Why green bins are going red

Moreton Bay is moving in line with the rest of Queensland by swapping its remaining pale green lid general waste bins for new red tops.

Council’s Bin Lid Changeover program, which runs until October, is designed for consistency, to help waste truck drivers and make waste sorting easier.

Some bins will have the pale green lid replaced with a new red lid. Older model bins with pale green lids will be completely replaced with a new general waste bin.

Council says residents with a pale green lid on their general waste bin are to place their bins out between 6am and 6pm on their usual collection day.

Residents are to continue this until the changeover is made. Old lids and bins will be recycled into new ones, helping reduce landfill.

Council says it is informing residents of the changes through its website, Councillor newsletters, e-newsletters and social media.

On Facebook, Danielle Harvey said her pale green lid bin had been emptied, the lid replacement team drove along her street, but she does not have a new red lid.

Many others also questioned why their pale green bin lids were not replaced on recent collection days.

Council said even if a lid replacement team is seen it “won’t be changing every green lid at once and will give it a glow-up on a future collection day”.

The lid replacement team will also not be replacing cracked bins, as residents must report the issue to Council for a free replacement.

Others questioned the cost, some feared it will impact rates and there were suggestions it could be spent on repairing potholes.

Council says the bin lid changeover program is part of a state-wide initiative which started in 2024 where all local Councils will replace old general waste bin lids with new red lids.

This program is supported by the Queensland Government’s Recycling and Jobs Fund. There is no cost to the community and no registration is required.