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Mitch's Mowing & Landscaping guide

Green Waste Removal Options in Melbourne's West

A garden job rarely produces a bin's worth of waste. A hedge trim, a prune or a lawn that got away can fill a trailer. Homeowners in Sunshine West, Burnside and Delahey usually have three options for the pile: the green bin, hauling it yourself, or having a crew take it away. Here is how each one works and what counts as green waste.

Why the green bin runs out

A standard green bin holds about 240 litres. A single hedge trim can easily produce four or five times that. Add a prune, a mow of a long lawn and a bed clear-out and the bin is a drop in the bucket.

That is the reason so many yards have a pile behind the shed. The bin is fine for the regular drip of clippings and leaves. It is not built for a job.

Option one: use the green bin over time

If you are patient, the bin works. Cut branches down, fill the bin each collection and stage the clear-out across several weeks. This suits a modest amount of waste and a yard where nothing is urgent.

It does not suit a house heading to an inspection, a pile that is blocking a path, or a job where waste would sit for months. Check your council's rules on what goes in the bin and how it is collected, as these differ from one council to the next.

Option two: haul it yourself

You can load it into a trailer or ute and take it somewhere that accepts green waste. This works if you have the vehicle, the time and the strength. Branches need cutting down to length, and a full load is heavy and awkward to unload.

Be careful about what goes in. Mixed loads, where green waste is tangled up with timber offcuts or plastic, can be refused at the other end.

Option three: have a crew take it

This is the quickest option. We come and load it up and take it away, either as part of a job we have done or as a standalone pick-up. Green waste from any job we do is in the price. It goes in the trailer and leaves with us, so you never end up with a pile on the nature strip.

For standalone clear-outs we give you a fixed price before we start, based on what is there and how far it has to be carried. If the pile is behind a locked side gate or up a flight of steps, tell us when you call so the quote is right the first time. Photos help.

What counts as green waste

Grass, leaves, weeds, prunings, branches, tree offcuts, old mulch, soil and turf. Old mulch and soil from a bed you have pulled apart count, and so does lifted turf.

What does not count is treated timber, fence palings, builders rubble, pots, bags of general rubbish and anything with metal or plastic through it. Those go to a different place. We can usually point you at someone who takes them.

How to choose

If the waste is a few bags of leaves, use the bin. If it came from a job you are paying someone else to do, make sure removal is included in the price. If it is a large pile, branches from a storm or a yard that has been neglected for a season, a standalone pick-up saves a weekend.

Our green waste removal service covers all of that across the west. Call us on 0406 740 655 or send photos and we will quote it.

More on this service: Mitch's Mowing & Landscaping service page.

Common questions