Bundle WasteThe Cleanaway Brooklyn Resource Recovery Centre at 174 Old Geelong Road, Brooklyn is open 7:30 am–4:00 pm Monday to Friday and 8:00 am–12:00 pm on weekends. Paper, cardboard and metal are dropped off free — though the operator's page states it cannot currently accept commercial loads of cardboard. General waste, timber, green waste, concrete, mattresses, e-waste and tyres are rated and charged on entry. Cleanaway does not publish a fixed price list for this site, so call (03) 8391 1480 before taking anything larger than a boot load.
Published site information
| Address | 174 Old Geelong Road, Brooklyn VIC 3012 |
|---|---|
| Operator | Cleanaway |
| Hours | Monday–Friday 7:30 am–4:00 pm; Saturday and Sunday 8:00 am–12:00 pm |
| Phone | (03) 8391 1480 |
| Free drop-off | Paper, cardboard and metal |
| Restriction noted by the operator | Commercial loads of cardboard cannot be accepted at this time |
| Rated and charged on entry | General waste, timber, green waste, concrete, mattresses, e-waste, tyres |
| Pricing | Not published. Charges vary with waste type, volume and contamination levels; prices are subject to change |
Source: Cleanaway — Brooklyn Resource Recovery Centre, address, business-hours and overview sections, checked 21 September 2026. Confirm exceptions and current access before travelling.
What to expect at the gate
Brooklyn is an operator-run resource recovery centre rather than a council facility, so the resident rates, voucher schemes and residency checks that shape a council tip visit are not part of its published arrangements. What replaces them is assessment on arrival: the load is looked at, classified and charged, which is why the operator asks you to describe the material rather than quoting from a list.
That makes sorting the single thing most within your control. A recyclable stream hidden inside a general load is charged as general waste, and contamination is one of the three factors Cleanaway names as affecting the charge. Separate before you arrive, and ask how a mixed or treated load will be classified rather than assuming.
The free categories deserve one more read before you rely on them. Paper, cardboard and metal are listed as free drop-off, but the operator states separately that it cannot currently accept commercial loads of cardboard. A trade load is not automatically covered by a category written for a household-sized one.
How a Melbourne gate fee is built
Where a general waste gate fee in metropolitan Melbourne is published, it is generally made up of three layers, and understanding them makes a quoted number easier to question.
- The state landfill levy. On EPA Victoria's current table, municipal and industrial waste at prescribed metropolitan and provincial premises attracts $177.19 per tonne from 1 July 2026, up from $169.79 the year before. Nobody waives it (EPA Victoria — Waste levy).
- The operator's own cost and margin — handling, sorting, transport to the receiving facility, plant and labour. This is the part that varies between gates and is not published for Brooklyn.
- GST, added on top of the whole fee. Ask whether a quoted figure includes it.
Recyclable streams carry no levy on the landfill component, which is the structural reason cardboard, scrap metal and e-waste are free or cheap at most gates while general waste is not.
Before you travel
- Describe the exact materials and whether the load is commercial.
- Confirm acceptance, separation requirements and any contamination restrictions.
- Request the charging basis for your load and ask whether GST is included.
- Check vehicle access, unloading requirements, load limits and any holiday changes.
Ways to pay less at the gate
- Sort before you go. Free and cheap categories only apply to a clean stream. Recyclables buried in a mixed load are charged at the general rate, and contamination is explicitly one of the things that moves the price.
- Ask about a minimum charge. Small loads are commonly billed at a minimum regardless of weight, so two half-loads on two trips can cost more than one combined trip.
- Ask which basis applies. Where a weighbridge is offered, dense material such as soil, concrete and timber is often assessed differently from bulky light material charged by volume. Ask which one your load will be rated on.
- Keep green waste separate. It is a distinct charged category at this site, and mixing it into general waste removes that distinction.
When to stop tipping and get a bin
A tip run is the right tool for a one-off clean-out. It stops being the right tool once someone is driving to the gate on a schedule, because the cost stops being the gate fee and starts being the gate fee plus fuel, plus a vehicle, plus an hour of someone's time, every single trip — and none of that appears on the receipt.
Compare the whole cost of transporting your own material against a written collection proposal: staff time, travel, load preparation and the actual quoted disposal charge on one side, and the rental, lifts and disposal component of a scheduled service on the other. A scheduled service is an option to investigate, not an automatic saving, and no rate for either is established on this page.
Discuss recycling collection requirements · Compare written collection quotes
Frequently asked questions
What are the Brooklyn tip opening hours?
Where is the Brooklyn tip?
What is free at the Cleanaway Brooklyn transfer station?
How much does the Brooklyn tip charge for general waste?
Is treated timber charged as general waste at Brooklyn?
Sources and scope
- Cleanaway — Brooklyn Resource Recovery Centre. Address, business hours, free drop-off, charged materials, commercial cardboard restriction and pricing statement. Checked 21 September 2026.
- EPA Victoria — Waste levy. Table 1, 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027, with 2025-26 comparison. Checked 21 September 2026.
Operator information should be rechecked before travel. Bundle Waste does not operate this facility and has no commercial relationship with it established by this page. No generated photograph is presented here as an image of the actual site.