General waste bin

Cessnock City Council provides a weekly kerbside waste collection service to most households across the Cessnock Local Government Area (LGA). If your red-lid general waste bin is often mostly empty, you can choose to opt in to a fortnightly collection instead. Under this option, your red bin will be collected every second week, alternating with your recycling bin, and a new sticker will be applied to clearly identify your bin as part of the fortnightly service.

Residents who switch to fortnightly general waste collection will receive a pro-rata discount applied from their allocated start date. A minimum commitment of three months is required. To request a change to fortnightly waste collection, please complete the online Opt-In Fortnightly Waste Collection Form.

Fortnightly Collection Opt-In FAQs

How often is my general waste bin collected?

Your general waste bin is collected weekly as standard (as per Council's Waste Management Policy), unless you choose to opt in to the fortnightly general waste collection.

Can I change how often my recycling or FOGO bin is collected?

No, not at this stage. Recycling bins are collected fortnightly, and FOGO bins are collected weekly.

I rent a property. Can my landlord force me to change my bin collection frequency?

No. Council’s Waste Management Policy states that landlords must have the tenant’s agreement before changing to an alternate waste collection service.

Can I change my general waste collection back to weekly after opting-in for fortnightly?

Yes. If you decide fortnightly collection is not right for you, you can switch back to weekly collection after the 3-month lock-in period.

Can Council change how often my general waste bin is collected without my permission?

No. Council’s standard waste collection services (as per the Waste Management Policy) are:

  • General waste (red lid bin) collected weekly, with an option for eligible households to choose fortnightly collection

  • Recycling (yellow lid bin) collected fortnightly

  • FOGO (lime green lid bin) collected weekly

Households that contaminate recycling or FOGO bins may lose access to the alternate fortnightly general waste service and be returned to the standard service. For rental properties, landlord approval must include tenant agreement.

How does the driver know when to collect my bin if I opt-in for fortnightly collection?

If you have opted in to fortnightly general waste collection, your bin will be collected on the opposite week to your recycling bin. Your general waste bin will also have a sticker so drivers can easily identify it.

Find your collection day

To find the collection day of your general waste bin – download the Cessnock Waste App and enter your address to populate the bin collection calendar. You can even set reminders of when to put your bins out!

General waste bins

The majority of our general waste bins have a red lid (some older bins may have a dark green lid which are being progressively phased out). The contents of this bin are sent to landfill at Council’s Waste Management Centre.

Items to be placed in your waste bin

  • All plastic bags, soft plastics and packaging, wrappers and bubble wrap
  • Wire, string, rope, hoses
  • All foam packaging
  • Nappies, hygiene items and wipes
  • Pet waste and kitty litter
  • Cigarette butts
  • Treated timber
  • Laminated paper and stickers
  • Old textiles such as clothing, doonas, pillows, etc.

Items NOT to be placed in your waste bin

  • Car / household batteries
  • Scrap metal
  • Car / auto parts
  • Gas bottles
  • Hot ashes
  • Motor oil
  • Building materials or concrete
  • Garden waste or recyclables
  • Hazardous materials (e.g. asbestos, chemicals, paint,)
  • Medical waste

Click here for more information about how to dispose of these items safely.

My general waste bin still has an old green lid. How do I get it changed to red?

You can request a lid change by completing a General Waste (Red) Bin Repair form and selecting the option to replace the lid.

How to ensure your rubbish is collected

  • Ensure your bin is at the kerbside by 5.00am the morning of collection and is clear of obstructions. Council isn't obliged to return to collect bins which aren’t out in time. Fleet management systems (including cameras and GPS tracking) fitted in all collection vehicles can verify if the bin was out in time.
  • Bins should be spaced at least one metre apart.  
  • Don't park cars in front of bins. Council will not return to service bins that are obscured by parked vehicles.
  • Always ensure that bin lids are closed. Overfilled bins causing lids to remain open won't be emptied.
  • Council will only service Council bins that are registered to the property address. Bins from other council areas, other properties, hardware stores, etc will not be serviced by Council.
  • Please retrieve your bin from the kerbside as soon as practicable after service. 
  • Filled bin weight must not exceed 65kg.

Your bins always remain the property of Council for the purpose of garbage disposal. They should not be used for any other purpose or removed from the original property to which it was supplied (serial numbers of bins are recorded in property files).

What if my bin is missed, damaged or lost?

Damaged general waste bins or missed collections can be reported to our customer service team on (02) 4993 4100 or report via this link. 

Stolen or lost general waste bins can be reported to customer service team on (02) 4993 4100 and a replacement bin will be arranged.

Other bins

RECYCLING Yellow Lid Bin
Contact Hunter Resource Recovery on 1800 838 884 or https://hrr.com.au/

GARDEN ORGANICS Green Lid Bin
Contact Solo on 1800 870 250 or https://www.solo.com.au/

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