Operations
2 min read
By Pedro Carreira
Updated 25 June 2026
Contamination penalties ($50-200 per incident) are charged when wrong items enter recycling or organics bins.
The top 5 contaminants in Melbourne commercial bins are: (1) soft plastics in recycling, (2) food waste in recycling, (3) coffee cups in recycling (they are not recyclable), (4) nappies in recycling, (5) polystyrene in recycling. Prevention: place A3-size visual guides above every bin showing what goes where, conduct monthly 'bin dips' to check contents, and train new staff within their first week.
Key Numbers
- Contamination penalty per incident: $50-200
- Commingled recycling contamination (Vic): about 12%
- Industry contamination target: under 5%
- Metro landfill levy (2025-26): $169.79/tonne
What You Need to Know
Contamination is the silent cost on commercial bins: one wrong item can downgrade a whole recycling load to landfill, where it is charged the levy and a per-incident contamination fee of $50-200. Across Victoria, commingled recycling runs at about 12% contamination against an industry target under 5% — so the problem is widespread, not just bad luck.
- Soft plastics in the recycling bin (the single most common offender).
- Food waste smearing otherwise clean paper and cardboard.
- Coffee cups — lined with plastic, they are not recyclable.
- Nappies and polystyrene rounding out the top five.
Getting streams right also supports your General Environmental Duty (GED) to handle waste responsibly. Bundle Waste audits your invoices to surface hidden contamination charges, benchmarks your rates across a network of providers, and renegotiates them out — paid only from the savings we find.
Related Resources
Related Questions
How do I train staff on correct waste sorting?+
Effective training takes 15 minutes and covers 3 things: (1) Which bin for which item — use real examples from your workplace (show actual packaging, not generic lists), (2) When in doubt, general waste — contamination costs more than losing one recyclable item, (3) The 'empty, clean, dry' rule for recycling — rinse containers, flatten cardboard, no food residue. Reinforce with posters at bin stations, monthly email reminders with contamination photos, and positive recognition for teams with clean bins.
What is the cost of contamination in recycling bins?+
Contamination costs Melbourne businesses $50–200 per incident in penalty fees. If contamination exceeds 10–15%, providers may reclassify recycling as general waste, increasing costs 40–100%. Staff training can reduce contamination by up to 70%.
What are the penalties for contaminating recycling?+
Businesses face: service refusal from providers, reclassification as general waste (40–100% cost increase), surcharges of $50–200/incident, and EPA action under the GED. Material Recovery Facilities reject loads with over 10–15% contamination.
How should strata buildings manage waste?+
Strata buildings must provide adequate bin storage per the BCA. Owners Corporations manage waste contracts. Key issues: contamination (25–40% rate), insufficient bins, lack of education. A 50-apartment building spends $500–1,500/month.
What can and cannot go in commercial recycling bins in Victoria?+
YES: rigid plastics 1–5, aluminium cans, steel cans, glass, aerosols, cartons. NO: soft plastics, food waste, nappies, textiles, polystyrene, ceramics, batteries, e-waste, plastics 6–7. Contamination above 10% can send the entire load to landfill.
See exactly what you are overpaying
Bundle Waste reviews your current waste invoices and benchmarks them against a network of Melbourne providers — free, with a written report in 5 business days. You will see what you pay now, where the hidden charges are, and the rate we can negotiate. You only pay from the savings we find: no savings, no fee.
Get my free waste audit →
Updated 25 June 2026
