Purple glass recycling bins were introduced to prevent contamination of other recyclables.
Photo by
Ashley Darling
Since they began appearing on Victorian streets, purple glass recycling bins have been criticised for taking up space, going unused and being an unnecessary expense during a cost-of-living crisis.
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In September 2024, Campaspe Shire councillors unanimously agreed that the new four-bin system did not suit rural households.
In April 2026, 30 rural councils came together to ask the Victorian Government to extend the 2027 deadline for the bins’ introduction and consider alternative options.
The purple bins were introduced in Greater Shepparton in 2024 after the government passed a law in 2022 that required councils across the state to introduce glass recycling through kerbside pick-up services by 2027.
Purple bins in Greater Shepparton are responsible for facilitating the recycling of 25 tonnes of glass on average each month.
When averaged out across the 31,219 serviced purple bins, a single household recycles only 800g of glass a month.
This is equivalent to four 330ml beer bottles or two 750ml wine bottles.
The News conducted two counts of bins, on the mornings of June 26 and July 2.
The counts covered two areas within Shepparton at around 8am on each day.
The June 26 count covered five streets south of the sports precinct.
The July 2 count covered five streets east of Greater Shepparton Secondary Collage.
In total, 439 homes were surveyed, with only 10.93 per cent presenting their purple bins compared to 73.80 per cent for yellow bins and 38.95 for green bins.
Red bins were not collected on these days.
Participation rates from the two counts of bins undertaken by The News.
According to Greater Shepparton City Council, the average participation rate for purple bins over the past six months was 13.5 per cent across the whole local government area.
This equates to an average of just under 6kg per presented bin per month: around 30 330ml beer bottles or 15 750ml wine bottles.
In these units, the glass containers would hold around 11L, and the capacity of the bin is 120L.
The bins were introduced to address contamination of paper and plastic recycling from broken glass, reducing the proportion of collected material that is sent to landfill.
Council acting director infrastructure Janelle Bunfield said that while participation was modest, the introduction of the purple bins had delivered positive outcomes.
“Separating glass from the commingled recycling stream improves the quality of recyclable materials and increases the recovery potential of both glass and other recyclables by reducing contamination and breakage throughout the recycling process,” Ms Bunfield said.
“The current purple bin service continues to deliver a positive return on investment, with contamination rates decreasing over time.”
Council’s budget for 2026-27 included a drop in kerbside waste charges that was attributed to the introduction of purple bins
