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Bin and recycling FAQs

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Questions about garbage

What are the different bins used for?

The yellow lid bin is for recycling only and is serviced fortnightly.

The lime green lid bin is for garden organics and is serviced fortnightly, on the alternate week to the recycling bin.

The red lid garbage bin is for household waste that cannot be placed into the recycling or garden organics bins, and is serviced weekly.

You can find the collection days for your area in Council's Household Waste and Recycling Calendar.

The lids are colour coded to help you use the correct bin for different types of waste, and so the truck driver collecting the bins can easily identify them.

My bin has been damaged or stolen. What should I do?

Phone Waste Services on 4474 1024 to organise a repair or a replacement bin.

My garbage bin has not been collected. What should I do?

Phone our garbage contractor, Cleanaway, on 4445 7901 to discuss the missed service.

My 80L red bin is not large enough. Can I get another one?

Yes. The fee for an additional service is $258.50 a year (2023/24 financial year) and is charged at a pro-rata rate.

If you are living in a rental property, the request needs to come from the owner or managing agent.

If the owner requests an additional red lid garbage bin, they can also request an additional recycling or garden organics bin at no extra cost.

The additional bin will be delivered to the property within five working days.

Phone us on 4474 1024 to arrange for the additional bin(s).

Why is the additional service the same rate as the first service, shouldn't it be less?

Households that have two bins have a greater impact on the landfill, so to encourage waste minimisation for these households, the same rate applies.

I have a large family and cannot afford two services. What can I do?

Residents under genuine hardship can write to Council's General Manager to seek assistance:

  • by post:
    The General Manager
    Eurobodalla Shire Council
    PO Box 99 Moruya NSW 2537
  • by email: council@esc.nsw.gov.au

I have two sets of garbage bins but only need one set. What can I do?

Phone Waste Services on 4474 1024 to arrange for the second set of bins to be removed.

You will receive a refund at a pro-rata rate for the services you haven't used for the remainder of the year, which will appear as a credit on your rates.

Leave the bins at your service point and we will collect them within five working days.

My garbage bin is overfull. What can I do?

There are a few options. You can:

How can I find out if I am in the Council waste collection service area?

Phone Waste Services on 4474 1024 to find out if your property is within the service area.

If you are not within the service area, you can contact a waste disposal company that may be able to provide you with a private garbage service.

Can I get another household waste and recycling guide/calendar?

Yes. You can:

  • download a copy
  • phone Waste Services on 4474 1024 and we will send you a guide/calendar
  • pick up one of the guides/calendars from Council's Works Depots in Batemans Bay and Narooma, or our customer service centre on the corner of Vulcan and Campbell Streets, Moruya.

My property is vacant land. Do I receive a service?

If your property is within Council's waste collection service area, it will receive a garbage service once an Interim Occupation or Final Occupation Certificate is issued for the dwelling.

When Council issues an Occupation Certificate, a service order is generated to deliver the bins.

While the property is vacant land, an annual charge of $20.80 (2023/24 financial year) for the availability of the service applies.

I received a letter saying I will be on the Council service. What if I do not want to use the service?

Council has had many requests to extend the collection area.

Council must provide the service to all residential dwellings in the collection area, and we charge for the service if a dwelling exists on the property, regardless of how often the service is used.

Questions about recycling

What can I put in my yellow-lidded bin?

YES to clean:

  • plastic bottles and containers
  • milk and juice cartons
  • glass bottles and jars
  • magazines, newspapers, paper, flattened cardboard boxes and pizza boxes
  • steel and aluminum, foil and empty aerosol cans.

NO to:

  • soft plastics, such as plastic bags, cling wrap and plastic wrapping
  • light bulbs, glass from windows, mirrors, drinking glasses and crockery
  • vegetation
  • nappies
  • paper towels, tissues, serviettes and shredded paper
  • cardboard or paper with food on it
  • garbage or food scraps
  • clothes, pillows and blankets
  • lids smaller than a credit card
  • waxed cardboard and polystyrene.

Council’s Household Waste and Recycling Guide/Calendar tells you what goes into each of your three household bins and what you can and can't recycle, as well as bin collection dates and information on the annual hard waste and chemical collection services. The calendar is delivered to all Eurobodalla households each year:

Where is my recycling processed?

Council currently contracts its recycling service to recycling and waste management company, Cleanaway.

All recycling collected in Eurobodalla is taken to Re.Group Recycling in Canberra.

On average, nine per cent of this recycling is likely to end up in landfill due to the material either being non-recyclable (ie, nappies, plastic bags full of rubbish) or from production loss, as the recycling process creates a small amount of waste.

Where does my recycling end up?

All glass from our kerbside collection is crushed at the Re.Group Materials Recycling Facility (MRF) and turned into glass sand to be used as virgin stock material for road construction.

The remaining recyclable material is sorted and baled according to the different recycling streams. These bales are sold as commodities to various companies for reprocessing in Australia and overseas within weeks of being received.

What else can I recycle?

In addition to kerbside recycling, Council also contracts companies to recycle a range of products received at the waste management facilities in Surf Beach and Brou. These include:

  • polystyrene - processed locally into ingots and transported to Sydney for reprocessing into hard plastic items like picture frames
  • motor and cooking oils - reprocessed into biodiesel and other fuels
  • tyres – reprocessed into retread on new tyres
  • garden organics waste - shredded, tested and given away to residents, businesses and used on Council works
  • good pieces of timber waste - sold through the buy-back centres, and the rest is shredded and used as mulch on landfill, while concrete and bricks are crushed and may be used onsite
  • mattresses
  • electronic waste like televisions and computers
  • vehicle batteries
  • steel and other metals
  • solar panels
  • household problem waste

Why is there no divider in my recycling bin?

Thanks to developments in recycling sorting technology, we can use a bin system where both paper and container products can be mixed in the one bin, so no divider is necessary.

How can I get an additional recycling bin?

You can phone Waste Services on 4474 1024 to request an additional recycling bin at a cost of $75.80 a year (2023/24 financial year), which is charged on your rates at a pro-rata rate.

If you are living in a rental property, the owner or managing agent needs to authorise the additional bin.

We will deliver the bins within five working days.

I have two 80L red lid bins and one recycling bin. Can I have an additional recycling bin?

Yes. There is no additional charge if you already have two 80L red lid bins.

Phone Waste Services on 4474 1024 to arrange for delivery of the recycling bin.

I have two 80L red lid bins and two recycling bins. Can I have one of the recycling bins removed?

Yes. Phone Waste Services on 4474 1024 and we will arrange to collect the additional recycling bin.

There is no reduction on your rates to have the second recycling bin removed if you still have two red lid garbage bins.

I do not recycle and do not use the recycling bin. Can I have the bin removed and receive a reduction in my rates?

No. We are encouraging residents to recycle everything they can to try and reduce unnecessary landfill.

No reductions are offered on rates if you do not use the recycling bin service.

The bin needs to remain on the property so that it is available for any future owners or residents.

What if I do not have enough room in my yard to store the recycling bin?

You will need to keep the bin on the property.

We are working with the community to extend the life of the current landfills through encouraging residents to recycle.

The recycling bin must remain on the property for any future owners or residents.

Questions about organics

I compost at home and do not need the organics bin. What should I do?

Even though you compost, you might find there are materials that do not readily compost that you can put in the garden organics bin.

There is no discount offered to residents who do not use the bin.

Council does not identify residents who do not use the organics bin and does not apply any exemption system.

Can I get an additional organics bin?

Yes. You can phone Waste Services on 4474 1024 to request an additional organics bin.

If you are living in a rental property, the owner or managing agent needs to authorise the additional bin.

The cost is $75.80 a year (2023/24 financial year), which is charged on the owner's rates at a pro-rata rate.

We will deliver the bin within 5 working days.

Can I put fruit and vegetable scraps into my garden organics bin?

No. Fruit and vegetable scraps cannot go into your garden organics bin.

You can put fruit and vegetable scraps into your red lid garbage bin, compost or worm farm.

How can I get a free compost bin or worm farm so I can dispose of my kitchen and garden waste?

Composting and worm farming are nature's way of recycling - they divert organic waste from going into landfill and help to reduce the amount of harmful gases that are released into the atmosphere.

Council holds free home composting and worm farming workshops twice a year, usually in March and November at the education workshop area of Moruya Transfer Station, to give you practical tips to start or improve your composting and worm farming at home.

At the completion of either workshop, you will receive a free home composting kit or worm farm for your household.

You can find out when our next workshops are being held:

More information

Contact Council's Waste Services to arrange any additional services or to ask other questions: