-as-usual bin service.
These requests will be assessed individually. More information on service availability and any applicable charges will be provided upon application.
Learn more about business recycling and bins for schools.
Check all frontages of your property as green bins are delivered to the kerb. Your bin could have been moved from its original position due to street conditions or others moving it.
Make sure that no one in your household has opted out of the rollout.
If you can't locate the bin, contact Council.
