How to Dispose of Green Waste in Victoria (Skip Bins, FOGO Bins, Tips & Fire Season)

The easiest way to dispose of a large amount of green waste in Victoria is to hire a green waste skip bin. For smaller, regular amounts, your council green or food and garden organics (FOGO) bin is usually enough. Other options include booked council collections, your local transfer station, home composting and, where allowed, burning off with the right permits.

Keeping green waste clean and separate is what makes it recyclable. In Victoria, all waste received at a landfill attracts a levy set by EPA Victoria, while clean garden waste can be turned into compost, soil conditioner and mulch.

The Bottom Line

• Large clean-ups: hire a green waste skip bin
• Regular, small amounts: use your council green or FOGO bin
• Branches and trunks: cut them into manageable pieces before they go in a skip bin
• Keep it clean: soil, rocks, food waste and general rubbish do not belong in a green waste skip bin
• Fire season: you need a permit to burn off during the Fire Danger Period, and burning off on a Total Fire Ban day is illegal
• Removing trees or native plants: check with your council first, as a permit may be required
• Noxious weeds: a permit is needed to transport them in Victoria, so speak to us before adding them to your bin

Green Waste Disposal Options in Victoria

Option	Best for	Things to know
Green waste skip bin	Large clean-ups, pruning, tree removals and landscaping	Available from 2 to 12 cubic metres, with weekend delivery and collection
Council green or FOGO bin	Regular, small amounts of garden waste	Rules vary between councils until the statewide system is in place
Booked council green waste collection	Occasional larger loads, where your council offers it	Size, weight and bundling rules usually apply
Transfer station or resource recovery centre	Loads too big for your bin, if you have a vehicle or trailer	Fees apply, and green waste is often cheaper than general waste
Home composting and mulching	Clippings, leaves and bark	Needs space. CFA advises using mulch carefully and away from structures
Burning off	Larger rural and semi-rural properties	Permits, registration and council local laws apply, and many built-up areas do not allow it

What Can Go in a Green Waste Skip Bin?

You can put in	You can’t put in
Lawn clippings	Food scraps
Leaves, flowers and plants	Household rubbish
Weeds	Construction materials
Twigs and sticks	Soil, rocks and gravel
Woodchips and bark	E-waste
Fence palings	Glass and bricks
Branches and trunks cut into manageable pieces	Whole tree trunks

If non-green waste is placed in your bin, it may result in additional charges or the bin being rejected. This is because mixed waste requires different processing methods, and other items contaminate the load and stop it from being recycled. If you have soil to remove as well, book a separate soil and dirt skip bin. See the full list of what can and can’t go in a skip bin.

Choosing the Right Size

Job	Suggested bin
Everyday yard or backyard clean-up	A smaller bin, such as 2 cubic metres
Landscaping project	A larger bin
Tree removal	A larger bin, as heavier branches need more room
Large garden clean-out or bulk green waste	Up to 12 cubic metres

You can change your bin size after booking by contacting us as soon as possible, and extend your hire if you need more time. Use our skip bin size guide or skip bin size calculator to find the right fit. Landscapers, arborists and mowing businesses can also see our skip bins for landscapers and gardeners.

What Happens to Your Green Waste?

Once collected, the green waste from our skip bins is sorted and sent to specialist facilities, where it can be recycled into compost. Sustainability Victoria explains that food and garden organics collected across Victoria go to organics processing centres, where they are made into compost, soil enhancers and mulch.

Victorian example	What happens
City of Greater Geelong	Garden waste is decontaminated to remove plastics, then shredded and windrowed at the Anakie compost facility. Around 35,000 tonnes a year is turned into compost for parks, sporting grounds and residents
City of Greater Bendigo	Organics are sent to Biomix in Stanhope and composted to the Australian Standard (AS4454)
Veolia, Bulla	Serves 11 metropolitan councils and has processed more than a million tonnes of organics over the past 10 years, according to Sustainability Victoria

Agriculture Victoria notes that AS4454 is the industry standard for composts, soil conditioners and mulches, and that an effective pasteurisation phase is essential to significantly reduce pathogens and viable plant material or seeds. Learn more about where skip bin rubbish goes.

Why Keeping Green Waste Separate Saves Money

The type and weight of your waste affect the price of your skip bin, as different waste types require different handling and disposal processes. Clean green waste is easier to recycle, while mixed waste may need to be sorted or sent to landfill. See our skip bin price guide.

Cost in Victoria	Rate
EPA Victoria landfill levy, metropolitan and provincial (1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027)	$177.19 per tonne
EPA Victoria landfill levy, rural municipal waste	$88.42 per tonne
EPA Victoria landfill levy, rural industrial waste	$155.95 per tonne
Monash Recycling and Waste Centre, green waste (residents, 2026 to 2027)	$50 per cubic metre
Monash Recycling and Waste Centre, general waste (residents, 2026 to 2027)	$220 per cubic metre

Read more about Victoria’s waste levy.

Victoria’s Four-Bin System

Under the Circular Economy (Waste Reduction and Recycling) Act 2021, Victoria is moving to a standard four-bin household system:

Lid colour	Bin
Lime green	Food organics and garden organics (FOGO)
Purple	Glass
Yellow	Mixed recycling
Red	General rubbish

Councils must provide a separate glass service by 2027 and a FOGO service by 2030.

Sustainability Victoria says that putting food scraps and garden clippings in the FOGO bin can almost halve the amount of waste sent to landfill. When the City of Melbourne introduced a FOGO service to 23,000 households and low-rise apartments, more than 2,368 tonnes of organic waste was diverted from landfill.

Until the statewide system is in place, bin services differ between councils. Check your council’s website to see what goes in each bin, and read about wishcycling and contaminated recycling.

Council Green Waste Collections and Drop-Offs

Some Victorian councils offer booked green waste collections or free drop-off days. Rules vary, so check with your council first. As an example, Mornington Peninsula Shire’s booked green waste service requires:

Rule	Limit
Branch length	No longer than 1.5 metres
Branch diameter	No wider than 400 millimetres
Weight	Less than 30 kilograms per item or bundle
Bundling	Large branches tied with string or twine

Mornington Peninsula Shire also runs free green waste weekends throughout the year. For larger volumes, or if your council does not offer a booked service, a green waste skip bin is often the more practical option.

Preparing Your Property for Fire Season

A green waste skip bin is a practical way to clear your property before fire season without burning. The Country Fire Authority (CFA) recommends:

Task	CFA advice
Grass	Keep grass shorter than 10 centimetres
Leaves and twigs	Remove them from around your property
Gutters	Clear your gutters
Tree branches	Prune branches so they do not overhang the roof or touch walls
Garden beds	Prune back plants and garden beds near doors and windows

Clearing vegetation for bushfire protection

Rule	Where it applies	What you can clear without a permit
10/30 rule	Bushfire Prone Areas	Any vegetation, including trees, within 10 metres of your house, and any other vegetation (other than trees) within 30 metres
10/50 rule	Bushfire Management Overlay	Any vegetation, including trees, within 10 metres of your house, and any vegetation (other than trees) within 50 metres
Fence line	Boundary fences built before 10 September 2009	Up to a combined maximum of 4 metres along both sides of the fence, with written permission from your neighbour for their side

The 10/30 and 10/50 exemptions apply to homes built or approved before 10 September 2009. CFA recommends checking whether your property is in a Bushfire Prone Area or Bushfire Management Overlay, and speaking to your council about native vegetation protections, before you start.

Burning off green waste

CFA rule	Details
Fire Danger Period	Declared by CFA for each municipality, as early as October in some areas and as late as May
Permits	During the Fire Danger Period, you can only burn off with a written permit
Total Fire Ban days	Burning off is illegal, even with a permit
Registration	Register your burn-off by calling 1800 668 511 or through Fire Permits Victoria
Local laws	Some councils restrict burning to certain days or do not allow it at all
Penalties	Over $23,000 or 12 months imprisonment for burning without a permit during the Fire Danger Period, and over $46,000 or 2 years imprisonment on a Total Fire Ban day

In many suburban areas, burning off is not an option at all. For example, the City of Casey does not issue burn-off permits to residents in built-up residential areas, and suggests hard waste collections or local transfer stations instead. To check Fire Danger Period dates for your area, visit the CFA website or call the VicEmergency Hotline on 1800 226 226.

Before You Remove Trees or Native Plants

In Victoria, a planning permit is required to remove, destroy or lop native vegetation unless an exemption applies under Clauses 52.16 and 52.17 of the planning scheme. The Victorian Government recommends checking with the planning department of your local council to confirm whether your proposed clearing is exempt before you start.

Noxious Weeds

Under Victoria’s Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994, noxious weeds fall into four categories: state prohibited, regionally prohibited, regionally controlled and restricted weeds.

Agriculture Victoria states that you need a permit to transport noxious weeds, or any part of a noxious weed capable of growing, within Victoria. Some councils, such as Yarra Ranges Council, also state that noxious weeds cannot be placed in the FOGO bin.

If you have noxious weeds to remove, speak to our team before placing them in your skip bin.

Make Sure Your Green Waste Is Disposed of Legally

EPA Victoria states that you break the law if you dump, abandon or bury any kind of waste at a place not authorised to accept it. Parks Victoria lists green waste among the items illegally dumped in parks, and warns that offenders face hefty fines under the Environment Protection Act 2017.

EPA Victoria action	What happened
March 2026	A skip bin company was fined $10,176 after around 100 cubic metres of waste was dumped on rural property at Beveridge
May 2026	EPA announced a blitz on rogue skip bin operators that charged customers for legal disposal, then dumped the waste

EPA Victoria warns that customers can also face fines or prosecution if the operator they hire disposes of waste illegally, and that people hiring skip bins should make sure they can provide a docket showing the waste was taken to a lawful place. Learn more about the risks of cheap skip bin hire and how to report illegal dumping.

Loading and Placing Your Skip Bin

• Cut branches and trunks into manageable pieces so the bin can be filled and collected safely
• Keep all waste below the rim. Overfilled bins are unsafe to transport, and we are unable to collect a bin that has been overfilled
• Only add garden waste, and keep soil, rocks, food scraps and general rubbish out
• Placing your bin on private property, such as your driveway, is the simplest option. Some councils have rules about placing bins on footpaths, nature strips or roads

For more advice, read our guides on how to safely and efficiently load a skip bin, skip bin permits and placement and how to prevent others from using your skip bin.

Common Green Waste Mistakes

Mistake	Why it’s a problem
Mixing general rubbish into a green waste skip bin	It may lead to additional charges or the bin being rejected
Adding soil or rocks	These are not accepted in a green waste skip bin
Putting whole tree trunks in the bin	Trunks and branches need to be cut into manageable pieces
Overfilling the bin	Overfilled bins can’t be collected, as they are unsafe to transport
Putting plastic bags in your council green bin	Plastics contaminate compost, and councils like Geelong have to remove them
Burning off without checking the rules	Permits are needed during the Fire Danger Period, and burning is illegal on Total Fire Ban days
Removing native vegetation without checking with your council	A planning permit may be required

When to Hire a Green Waste Skip Bin

Your council green bin is fine for everyday garden waste. It is worth hiring a green waste skip bin when:

• You are clearing an overgrown yard
• You are preparing your property for fire season
• You are doing a large prune or removing trees
• You have more green waste than your bin can hold
• You do not have a vehicle or trailer to get to the tip
• You live in an area where burning off is not allowed
• You are working on a landscaping project

Jim’s Skip Bins provides green waste skip bins across Melbourne and Victoria, with deliveries and collections available throughout the week, including weekends. Get in touch with our team to book your next skip bin hire.

Final Answer

For large amounts of green waste in Victoria, hire a green waste skip bin, cut branches and trunks into manageable pieces, and keep soil, rocks, food waste and general rubbish out of the bin. For smaller amounts, use your council green or FOGO bin and check your council’s rules.

If you are preparing for fire season, follow CFA advice, and remember that burning off requires a permit during the Fire Danger Period, is illegal on Total Fire Ban days and is not allowed in many built-up areas. Check with your council before removing native vegetation, and speak to us before disposing of noxious weeds.