What’s in Your Bin?

Fortnightly Kerbside Household Waste

What's in your bin?

A typical household of 2–4 people produces around 50–100kg of waste per fortnight, managed through kerbside bins.

🟥 Red-Lid Bin: Landfill (General Waste) Average 40kg per fortnight

Waste Type	Weight (kg)	Examples
Hygiene products	15	Nappies, continence, pads, tampons, wipes, tissues, disposable gloves
Packaging	6	Non-recyclable and non-reusable Soft plastics* (chip packets, glad wrap, plastic film, snack wrappers, plastic shopping bags), packaging tape, sachets (sauces, condiments), polystyrene foam.
Broken items	5	Broken unfixable toys, ceramics, glasses, small household items
Textiles	4	Worn-out, non-donatable, unfit for rags: clothes, shoes, socks, underwear, torn or oil-stained rags
Paper/Cardboard (non recyclable)	5	Waxed, grease-proof baking paper, Tetra packs, laminated cartons, Tetra packs
Residual waste (non-recoverable)	3	Items with no safe recycling or composting option: tea bags, pet waste, kitty litter, sweeping and vacuum dust, cold fireplace ash

*where no soft-plastic recycling is available

🟨 Yellow-Lid Bin: Recycling. Average 28kg per fortnight.

Waste Type	Weight (kg)	Examples
Paper & Cardboard	12	Cereal boxes, junk mail, cartons
Hard Plastics (#1–7)	8	Bottles, tubs, containers
Aluminium & Steel Cans	4	Food tins, soda cans
Glass Bottles & Jars	4	Wine, beer bottles, and condiment jars

🟩 Green-Lid Bin: FOGO (Food & Garden Organics) Average 32kg per fortnight (seasonal)

Waste Type	Weight (kg)	Examples
Food Scraps	16	Veg peelings, leftovers, eggshells, coffee grounds
Garden Waste	14	Grass Clippings, leaves, weeds, twigs
Compostable Paper	2	Paper towel, soiled cardboard, pizza boxes

Figures are provided as a general guide only. Actual volumes will vary depending on household circumstances and seasonal factors.

A typical 4-person household on a suburban block generates some additional waste that doesn’t fit into kerbside bins and is taken to the tip.

After offloading any recoverables, the first 100kg of green waste or general waste is free per visit for Burnie Residents.

100kg is roughly equivalent to 2–3 wheelie bins, or around 8 to 10 large garbage bags full (10kg each)

Below is a breakdown of materials which are typically taken to the tip 4-6 times per year in the boot of a car, ute or small trailer.

Material	Ave weight per trip (kg)	Trips per year	Examples
Green Waste	100	4	Excess or oversized tree branches, hedge trimmings, large root balls, stump cuttings, especially in spring/autumn
Renovation Waste	50	4	Timber offcuts, plasterboard, tiles, insulation, concrete rubble.
Large Cardboard	25	4	Flat-packed boxes, packaging from appliances or furniture.
Hard Rubbish	100	2	Broken furniture, mattress, carpet, whitegoods,
Scrap Metal	50	2	Trampolines, fencing, poles, bike frames, BBQs.
E-Waste	20	2	Old TVs, computers, printers, monitors, cords, and replacing appliances
Hazardous Waste	10	1	Paint, batteries, chemicals, gas bottles, asbestos (small volumes)
Tyres	10	1	Car or bike tyres (not accepted in bins)

Figures are provided as a general guide only. Actual volumes will vary depending on vehicle, household circumstances and seasonal factors.

Recoverables	E-waste, paint cans, motor oil, cooking oil, tip shop items
Landfill	Furniture, textiles, soft furnishings

Recoverables	Timber offcuts, scrap metal, tip shop items, paint tins
Green Waste	Prunings, lawn clippings

Recoverables	Cardboard, soft plastics, tip shop toys, small e-waste
Green Waste	Light lawn clippings, garden cleanup
Landfill	Broken toys, decorations, Worn tools, damaged plastics

Recoverables	metal frame, batteries, paint cans, tip shop donations
Green Waste	Leaves, seasonal cutbacks
Landfill	Broken outdoor items, treated/painted timber