- What can I put in my garden bin?
- What happens to my garden waste?
- Where can I purchase Geelong-made compost?
- When is my garden bin collected?
Putting the right thing in your bin helps to support a circular economy for our region, where waste is turned back into a useful product for Greater Geelong's parks, sporting grounds and backyards.
What can I put in my garden bin?
Put these items in your garden organics bin
Twigs and small branches
Plants
Leaves
Grass clippings
Tips
- Always tip garden waste in your bin loose. Bagged material cannot be sorted and is sent to landfill.
- Treated timber - like a picture frame or planks for building - often contain pesticides, paint or other chemicals that can poison compost. You can put small quantities in your rubbish bin.
- We can't currently accept food organics in green bins, but we're working on it! Read more about our plans.
- Noxious weeds can be placed in your garden bin. Garden waste undergoes a pasteurisation process, where it is heated to high temperatures which ensure the seeds cannot germinate.
Never put these items in your garden organics bin
Plastic pots or bottles
Treated timber
Plastic bags
Soil or building materials
What happens to my garden waste?
Our Anakie Garden Organics Processing Facility turns grass clippings, branches and other garden material into compost using an open windrow process.
Where can I purchase Geelong-made compost?
Better Geelong Compost can be purchased for approximately $70 to $80 per cubic metre from the following suppliers:
- Lara Garden Supplies, Wadawurrung Country, 180 Elcho Road, Lara
- Wallington’s Water Rural Garden, Wadawurrung Country, 370 Grubb Road, Wallington
- South Point Garden Supplies, Wadawurrung Country, 15 Boneyards Avenue, Torquay
Some suppliers are selling the compost as is, whereas others are selling it as a composite product.
Can I pick up compost for free?
We offer samples of our compost free at Community Compost Days in spring and autumn each year. To be updated on the next one, subscribe to our Rethink Your Rubbish newsletter.
Collection
Put your garden organics bin out for collection every fortnight. See your collection calendar.
Your bin should not exceed 70 kilograms in weight.