Hume City Council has welcomed the election commitment from the Liberal National Coalition to abandon the glass-only bin mandate and return decision-making on waste and recycling services to local councils.
This is a significant win for the Hume community. Hume was the first Victorian council to formally reject the State Government's glass-only bin mandate in May 2025, raising concerns about increased costs, reduced convenience for residents and the lack of evidence that a separate glass service would deliver better outcomes than existing recycling systems.
These concerns were reinforced this year through the Let's be Clear on Glass campaign which received almost 25,000 responses from Victorians. The survey found that 83 per cent of respondents opposed the introduction, and 91 percent supported an expanded Container Deposit Scheme to include glass wine and spirit bottles. In Hume, opposition was even stronger with 87 percent against.
The announcement demonstrates what can be achieved when governments listen to communities and work with councils to deliver practical solutions that reduce waste, without increasing costs and complexity for residents. We thank the Liberal National Coalition for recognising the challenges associated with the proposed glass-only bin and for supporting an alternative approach backed by residents.
Council now calls on the Victorian Labor Government to listen to overwhelming feedback from communities across Victoria and commit to abandoning the mandatory glass bin rollout.
Quotes attributable to Hume City Mayor, Cr Carly Moore:
"This commitment is a major win for Hume residents who have made it clear they do not support the introduction of another household bin."
"Hume was the first council in Victoria to reject the glass-only bin mandate because we knew it would create additional costs and inconvenience for residents without adequately addressing the recycling challenges it was designed to solve."
"Our community has consistently supported a better alternative. The overwhelming support for expanding the Container Deposit Scheme to include glass wine and spirit bottles shows residents want practical, cost-effective recycling solutions."
