A car boot of general waste costs $30–78 at a Melbourne transfer station in 2026-27, a 6×4 trailer $140–265, and bulk loads $220–250 per cubic metre or $300–452 per tonne across a weighbridge, depending on the gate. Every fee includes the state landfill levy, now $177.19 per tonne. This guide lists the published 2026-27 (or latest published) fees for 14 facilities across Melbourne and Geelong, what each one takes for free, and the point at which a business is better off with a bin at the door than a ute at the gate.
Melbourne tip fees at a glance (general waste)
Figures are the operators' published rates. Council sites often charge residents less than non-residents; where that applies, the resident rate is shown first. “Per tonne” is the weighbridge rate for utes, trailers and trucks where the facility weighs vehicles.
| Facility | Where | Car boot | Bulk rate | Fees dated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monash Recycling & Waste Centre | Glen Waverley (Clayton area) | — | $220 / $250 per m³ | 2026-27 |
| Knox Transfer Station | Wantirna South | $74 | $406.50 per tonne | from 1 Jul 2026 |
| Whitehorse Recycling & Waste Centre | Vermont South | $62 | $407 per tonne (min $125) | 2026-27 |
| Future Recycling – Hallam, Pakenham, Bayside | South-east | $78 | $452 per tonne / $225 per m³ | from 1 Jul 2026 |
| Frankston Regional Recycling & Recovery Centre | Skye | $43 (resident) | $162 / $191 per m³ | 2025-26 list |
| Port Phillip Resource Recovery Centre | South Melbourne | $34 / $55 | Per load only (tandem heaped $263–420) | current |
| Wyndham Refuse Disposal Facility | Werribee | $30 | $334 per tonne (commercial) | 2024-25 as published |
| Mornington Peninsula RRCs (Mornington, Rye, Tyabb) | Peninsula | $31 / $46.50 / $40 commercial | $120 / $171 / $150 per m³ | from 1 Jul 2026 |
| Geelong Transfer Station (private) | Geelong | from $40 | Per load (tandem heaped from $210) | Jan 2026 |
| Cleanaway Brooklyn Resource Recovery Centre | Brooklyn | Rated at gate | Rated at gate | call 03 8391 1480 |
| Hume Resource Recovery Centre | Campbellfield | Not published | Not published | call 9359 3813 |
| Bingo Recycling Centres (Braeside, West Melbourne) | Commercial tipping | n/a | $300 per tonne mixed waste, ex GST | from 1 Jul 2026 |
Two patterns stand out. Private and commercially oriented gates (Future Recycling, Knox, Whitehorse) sit at $400–450 per tonne inclusive, roughly the levy plus $230–275 of handling. Council gates that still price by cubic metre (Monash, Frankston, Mornington) look cheaper per unit but a cubic metre of mixed commercial waste often weighs 150–250 kg, so the two methods converge for real loads.
How a Melbourne tip fee is built
Every general-waste gate fee in metropolitan Melbourne has three layers. The Victorian landfill levy is $177.19 per tonne from 1 July 2026 (EPA Victoria), up from $169.79 the year before. GST is added on top of the whole fee. The rest is the operator's cost of handling, transport to landfill and margin, which is why two councils 15 minutes apart can charge $220 and $250 for the same cubic metre. Recyclable streams (cardboard, scrap metal, e-waste, batteries) carry no levy, which is why they are free or cheap at almost every gate.
Resident, non-resident and commercial rates
Council-owned facilities generally run two or three price columns. Monash charges residents $220 per cubic metre and everyone else $250; Frankston $162 versus $191; Mornington Peninsula prints a separate commercial column ($150 per cubic metre against $120 for residents). Proof of residency is a driver licence or rates notice. A business trading in the municipality does not count as a resident unless the vehicle and account are the owner's own, so plan on the higher column for work loads.
What is free almost everywhere
Cardboard and paper, scrap metal, car batteries, e-waste under the national scheme (computers, TVs, peripherals), fluorescent globes, motor oil in small volumes and, at most council sites, household paint. Cleanaway Brooklyn takes paper, cardboard and metal free; Knox lists TVs, batteries and cardboard free; Future Recycling takes scheme e-waste, scrap metal, car batteries and liquid paint free at Pakenham and Bayside. Mattresses, tyres, gas bottles and polystyrene are charged per item everywhere, from $21 for a passenger tyre to $89 for a mattress at Future Recycling.
When a business should stop tipping and get a bin
Tip runs make sense for one-off clean-outs. They stop making sense once someone is driving to the gate every week. In Melbourne's east and south-east a 1100L general-waste bin collected weekly costs $125–225 a month on Bundle Waste's 2026 benchmarks: that is about 4.4 m³ of waste a month, collected from your door, with the levy already inside the price. Against gate fees of $200–250 per cubic metre plus fuel and an hour of someone's time each trip, the bin wins well before the first month is out. A free waste audit prices the exact bin size and frequency for your volumes.
Ways to pay less at the gate
- Sort before you go. Cardboard, scrap metal, e-waste and batteries are free at most metro facilities. Hidden recyclables inside a mixed load are charged at the general rate.
- Know the minimum charge. Small loads are billed at the minimum regardless of weight; combining two half-loads into one trip usually saves the second minimum.
- Weight beats volume for dense waste. Where a facility offers per-tonne pricing on a weighbridge, soil, concrete and timber are usually cheaper by weight than by trailer size.
- Use resident vouchers. Several councils issue two or three free-disposal vouchers a year with the rates notice. They do not apply to commercial loads, but they do apply to the owner's own household waste.
- Green waste separately. Green waste is typically 40–60% cheaper than general waste at the same gate.
Sources
- EPA Victoria, Waste levy rates 2026-27
- City of Monash, Monash Recycling & Waste Centre accepted items and fees
- Knox Transfer Station, Gate prices from 1 July 2026
- Whitehorse City Council, Items accepted at a charge 2026-27
- Future Recycling, Waste transfer price list from 1 July 2026
- Frankston City Council, FRRRC price list 2025-26
- City of Port Phillip, Resource Recovery Centre fees
- Wyndham City, Refuse Disposal Facility
- Mornington Peninsula Shire, Resource Recovery Centre fees and charges 2026-27
- Geelong Transfer Station, Pricing
- Cleanaway, Brooklyn Resource Recovery Centre
- BINGO Industries, VIC gate rates from 1 July 2026
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to go to the tip in Melbourne in 2026?
Why are Melbourne tip fees so high?
Which Melbourne tips are free for some items?
Do businesses pay more than residents at the tip?
Is it cheaper for a business to tip or to have a bin collected?
Can I take commercial waste to a council transfer station?
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