Canberra households are eligible for one free bulky waste collection of up to two cubic metres each financial year.
Your kerbside bins#
- Red lid, general waste
Standard household bins are a 140L general waste bin (red or dark green lid) collected weekly, a 240L recycling bin (yellow lid) collected fortnightly, and an optional 240L garden waste bin (lime green lid). Over 6,000 households in selected suburbs have a weekly FOGO food and garden organics bin under a pilot.
- Yellow lid, recycling
Rinsed bottles, jars, cans, paper and cardboard, placed loose. Check the council page for glass and soft plastics rules in your area.
- Green lid, organics
An optional lime-green-lid garden waste bin is available; FOGO food and garden organics collection is being trialled in selected suburbs including Belconnen town centre, Bruce, Cook, Macquarie and selected Tuggeranong apartments.
The lid colours follow Australian Standard AS 4123 nationally, but the accepted-item list is set by ACT Government (Canberra). See what bin does it go in for the item-by-item answers, and the purple glass bin rollout for where a fourth lid is arriving.
Getting a collection in ACT Government (Canberra)#
ACT Government (Canberra) takes the booking, sets the date and decides what it will lift, so have your address and an item list ready before you start. Most councils cap the volume per booking, and the rule above is the one that applies here.
How booked and scheduled collections differ across the country is covered in hard rubbish collection in Australia.
When your bin goes out#
Collection day is set by your street address, not by the council area, so this guide does not carry per-street dates and will not guess one. The service pattern for ACT Government (Canberra) is below; ACT City Services publishes the day itself.
Garden and food organics in ACT Government (Canberra)#
An optional lime-green-lid garden waste bin is available; FOGO food and garden organics collection is being trialled in selected suburbs including Belconnen town centre, Bruce, Cook, Macquarie and selected Tuggeranong apartments.
Whether a green bin takes food scraps as well as garden material depends on the service your council runs. See the FOGO bin explained, and the item pages for food scraps and garden waste.
Quick answers for tricky items#
The short answer for the items households most often get wrong. Each links to the full rule, which ACT Government (Canberra) can still vary locally.
- Mattress - Not a kerbside bin
- Pizza box - Green or red lid
- Batteries - Never any kerbside bin
- Soft plastics - Red lid, unless a program runs
- Garden waste - Green lid
- E-waste - Not a kerbside bin
- Glass - Purple or yellow lid
- Food scraps - Green or red lid
Hard rubbish and bin questions#
- How does hard rubbish collection work in ACT Government (Canberra)?
- Canberra households are eligible for one free bulky waste collection of up to two cubic metres each financial year.
- How do I book a hard rubbish collection with ACT Government (Canberra)?
- Bookings are made by ACT Government (Canberra), not by this guide. Book at cityservices.act.gov.au with your address and a list of items ready, because most councils cap the volume per booking.
- When does my bin go out in the ACT Government (Canberra) area?
- Collection day is set by your street address, not by the council area, so ACT Government (Canberra) is the only source for your day. This guide carries the rules and the service pattern, not per-street dates: check yours at cityservices.act.gov.au.
- What bins does ACT Government (Canberra) collect, and how often?
- Standard household bins are a 140L general waste bin (red or dark green lid) collected weekly, a 240L recycling bin (yellow lid) collected fortnightly, and an optional 240L garden waste bin (lime green lid). Over 6,000 households in selected suburbs have a weekly FOGO food and garden organics bin under a pilot.
- What goes in the ACT Government (Canberra) green bin?
- An optional lime-green-lid garden waste bin is available; FOGO food and garden organics collection is being trialled in selected suburbs including Belconnen town centre, Bruce, Cook, Macquarie and selected Tuggeranong apartments.
- Which postcodes does ACT Government (Canberra) cover?
- ACT Government (Canberra) services 2600, 2601, 2602, 2603, 2604, 2605, 2606, 2607, 2608, 2609, 2610, 2611, 2612, 2614, 2615, 2616, 2617, 2900, 2901, 2902, 2903, 2904, 2905, 2906, 2911, 2912, 2913, 2914. Border postcodes can be split between two councils, so confirm yours against the council boundary if you sit on an edge.
Postcodes covered#
ACT Government (Canberra) services 28 postcodes. Border postcodes can be split between two councils, so confirm yours against the council boundary if you sit on an edge.
2600, 2601, 2602, 2603, 2604, 2605, 2606, 2607, 2608, 2609, 2610, 2611, 2612, 2614, 2615, 2616, 2617, 2900, 2901, 2902, 2903, 2904, 2905, 2906, 2911, 2912, 2913, 2914
Nearest tips and transfer stations#
Taking a sorted load in yourself is often cheapest. Tip Finder Australia maps every tip and recycling centre in Australian Capital Territory with fees and hours.
More Australian Capital Territory councils#
Compare bin systems and hard rubbish across the state.
Sources#
- ACT City Services - official bins and recycling page
- ACT Government (Canberra) waste and recycling - cityservices.act.gov.au
Checked against these sources on 2026-07-08.