Christmas is a time for joy-sharing gifts, delicious food, and festive decorations. But with all that celebration comes extra packaging and waste.
Corangamite Shire Council's Coordinator Waste and Sustainability, Simone Robertson, has some practical tips to help you celebrate sustainably and avoid overflowing bins on Boxing Day.
"If we all choose gifts made from recycled or sustainable materials, it keeps out of landfill right from the start," she said.
"If you get that well-meaning present that you just don't want, you can donate it to local a charity rather than throwing it away.
"If gift wrapping paper hasn't been torn up in all the excitement, you can save it for use next year. Unfortunately, glossy or metallic paper can't be recycled so keep it out of your yellow bin and reusing it keeps it out of landfill too.
"You can reuse last year's ribbons, bows and gift bags, and save them for next year too.
"Toy packaging often has plastic windows. Please separate these from cardboard before recycling and flatten boxes to save space."
Ms Robertson said food waste is a major issue year-round, and spikes at Christmas.
"More than a third of all food ends up wasted, so planning is key.
"Work out how many guests you'll have so you can plan a detailed shopping list − and stick to it. If you're asking guests to bring a plate, be specific to avoid doubling up."
"If you have leftover packaged food, you can always donate it to your local community house.
"Any food that can't be saved in the fridge or frozen for later should go in your green-lid bin. That includes including ham bones, seafood shells, wooden skewers, and toothpicks. Freezing seafood scraps until bin day will avoid smells."
Lots of presents will come with disposable or rechargeable batteries. When they come to the end of their life, Ms Robertson said, please take them to the e-Waste drop-off points at your nearest transfer station so they don't start fires in landfill.
Due to public holidays on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Year's Day, all transfer stations and the Corangamite Regional Landfill at Naroghid will be closed on 25 and 26 December and 1 January.
If you have excess waste, Council-operated transfer stations will be open throughout the rest of the holiday period.
Resident are encouraged to download the Binfo app from corangamite.vic.gov.au/Binfo to find out what days their bin gets collected and what goes in each bin.
Festive season service times:
Landfill/Transfer Stations
Corangamite Regional Landfill
Friday 19 December 2025 - Closed from 12 pm.
Thursday 25 December 2025 - Closed all day.
Friday 26 December 2025 - Closed all day.
Thursday 1 January 2026 - Closed all day.
Derrinallum Transfer Station
Friday 19 December 2025 - Closed all day.
Friday 26 December 2025 - Closed all day.
Port Campbell and Simpson Transfer Station
Thursday 25 December 2025 - Closed all day.
Thursday 1 January 2026 - Closed all day.
Simpson Transfer Station
Thursday 25 December 2025 - Closed all day.
Thursday 1 January 2026 - Closed all day.
Skipton Transfer Station
No change to opening days.
Timboon Transfer Station
Friday 19 December 2025 - Closed all day.
Friday 26 December 2025 - Closed all day.
Rubbish, recycling and green organics collection
Timboon, Simpson & Port Campbell
Monday 22 December and Monday 29 December 2025 as normal.
Lismore, Derrinallum & Skipton
Tuesday 23 and Tuesday 30 December 2025 as normal.
Camperdown - south Princes Highway & Gnotuk
Wednesday 24 and Wednesday 31 December 2025 as normal.
Camperdown - north Princes Highway & Cobden
Friday 26 December 2025 and Friday 2 January 2026.
Terang, Noorat and Glenormiston
Saturday 27 December 2025 and Saturday 3 January 2026.
Weekly green organics collections
Weekly green organics collections finish on Saturday 3 January 2026.
Bin collection
For any missed waste, recycling or FOGO bins or bin collection issues please contact Wheelie Waste on 5561 2286. The Wheelie Waste office will be closed for the public holidays.
