Landfill vs Recycling: Compare the Full Service Cost

Compare written quotes for the same material and quantity. A landfill levy, a gate fee and a collection invoice are different figures.

The facts behind the comparison

EPA Victoria publishes waste levy rates by waste and premises category. The levy is not an all-inclusive business collection tariff. Source: EPA Victoria — Waste levy.

What to compare

Decision	Landfill route	Recycling route
Accepted material	Confirm classification and lawful destination.	Confirm material grade, contamination limits and destination.
Transport	Include bin rental, lifts, freight and minimum charges.	Include the same items, including separate stream collections.
Processing charge	Identify disposal charges and how levies are reflected.	Identify processing charges, rebates or credits only if quoted.
Exceptions	Price excess weight and rejected materials.	Price contamination, rejected loads and alternative disposal.

Before you decide

Measure the quantity and composition of the material being compared.
Use the same time period and state whether GST is included.
Separate fixed charges from per-lift and per-tonne charges.
Test the result using realistic contamination and volume scenarios.

What this comparison cannot tell you

No blanket percentage saving or recycling rebate follows from this comparison. Published levy rates cannot be used as a substitute for a current supplier quote.

Related decisions

Discuss your waste setup with Bundle Waste.

Sources

EPA Victoria — Waste levy. Table 1: 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027. Checked 18 September 2026.