Recycling bin lid change
From 20 July, we will start to change the lids on recycling bins from blue to yellow.
What you need to do
You will need to leave your recycling bin out until 6 pm on your recycling collection day so we can change your lid. You will need to do this every fortnight until you get your new yellow lid.
There will be no change to your collection. We will collect your recycling as normal whether your bin has a blue lid or a yellow lid. We have over 60,000 recycling lids to change so it will take us time.
If you haven’t received your new lid by 1 February 2027, please contact us.
Why bin lids are changing
In 2020, the Victorian Government introduced the Recycling Victoria: A New Economy Policy to reduce waste and improve recycling across the state.
By 2030, all councils will use the same household bin lid colours statewide, including a:
- green lid for food and garden organics (FOGO)
- yellow lid for recycling
- red lid for rubbish.
This change means:
- a consistent household bin system across all households in Victoria
- improved understanding of what goes in each bin
- reduced landfill waste and increased recycling.
For more information, read the Recycling Victoria policy.
Changes so far
In Knox, we have already introduced the food and garden (FOGO) bin service (green bin lid) and changed rubbish bin lids from yellow to red.
Food and garden service
In 2023, Knox moved to a mandatory food and garden service with weekly collections. This service has helped Knox recycle on average 2,440 tonnes of organic material monthly, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by an average of 1,920 tonnes each month. Thanks to residents using the new food and garden service, Knox now diverts 71% of kerbside waste from landfill.
Residents can opt out of the food and garden bin service if they meet specific criteria, like home composting all organic material.
To learn more, visit our Food and garden bin collection page.
Rubbish bin service
In 2023, rubbish collections moved to fortnightly. In 2025, we changed rubbish bin lids from yellow to red.
If you haven't received your red lid, you can:
- continue to leave your rubbish bin out on your usual rubbish collection day until the lid is changed. Do this every fortnight until you get you get your new red lid
- lodge a request with us online.
Request a rubbish bin lid colour change
What's coming next
Glass recycling service
The Victorian Government wants all councils to give households a purple glass recycling bin by mid-2027.
Knox Council has joined 35 other councils to ask for more time and to explore expanding the Container Deposit Scheme instead of adding another bin for glass recycling.
A separate glass bin service is estimated to cost about $1.43 million per year to operate and about $27 per household as well as increase the number of household bins to 4. It would also mean more collection trucks on the road, leading to increased traffic congestion and carbon emissions.
Find out more in our news article.
Timeline – waste and recycling changes across Knox
- 2020: Recycling Victoria policy released.
- 2023: Food and garden service introduced in Knox.
- 2024: State government developed the Draft Household Waste and Recycling Service Standards and invited community feedback.
- 2025: Rubbish bin lids changed from yellow to red.
- 2026/2027: Recycling bin lids changing from blue to yellow.
- By 2030: Access to glass recycling for residents.
Page updates
This page was last updated on 18 May 2026.
