Cardinia Shire Council has voted to delay the rollout of glass only bins for all households, calling on the Victorian Government for more time, information and support for councils.
At the Council meeting on 16 February, Council decided to delay implementation of the Victorian Government's proposed fourth household bin until the government has endorsed Service Standards that will provide certainty for councils in planning for future services.
Council will write to the relevant Victorian Government Ministers, Members of Parliament and Mayors to outline Cardinia Shire's concerns about the service's cost and inefficiency and its preference to deliver services that better meet local needs.
Council is also calling on the Victorian Government to share its business case regarding kerbside glass recycling to provide councils with clarity on the need for the service.
Cardinia Shire Mayor Councillor Brett Owen said Council was committed to reducing the amount of waste going to landfill – a key objective of our new draft Waste and Resource Recovery Strategy 2026–36 – but the introduction of a glass-only bin would not enable Council to achieve this goal.
"The current recycling system has been highly successful in supporting residents to recycle glass, with less than 2 per cent of glass bottles and jars in Cardinia Shire currently ending up in landfill instead of the recycling bin," Mayor Owen said.
"Our community is already doing a great job with recycling, with 84 per cent of households putting our their fortnightly yellow-lid bin. This tells us our current system is working — and a fourth bin won't necessarily add value. Adding another bin would also create practical challenges for many residents, particularly those living in medium and higher density homes who are already short on space. We want to make recycling easier, not harder.
"Furthermore, any potential environmental benefit of the service will be outweighed by emissions from the additional collection trucks required to deliver the service.
"Instead, we feel there would be greater benefit in expanding the Victorian Government's Container Deposit Scheme (CDS) to include wine and spirit bottles, resulting in similar environmental benefits and more cost effectiveness."
Cardinia Shire Council is one of 36 Victorian councils to join the glass advocacy group established in 2024 and led by the City of Maroondah. The group commissioned independent research to explore the impact that implementing this service may have on households and the environment.
The research found that it would cost a typical council about $4 million dollars to implement the service, followed by an additional $1.3 million dollars per year to operate, which on average is an additional $27 per Cardinia Shire household, per year. This would be one of the largest increases to a waste charge Council and the community has seen.
The introduction of a glass-only bin is part of the Victorian Government's kerbside reform to standardise household waste and recycling services across the state, which includes all households having a glass only service by July 2027.
Mayor Owen said extending the implementation date of the glass-only service would provide Council with more time to work with the Victorian Government and other councils to consider other options to ensure the best outcomes for the community and the environment.
"Delaying the implementation gives councils more time to work with the Victorian Government and other councils to explore better alternatives," Mayor Owen said.
"By building on the success of our existing recycling system and infrastructure, we can achieve positive environmental outcomes without imposing unnecessary costs or complexity. Options such as expanding the highly successful Container Deposit Scheme show that efficient solutions are well within reach — and we're committed to advocating for the approach that delivers the greatest benefit for our community and our environment."
Cardinia Shire Council has developed a draft Waste and Resource Recovery Strategy 2026–36, which is now available for community feedback. This strategy is Council's long-term vision for waste management, recycling, and resource recovery. It aligns with national and state requirements and aims to deliver financially and environmentally sustainable services while responding to local needs.
To view the strategy and provide feedback, please visit Shape our future waste services | Creating Cardinia
