New glass recycling bins on hold for Maribyrnong
Published on 23 October 2025
Council has joined the Local Government Glass Advocacy Group – along with 33 other Victorian councils – to formally advocate for a revision of the mandate to introduce a separate glass service.
This mandate, established under the Circular Economy Act 2021, requires all Victorian councils to ensure that by July 2027, every household eligible for Council waste collection has four separate bins – for garbage, recycling, food and garden waste, and glass – with standardised lid colours across the state.
Council believes the success of the State Government’s Container Deposit Scheme (CDS) demonstrates an effective and proven approach to glass recycling, having already diverted close to 120 million glass containers into recycling in 2023-24, showcasing strong community support and delivering tangible environmental benefits – all without imposing new services on residents.
Mayor, Cr Pradeep Tiwari said the CDS has already proven its value and the State Government should first consider the impacts of the scheme before introducing any new services.
“Victorians have embraced the Container Deposit Scheme, and it’s delivering impressive results. It makes sense to build on what’s already working rather than create a new system that duplicates it,” said Mayor Tiwari.
Introducing a separate glass bin in the City of Maribyrnong is expected to incur an upfront cost of approximately $1.86 million, along with ongoing operational costs of around $280,000 per year. Council has expressed concern that these additional costs would ultimately be borne by residents, despite glass already being fully recycled through the commingled recycling stream, and in the presence of a successful CDS scheme.
Mayor Tiwari went on to confirm that the transition to a circular economy is extremely important, and Council fully supports the standardisation of state-wide services.
There are, however, practical challenges to consider, such as where residents will store a fourth bin and whether adding one will truly benefit the environment. At this stage, there’s no clear evidence that adding another bin – and the extra vehicle trips it would cause – would improve environmental outcomes.
Council is urging the State Government to reconsider the timeline for implementing a glass-only service and instead focus on strengthening the existing Container Deposit Scheme. Specifically, Council is calling for the State Government to:
- Expand the CDS to include wine and spirit bottles.
- Review the success of the CDS against outcomes from councils where glass-only bins have already been introduced.
- Delay the mandatory rollout of glass bins until a comprehensive review has been undertaken.
Mayor Tiwari also said it is important that decisions about recycling systems are practical and financially responsible.
“Our community expects us to deliver recycling options that make sense, are cost-effective, and complement existing programs. We’re asking the State Government to pause, listen, and reflect on the success of their own Container Deposit Scheme before pushing ahead with a new bin system,” said Mayor Tiwari.
Read the full report in the October Council meeting agenda here.
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