Whitehorse City Council has voted to reject the State Government imposed mandatory kerbside glass bin recycling service in its current form, joining 34 other Victorian councils calling for an expanded Container Deposit Scheme (CDS) to include glass wine and spirit bottles.   

At the meeting on Monday 20 April 2026, Councillors voted unanimously to defer the implementation of a kerbside glass bin recycling service.

A comprehensive business case outlining the costs and benefits of such a service has not been released by the State Government, nor have the Kerbside Service Standards that will guide the service specification been confirmed. 

As a result, the cost of implementing the service has been removed from the 2026/27 Proposed Budget.  

Whitehorse Mayor Kirsten Langford said an expanded CDS would deliver more practical, efficient and cost-effective benefits compared to a dedicated glass only kerbside collection service.

“We’ve seen a remarkable uptake in Whitehorse residents switching from putting glass in their kerbside recycling bin to taking it to a CDS location. In the first year following the introduction of the CDS the weight of material collected in the yellow-lid mixed recycling bin declined by 23%. 

“Our residents tell us they don’t have enough space for a dedicated glass-only bin, nor do they use enough glass to justify the cost of the bin service.  

“These are just some of the reasons why we are advocating for the State Government’s mandatory implementation of a fourth glass-only bin service to be postponed and reconsidered.”    

Delaying the implementation provides more time to work with the State Government and other councils to explore better alternatives.  

In 2025, Whitehorse’s kerbside bin services consultation attracted 6,789 total participants, more than any other community consultation to date.   

Of the 35% who provided feedback on the proposed glass bin, a significant number of survey respondents and focus group participants expressed concerns. 

Most of these concerns were regarding the need for, or management of, an additional bin. This was particularly the case for households with limited space or low glass waste volumes. 

While some respondents supported the introduction of a glass bin, many expressed a preference for alternative models such as the Container Deposit Scheme, shared services or drop off points.  

Councils are encouraging residents to complete a short anonymous survey about the glass bin and indicating whether they support an expanded CDS: https://forms.office.com/r/em2QJVtrnG