Waste Management

What Night is My Wheelie Bin Collected?

To find out your bin collection day:

• View the Sorell Municipal Waste Collection Maps:
  • Waste Collection Area Maps including Green Waste
  • Waste Overview Map including Green Waste
  • Wheelie Bin Collection Days
• Refer to the Waste Management Services Calendar
  • • Sorell Council – Waste Management Services Calendar – 2025/2026

2025-2026 Annual Fees and Charges:

What is the Community Waste Charge

To make things fairer, Council has introduced a new “Community Waste Charge“. This will be added to all ratepayer accounts from 2025–2026, including properties that haven’t previously paid for waste collection.

The change means:

• The cost of shared community waste services will now be spread more evenly across all properties.
• Properties with kerbside collection will see a small reduction in their current waste charges.
• Properties without previous waste charges will now contribute through the new Community Waste Charge.

Why is the waste management rates structure changing?

Council has updated how they charge for waste service to make the system clearer and fairer for everyone.

Currently, residential properties that receive kerbside garbage and recycling collections also pay for broader community waste services such as:

• Public bin collections,
• Bulk hard and green waste collections,
• Recycling Centres
• Mornington Park waste levy and
• Managing dumped rubbish.

These services benefit the whole community, but until now, only households with kerbside bin collections have been covering the cost.

This change helps ensure that our waste management charges are transparent, and everyone contributes to the services that keep our whole community clean and safe.

I don’t use my green waste bin – Can I opt out?

No. Council encourages all residents to keep their green waste bin. It will be essential for the future Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) collection service.
Council is exploring possible opt-out options in the future.

I don’t live in a green waste collection area – Can I opt in?

Not at this stage. The service is only available to properties within the designated collection zones.

I am building a new home within the collection area, how do I request a wheelie waste bin?

Complete the Online Bin Application Form
Select your bin size, type, and the reason for your request.

Can I have additional wheelie waste bins or a smaller/larger bin?

Yes, you can apply for additional wheelie waste bins however these will incur additional charges to your rates.

Council has the following bins sizes for the different waste streams:

• General Waste (Red) – 80L, 140L, 240L
• Recycling (Yellow) – 140L, 240L
• Green Waste (Lime Green) – 240L

Complete the Online Bin Application Form
Select your bin size, type, and the reason for your request.

My wheelie bin has been damaged, how do I get this repaired or replaced?

Complete the Online Bin Application Form
Select your bin size, type, and the reason for your request.

What day can I expect my bin be delivered or repaired?

Council delivers new and replacement bins every Wednesday.

Who is Council’s Waste Collection Contractor?

Veolia is Council’s waste collection contractor for:

• General Waste
• Recycling
• Green Waste (kerbside)

Wheelie Bin Do’s & Don’ts

✅ DO:

• Put your bin out the night before or by 6:00 AM on collection day
• Leave 1 metre clearance between bins and any obstacles
• Label your bin lid with your house number
• Remove bins from kerb promptly after collection
• Place bins with handles facing your property
• If your bin is missed, contact Council Customer Service on (03) 6269 0000

🚫 DON’T:

• Place bins behind cars or obstacles
• Overfill bins or exceed 80kg weight limit

What is FOGO?

FOGO stands for Food Organics, Garden Organics. It refers to a wide range of organic materials that can be composted—such as food scraps, garden clippings, leaves, weeds, and more.

When FOGO is introduced, residents will be able to dispose of eligible food and garden waste in their green waste bin, which is collected kerbside from all properties in the designated collection area.

Council is developing educational materials to help the community understand what items can and cannot go into the FOGO bin.

As part of our Waste Management Strategy 2023, Sorell Council is getting ready to introduce a FOGO (Food Organics Garden Organics) kerbside collection service for our municipality.

Why Is Council Introducing FOGO?

Introducing FOGO is one of the most effective actions Council can take to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and divert waste from landfill.

Currently, 40–60% of household waste sent to landfill is organic. By separating and processing these materials, we can:

• Reduce harmful methane emissions
• Create high-quality compost
• Extend the life of landfill sites

To support this initiative, a new composting facility will be developed, with more details to be announced during 2025–26.

The Tasmanian Government set the target of reducing the volume of organic waste sent to landfill by 25% by 2025, and 50% by 2030, under The Tasmanian Draft Waste Action Plan (2019).

In the National Waste Policy Action Plan, the Australian Government with States and Territories have agreed to:

• Support the development of infrastructure to process organic waste by 2022
• Introduce FOGO collection services to households and businesses by 2023.
• Halve the amount of organic waste sent to landfill for disposal by 2030.
• Achieve an 80% average resource recovery rate from all waste streams by 2030.

The Plan also aims to reduce annual total waste generated in Australia by 10% per person by 2030. That amounts to about 300 kg reduction of waste per person per year.

By reducing and recovering organic waste through FOGO, we’re working together toward a more sustainable, low-waste future for our community.

Council provides weekly kerbside garbage collection for domestic waste.

✅ What You CAN Put in Your Garbage Bin

• Food scraps
• Disposable nappies
• Small broken household items (e.g. china, glassware)
• Plastic bags, garbage bags, and non-recyclable plastic or food packaging

❌ What You CANNOT Put in Your Garbage Bin

The following items are not accepted and must be disposed of separately:

• Building materials
• Batteries (take household batteries to the recycling area at the Mornington Park Waste Transfer Station)
• Chemicals (e.g. caustics, acids, solvents)
• Medical waste (including sharps)
• Medicines and drugs
• Heavy metals
• Herbicides and pesticides
• Dyes and colourants
• Tyres
• Glues and adhesives
• Asbestos
• Recyclable packaging (place in your yellow-lid recycling bin)

Important Waste Collection Guidelines

Help us ensure smooth and safe waste collection by following these tips:

• Number your bin to help prevent loss or theft.
• Remove bins from the kerb as soon as possible after they’ve been emptied.
• Bag all items—especially dust and loose waste—to prevent spillage and jamming.
• Bins are for domestic waste only (food scraps and non-recyclables).
• Do not place bricks, heavy timber, or metal in the bin—these may damage collection equipment.
• Do not place extra rubbish on top of or next to the bin.

Tips to Ensure Your Bin Is Collected

• Place your bin out the night before collection, or by 6am on collection day.
• Leave at least 1 metre of space between bins and nearby objects (e.g. trees, poles).
• Bins must be facing the road, with handles facing your property.
• Don’t place bins behind parked cars or other obstructions.
• Do not overload your bin—the lid must be fully closed for safe collection.

Council provides fortnightly kerbside recycling collection for domestic households.
Recycling is collected on the same day as your garbage collection.

To recycle correctly, please refer to these helpful resources:

• TAS Recycling Infographic
• Rethink Waste A-Z Recycling Guide (2024)

♻️ What You CAN Put in Your Recycling Bin

Use your recycling bin as a first choice for disposing of recyclable materials to help reduce landfill waste:

• Paper
• Cardboard
• Plastic bottles and containers
• Steel food cans and empty aerosol cans
• Aluminium cans, foil, and empty aerosol cans
• Glass bottles and jars

Important:
Do not place recyclables inside plastic bags. Loose items only, please.

🚫 What You CANNOT Put in Your Recycling Bin

The following items must not be placed in your recycling bin:

• General household or garden waste
• Ceramics, cookware, cutlery, or pottery
• Plastic bags
• Window glass or broken glass
• Clothing, fabric, or shoes
• Oil, acid, or chemical containers
• Nappies
• Asbestos

⚠️ Recycling Contamination

Placing incorrect items in your recycling bin is called contamination. If your bin is contaminated, it may not be collected, and it could result in an entire truckload of recyclables being sent to landfill.

Plastic bags are the most common contaminant. These must not be placed in your recycling bin. Instead, you should:

• Reuse them where possible
• Return them to a participating supermarket recycling station
• Or dispose of them in your garbage bin

Help us recycle right—your actions make a difference!

Recycling Collection Reminders

• Number your bin to prevent loss or theft
• Remove your bin promptly after collection
• Place bins out the night before or by 6am on collection day
• Keep 1 metre of space between bins and objects (e.g. fences, trees, poles)
• Ensure the bin faces the road, with handles facing your property
• Don’t overload the bin—the lid must be fully closed
• Do not place bins behind parked vehicles or obstacles

Council provides Monthly kerbside Green Waste collection for domestic households.
Green Waste is collected on the same day as your garbage collection.

The green waste wheelie bin collection service began on 1 July 2024 and is available to residential properties in the following land use zones:

• General Residential
• Low Density
• Rural Living Zone A
• Village

Note: Vacant properties are not eligible for a green waste bin.

This service supports the future introduction of Food Organics, Garden Organics (FOGO) and helps reduce the municipality’s environmental footprint by diverting organics from landfill.

Check If You’re in the Collection Area

To confirm whether your property is included in the collection zone, please refer to the following maps:

• Green Waste Collection Area Maps
• Green Waste Overview Map

✅ What You CAN Put in Your Green Waste Bin

• Lawn Clippings
• Small logs and branches
• Weeds
• Garden Prunings
• Leaves

🚫 What You CANNOT Put in Your Green Waste Bin

• Treated or Painted timber
• Bricks
• Plant pots
• Sand
• Soil
• Rocks
• Plastic bags household garbage and food scraps
• Large stumps and logs

Important Green Waste Collection Guidelines

To help us provide safe and efficient collection, please follow these requirements:

• Number your bin lid to help prevent loss or theft.
• Remove bins from the kerb as soon as possible after collection.
• Do not place green waste beside or on top of the bin.
• Ensure no loose or oversized items prevent the bin from emptying properly.

Tips to Ensure Your Bin Is Collected

• Place your bin out the night before collection, or by 6am on collection day.
• Leave at least 1 metre of space between your bins and any nearby obstacles (e.g. poles, trees).
• Bins must be facing the road, with handles facing your property.
• Do not place your bin behind parked cars or other obstructions.
• Ensure the bin is not overloaded and the lid is fully closed.

Residents with kerbside rubbish collection can book bulk green waste and hard waste pick-ups through Sorell Council.

Please click on the link below to make your Green or Hard Waste Bookings:

Waste Collection Bookings – Sorell Council

Or call us on (03) 6269 0000.

Bulk Green Waste Collection

• Available four times a year
• Only for properties with kerbside rubbish collection
• Must be booked in advance

✅ Green Waste Must Be:

• Placed on a tarp, in an open rigid container (not a wheelie bin), or tied in bundles
• NOT in plastic bags or cardboard boxes (these will not be collected)
• Less than 1.5 metres in length
• No more than 20 cm in diameter
• A total of 2 cubic metres or less
• Able to be lifted by two people

Bulk Hard Waste Collection

• Available twice a year
• Only for properties with kerbside rubbish collection
• Must be booked in advance

✅ Hard Waste Must Be:

• Less than 1.5 metres in length
• A total of 2 cubic metres or less
• Easily lifted by two people

❌ Items NOT Accepted:

• Fridges or freezers
• Hazardous materials (e.g. tyres, batteries, asbestos)
• Broken glass or building rubble
• Car bodies or engine blocks
• Chemicals or liquids (e.g. paints, oils)
• General household rubbish or gas bottles

Bulk hard waste is collected twice a year and is only available to residents who currently have kerbside pick-up of rubbish.

Hard Waste must be:

• Less than 1.5 metres in length.
• 2 cubic metres maximum.
• Easily lifted by two people.

Items that will NOT be collected:

• Fridges and freezers.
• Hazardous materials (e.g. tyres, batteries or asbestos).
• Broken glass or building rubble.
• Car bodies or engine blocks.
• Chemicals or liquids (e.g. paints and oils).
• Normal household rubbish or gas bottles.

Important Information

• Waste must be placed on the nature strip the weekend before your scheduled collection.
• Collections take place during your scheduled collection week by Council’s contractor.
• Items put out too early may result in littering fines.
• Unbooked waste or non-compliant items will not be collected.

Council provides a delivery service every Wednesday for new and replacement garbage, recycling, and green waste bins.

If your garbage, recycling, or green waste bin is damaged, missing, or you require an additional or replacement bin, please complete the online application form here.

Important Information:

• Tenants: If you are renting the property, the property owner or manager must complete and sign the form. This is because additional fees may apply in some cases.
• Fees:
  • Repairs or replacements for damaged bins are free of charge.
  • Fees may apply for additional bins, or new service requests.

For more details on applicable charges, please refer to the 2025–2026 Annual Fees and Charges.

RECYCLING HUB

Recycling Hub

The Sorell Recycling Hub is a dedicated drop-off point for special recyclable items that cannot be placed in your kerbside bin. Located in the Council Offices, the Hub helps divert hazardous and valuable materials—such as heavy metals—from landfill and supports the circular economy.

✅ What Can I Recycle at the Hub?

You can drop off the following items:

• Batteries
• Mobile phones
• Printer cartridges
• Small e-waste items (e.g. USBs, computer mice)
• Medical x-rays
• Plastic bread tags
• CDs and DVDs
• Fluorescent light globes
• Medicinal blister packs

Location: Council Offices
Opening Hours: Monday – Friday, 8:00am – 4:30pm

Community Recycling Centres

Sorell Council provides two self-service community recycling centres, open 24/7, for common household recyclables:

• Sorell Recycling Centre – Stores Lane, Sorell
• Dodges Ferry Recycling Centre – 538 Old Forcett Road (behind the Dodges Ferry Football Clubrooms)

Dodges Ferry Recycling Centre

What You Can Drop Off

These centres are designed to collect surplus kerbside recyclables, including:

• Cardboard
• Paper
• Aluminium and steel cans
• Plastic bottles and containers
• Glass bottles and jars

What NOT to Drop Off

Please do not leave the following items:

• Domestic rubbish
• Tyres
• Whitegoods (fridges, washing machines, etc.)
• Oil or chemicals

Leaving non-recyclable items is considered illegal dumping and may result in fines ranging from $200 to over $3,000.

The recycling centres are emptied 2–3 times a week, so please avoid leaving items on the ground—this contributes to litter and can lead to overflow issues.

If you’re having difficulty placing your wheelie bins out for collection, Council offers a Driver Assist Service through our Waste Contractor.

No additional fees apply for this service.
However, you must submit an application to Council along with a medical certificate from your doctor.

To be eligible:

• A medical condition must prevent you from safely moving your bins.
• The Waste Contractor must be able to safely access and service your bins from your property.

To apply or learn more:
Call us on 03 6269 0000
Or submit an enquiry via our Contact Us page

Council has a dedicated policy to guide both developers and residents of multi-unit developments on how waste collection services are managed.

You can read the full policy here: Guidelines for Multi-Unit Developments
(Refer to pages 9–19 for specific information on waste collection requirements.)

This document outlines important details including:

• Bin placement and storage
• Shared bin arrangements
• Collection point access requirements
• Responsibilities of developers and body corporates

If you’re planning or living in a multi-unit development, reviewing these guidelines is essential to ensure compliance and efficient waste service delivery.

Sustainability means living in a way that protects the quality of life for future generations. It’s about making choices today that ensure our children—and theirs—will have access to the same clean air, healthy soil, fresh water, and vital resources that we enjoy now.

We can contribute to a sustainable future by:

• Using resources wisely
• Avoiding unnecessary consumption
• Reusing items wherever possible
• Recycling materials to extend their life and reduce landfill

Every time we reduce, reuse, or recycle, we help conserve resources and prevent waste from being buried after a single use.

Take Action – Be Proactive About Waste

There are many simple steps we can take to be more sustainable with our waste—and many organisations that can help.

Explore the links below to learn how you can reduce your environmental impact and become more proactive in managing waste:

🔗 Helping Tasmanians to avoid, reduce, reuse and recycle – Rethink Waste

🔗 Charitable Reuse Australia – National Association of Charitable Recycling Organisations

Together, we can make smarter choices that protect the environment and preserve our quality of life for generations to come.

The Sorell Municipality does not have a local waste transfer station. However, most items that cannot be collected through regular kerbside services can be taken to the:

Mornington Park Waste Transfer Station
126 Mornington Road, Mornington
Phone: (03) 6282 3200
Website: www.morningtonparkwaste.com.au

For a full list of accepted items and associated fees, please contact the facility directly or visit their website.

Please note: The Copping Landfill is not open to the public.