Community members are encouraged to check their annual hard waste and bundled branches collection date, with collection times varying in the Yarra Valley for the 2026 collection.
The 2026 collection period will start later, from 27 January – to reduce roadside rubbish piles in the early new year and the Australia Day long weekend.
The order of collections in the region will also change.
Between January and March every year, each household in Yarra Ranges will have a scheduled collection of hard waste, metals, whitegoods and bundled branches.
Yarra Ranges mayor Cr Richard Higgins said that hard waste was an excellent way to safely dispose of and recycle electronic items, which aren’t allowed to go in wheelie bins.
“We know that when Christmas comes around, a lot of appliances and toys, tools and things around the house might get replaced,” Cr Higgins said.
“Anything that can be powered – by batteries or a cord – is classified as e-waste and can’t go in any wheelie bins. E-waste can contain hazardous materials such as lead and mercury that can harm the environment, as well as valuable materials such as copper that can be recycled.
“For a lot of residents, this means taking items to the tip, which has a fee. Dispose of these items for free in hard rubbish, and know that e-waste will be recycled or dealt with safely.
“The three cubic metres allowed in hard waste means you can put out the old washer or dryer, along with furniture or bulky items that aren’t repairable.”
Cr Higgins said that community members should always try to sell, donate or repair items before throwing them out.
“We find that, every year, items in good condition end up being put in hard waste, when they could have a new life being used by others. Bikes are a perfect example of this – places like UpCycles in Wesburn can repair old bikes, or take donations of parts to be used elsewhere,” he said.
“If items are in good condition, it’s best to see if they can be donated to a local charity or op shop, or given to someone in the community through Facebook marketplace or local groups.
“About 85 per cent of hard rubbish collected in 2025 couldn’t be recycled and had to be sent to landfill. If we take care to dispose of our items with re-use in mind, we can help prevent them going to waste with very little effort.”
Bundled branches, mattresses, metals, whitegoods, electronic waste – e.g. computers, televisions, monitors, all other battery and power-operated items and items with an electrical cord will be collected and sent for recycling. All other items will be disposed of in landfill.
Household waste (such as soft plastics or bagged rubbish), paint, building renovation materials, untied branches and chemicals cannot be placed out for collection.
Hard waste collections are timed to make the most of the dry weather in the region, when it’s safest for contractors to collect large, bulky items, and when it’s safest for the heavy collection trucks to navigate local roads, including many unsealed roads.
Items should be put out for collection on the Sunday before their collection week, and not earlier, to reduce the visual and environmental impact of rubbish piles.
Find out more about what you can – and can’t – put out for collection at yarraranges.vic.gov.au/hardwaste
