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Colac bin day & collection schedule

Colac Otway Shire · VIC 3250

Schedule data last verified: August 2026

Colac waste collection overview

In Colac, postcode 3250, waste and recycling services come from Colac Otway Shire.

What follows covers the bins, the typical schedule and the quirks that apply locally. The address search on the home page turns that into exact dates for your door.

Key facts

  • Council: Colac Otway Shire
  • Postcode: 3250
  • Population: 13,000
  • State: VIC

Which bins does Colac have?

Colac homes get the bins below from Colac Otway Shire. Their frequencies differ, so which ones go out changes with the week.

  • General Waste, collected weekly.
  • Recycling, collected fortnightly.
  • Garden Waste, collected fortnightly.

Colac bin day at a glance

Old streetscapes, modern bin schedule. The two coexist just fine.

Whatever year your house was built, the kerbside collection is very much a current-era thing.

About your council's collection service

Colac falls under Colac Otway Shire for waste and recycling collections.

  • Colac Otway Shire provides kerbside waste, recycling, and garden organics collection across the municipality, including Colac and Apollo Bay.
  • The shire runs a fortnightly alternating cycle for recycling and garden organics bins.
  • Residents in smaller coastal and Otways townships may have different service arrangements. Check the Colac Otway Shire website to confirm your service.
  • Your specific collection day depends on your street. Enter your address above to find yours.

Visit Colac Otway Shire website for the official policy and any service updates.

Christmas and New Year cause the longest delays

The period between Christmas and New Year is the most disruptive for collections. Many councils run reduced schedules over the summer break, with some pickups delayed by several days. The official council website is the most reliable source during this stretch.

Tip: Set a reminder for the week before Christmas to check your council's holiday schedule. The window for putting out general waste before the break fills up fast.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly should the bin go on the kerb?

On the footpath or nature strip close to the kerb, lid opening facing the street, with about half a metre clear on each side. The trucks Colac Otway Shire runs use an automated arm, and bins in Colac blocked by cars, poles or low branches are the most common reason a bin gets skipped.

What goes in the yellow recycling bin?

Paper, cardboard, glass bottles and jars, steel and aluminium cans, and rigid plastic containers like bottles, tubs and trays. Soft plastics, food waste and contaminated packaging do not belong in it anywhere in VIC.

What do I do with old electronics?

Never any kerbside bin. E-waste is banned or diverted from landfill across Victoria, and Colac Otway Shire lists its e-waste drop off options online, usually the local transfer station plus periodic collection events. Officeworks takes computers, phones and cables in most areas.

Nearby suburbs

The neighbouring streets have their own schedules. Here's what's happening nearby.

Apollo BayBirregurraForrest

Quick tips for bin night

  • Rain is not an excuse. The bin does not care if it is raining. Neither does the truck. Put it out anyway.
  • Rinse before you bin it. Your recycling does not clean itself. A ten second rinse now saves sorting staff hours later and keeps a Colac bin from becoming a science experiment between fortnightly collections.
  • Face the opening to the street. The lifter arm on Colac Otway Shire's trucks grabs from the road side. Lid opening toward the street, half a metre of clear space each side, and the bin gets emptied instead of skipped.

Get the schedule for your street

Zones split Colac street by street. An address search shows exactly which bins go out at your place, and when.

Find my bin day