Bin collections

Your home has wheelie bins for separating general waste from green waste and recyclables. Check your bin collection day with the bin collection calendar. You can also download Brisbane City Council’s quick and simple Brisbane bin and recycling app.

For bin collection:

check it is your correct day of service
place the bin on the footpath next to the kerb, with the handle towards the house. This must be done by 5.30am on the day of collection
where possible, place your bin where it is not obstructed by parked cars
bins should be placed at least 30 cm apart
bins should be placed at the kerb or as close to the kerb as possible - this allows the arms of the truck to easily access each bin
ensure there is access to the bin
ensure the waste, recycling and green waste are not cross-contaminated
do not block pedestrian pathways or vehicle access
close the bin lid
bag all loose rubbish going into your general waste bin - such as dust, kitchen scraps and grass clippings
recycling should not be bagged
keep garden prunings small
do not overload the bin (maximum weight is 70 kilograms).

Rubbish bins left on the footpath or kerb

The Health, Safety and Amenity Local Law 2021 requires rubbish bins to only be placed on the footpath or kerb a reasonable time before collection is due (e.g. within the 24 hours leading up to collection being due) and removed from the footpath or kerb as soon as practicable after collection (i.e. by the next business day).

Full bins left out on the footpath too soon before collection or empty bins left on the footpath after collection are frustrating for residents and can potentially be a safety hazard. Bins left on Brisbane's narrower footpaths may force pedestrians onto the road.

Council may investigate bins continually left on the footpath or kerb and issue fines to offenders.

Your responsibilities

You are responsible for returning your rubbish bin to your property as soon as practical after collection. Council may issue on-the-spot fines if you do not have a reasonable excuse for not returning your bins to your property.

Lodging a complaint

In most cases, the best way to resolve an issue is through polite and productive communication with the property owner or occupier. If you haven’t already spoken with the resident about the rubbish bin being left on the footpath for a long time, we strongly recommend you try this approach first. Often, residents do not realise they are causing an issue to their neighbours. Council has also developed a letterbox-drop template which you may wish to use - simply print out the form, fill in your details (if you wish) and place it in your neighbour’s letterbox.

When investigating complaints about rubbish bins left on the footpath, kerb, street or road, Council considers:

the day of service (the day of collection)
how long the bins are on the footpath or kerb
how often the bins are left out.

To lodge a complaint about a bin left out:

phone Council on 07 3403 8888
email Council.

Please note that Council will send letters to both you and the occupier of the property with the bins to give them an opportunity to address the matter themselves before further actions are taken. This letter will also provide you with a Further Information Request Form which you will be required to fill out should the issue be ongoing and you wish the complaint to progress further.

Public holidays

Normal bin collection services run on public holidays including Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day, Good Friday and Easter Monday. You should put your bins out for collection by 5.30am.

Missed collection

You can lodge an online missed bin request at any time. Bins are collected as soon as possible.

You must report a missed recycling or green bin collection within two working days of your normal day of service. Missed recycling or green waste bins reported after this timeframe are collected on your next scheduled collection day.

Extra collection

Contact Council to arrange an extra waste collection for a fee.

You can also pay your special waste (extra) bin collection account online.

In-home service

Council can arrange for bin collection from within your property if:

you are infirm
you have a physical or sensory disability
no able-bodied person lives at your address
you don't have a neighbour or next of kin nearby who can assist with placing your bin out for collection
the collection point for your bins will not pose a potential safety risk to staff.

To apply for bin collection assistance, phone Council on 07 3403 8888.