Our free hard waste collections

We’ve been doing an area-wide collection since 2011, and it’s been well utilised by the community. A booked hard rubbish collection can potentially be a better option for Darebin because:

• You can access it when you need to
• It helps reduce hazards on nature strips and footpaths
• It may reduce the volume of waste that end up in landfill

And we’re trialling it to make sure it works! We’ll be tracking a lot of things, such as how much goes to landfill in the area wide versus the booked, and how many complaints/supports we receive for each type, so we can see what works best for our community.

No, there is no expected change in your rates due to the booked trial. While the service is changing to one collection, your existing kerbside waste charge will not change. However, there will be an option to book additional paid collections if needed.

1. You will receive your confirmation of your booking date
2. You will receive information on what you can and can’t put out and a sticker to place on your hard waste
3. An SMS reminder will be sent to residents (who provide a mobile number with their booking) on the Friday before the collection week.
4. Waste is to be put on nature strip by 6am Monday morning on the week of collection
5. Place orange ‘BOOKED’ sticker clearly displayed on waste pile, visible from the road.
6. All items must be able to be lifted to shoulder height by two people. Maximum length of an item is 1.5 metres.
7. Materials over 2 cubic metres WILL NOT be collected, please refer to brochure for more information
8. Residents are responsible for removing any material not collected by the contractor within 24 hours of collection.

Each property is entitled to one free booked collection of two cubic metres per financial year

Additionally, residents can choose to pay for extra hard waste collection services, allowing for unlimited collection up to 2 cubic metres.

Darebin also has a hardship policy that may apply under certain conditions. 

If you move into a property where the maximum number of collections has already been used, you'll have to wait until the new financial year to book a free hard waste collection.

Otherwise you can choose to pay for extra hard waste collections.

If you want to check if your free collection has been used for this financial year, call customer service on 03 8470 8888.

Its recommended residents take a photo of waste prior to collection. This will be used as evidence to assist Council if illegal dumping occurs.

A maximum of 2 cubic metres of hard waste will be collected.

Excess waste will not be collected and you are required to remove and dispose of remaining items within 24 hours of your collection.

Hard waste items can be placed neatly on your nature strip on the weekend before your collection week. 

All items must be out by 6am on the Monday morning of your collection week. 

Place any recyclable items in a separate pile.

All items must be less than 1.5 metres in length and able to be lifted by two people or they will not be collected.

Once you have booked your collection we will send you a brochure with information on what is and isn’t accepted for collection.

The following items can be put out for collection:

• Air conditioner (including insulation ducts and vents)
• Bath, shower screens, sink, toilet
• Blinds, curtains and drapes - indoor and outdoor (holland, timber, venetian, roman, roller shutters – including all rods, tracks and brackets)
• Car body parts (bumper, door panel, etc.)
• Car parts (small mechanical parts)
• Carpet / carpet tiles / underlay
• Clothing items (including shoes)
• Corrugated iron/metal or plastic
• Corrugated roofing – plastic or metal (including laser light)
• Cubby houses (plastic and timber)
• Dog kennels (plastic and timber)
• Doors - timber and metal (including external, internal, security, flyscreens)
• Ducted heating (including insulation ducts and vents)
• E-Waste (ANY item with a cord, battery or plug at the end of its useful life)
• Electrical items / whitegoods – large items (fridge, freezer, washing machine, dryer, TV, oven, etc.)
• Garden equipment, tools and items
• Gate (metal and timber)
• Glass and mirrors
• Guttering (metal and PVC)
• Hot water service
• Household furniture and items
• Manchester items (including blankets, doonas, linen and pillows)
• Mattresses and bed bases (maximum of two (2) mattresses OR one (1) mattress and one (1) bed base OR two (2) bed bases per collection)
• Metal - scrap, iron, Colourbond, fencing
• Packaging material (cardboard, polystyrene, plastic wrap, etc.)
• Paint tins (empty)
• Pallets (timber and plastic)
• Pots (ceramic, concrete, plastic, terracotta)
• Timber and logs (no more than 12 pieces, no longer than 1.5m and less than 15cm wide)
• Tools
• Toys
• Tyres (Car tyres only – maximum of four (4) per collection) Wheelie bins
• Windows - timber and metal (including external, internal, security, flyscreens)

The below items cannot be put out for collection:

• Animal carcasses and waste
• Asbestos Containing Material such as cement sheeting, pipes, pits
• Barbed wire or fencing wire
• Car batteries
• Building and renovation material (bricks, building rubble, concrete, demolition material, pavers, plaster board, tiles, vanity unit, wood including cabinetry, joinery and shelving
• Bundled/bagged/collated garden organics and pruning’s
• Fake / synthetic grass and turf
• Fence panels
• Fluorescent tubes
• Food/general putrescible waste
• Gas bottles/LPG cylinders/aerosols/fire extinguishers
• General household waste (collected as part of the Council’s kerbside residential collection service)
• Hazardous waste e.g. chemicals and chemical containers, oil, paints and liquids, medical waste, corrosive or flammable waste.
• Lattice – wood or plastic
• Loose leaves & clippings
• Paint
• Recyclable or residual wastes (collected as part of the Council’s kerbside residential collection service)
• Rocks / stones / soil / concrete
• Solar panels
• Tree stumps or roots over 30kg
• Tyres (other than car tyres)
• Water tanks
• Items heavier than 30kg 

If you have space in your booked collection, you are welcome to invite your neighbour(s) to participate with you, but the booking will be registered to one address.

Blocks of flats, units or apartments can access the hard waste and recycling collections the same way as other residents, if they have a Council managed waste service and do not have privately managed waste collections.

This means that if your households waste and recycling bins are collected by Council, you are entitled to a hard waste collection. If your flat, unit or apartment has Council waste collection services, place items out as indicated.

In front of your property on the nature strip if you have one, separated into piles of recyclable and non-recyclable materials. 

If you don’t have a nature strip, please wait until as late as possible on the Sunday before your collection to put your items out. Place your items as close as possible to the kerb. 

The best location is generally where you place your waste bins. Please try to keep footpath access as clear as possible. Do not place items on the road. Items will not be collected from inside property lines or lane ways.

It’s possible that your hard waste and recycling will be collected over several days, and different types of materials may be collected on other days. For example, metal may be collected separately from furniture, televisions, and computers and independently from the carpet. 

All acceptable items will be removed from your nature strip by the end of the week, but you must NOT add to your pile once the collections have started, or some items may not be collected.

If you need to cancel or change your booking, call customer service (Monday to Friday during business hours) on 8470-8888, and follow the prompts. Please allow 48 hours before your booked collection week.

If you don't cancel your booking, we will still apply the collection to your property. This means you will not be able to use your booking in future.

No. Commercial, non-residential properties and properties using private waste collection services are not eligible for the free hard waste collection service.

To be eligible for a hard waste collection, your property must be a residential property that is paying for kerbside waste collection (regular bin collections for garbage, recycling, and food & garden organics (FOGO).

The kerbside waste collection service must be paid by either the resident or the landlord.

The program is designed to assist residential households in managing small amounts of unwanted items, such as furniture and appliances that are no longer needed. It is not intended to manage waste produced by businesses.