State landfill levies rose sharply from 1 July 2025, and they feed straight into your general-waste bill. Here is what changed by state, why it matters per tonne, and the practical way to bring the bill back down.
If your waste invoice crept up over the last year and you cannot work out why, the landfill levy is a large part of the answer. Most states lifted their levy from 1 July 2025, several stepped up again at 1 July 2026, and because the levy is charged per tonne of waste sent to landfill, it lands directly on your general-waste bin.
Here is what changed, why it works the way it does, and the levers that actually bring the cost down.
Every tonne of waste tipped at a licensed landfill carries a state government levy on top of the gate fee. Your collection provider pays it and passes it through. The levy exists to make landfill more expensive than recycling, which is the whole point: divert material away from the tip and the levy stops applying to it.
That mechanism is the good news. The levy only bites on what goes to landfill. Anything you divert to recycling or organics avoids it.
The increases were not small, and they vary a lot by state.
These are state-set figures that step again each July, so treat them as the direction of travel and check the live rate for your state before you budget.
Need bins sorted for your business?
Tell us your address and what your business does, and get your exact price in about 2 minutes. Free to book; a vetted local provider services and invoices you directly.
Get your exact priceBecause the levy is per tonne, weight is your enemy and divertible material is your friend. Two things follow.
First, the heaviest, wettest material in a general bin is usually food waste. Pull it into an organics service and your general-waste tonnage drops, and so does the levy you pay on it.
Second, clean cardboard and paper are bulky but light, and recycling them avoids the landfill levy entirely while feeding genuine onshore demand. Since the mixed paper and cardboard export ban took effect in 2024, reprocessors here want that material.
You cannot change the levy. You can change how much of your waste it applies to.
Diverting waste reduces what you are levied on, but exact savings depend on your volumes, your provider and your state. We will not promise a dollar figure. What we will say is that the levy is rising on a clear trajectory, and the businesses that separate their streams now are the ones who feel the next increase least.
Levy rates are set by each state and change each 1 July, so confirm the current figures with your state EPA before relying on them.
Want to split your streams and shrink the levied bin? Get a quote for your address.
Related: general waste bins, cardboard recycling bins, organics bins
Bin Hire Australia
Free commercial bin booking across Australia. We match your business with a vetted local provider who services and invoices you directly.
State landfill levies rose from 1 July 2025, in Victoria by more than 31 percent, and several states stepped up again at 1 July 2026. The levy is charged per tonne sent to landfill and is passed through on your general-waste collection.
The levy only applies to waste sent to landfill. Separating cardboard and food organics into their own bins keeps that material out of the levied general stream, which lowers the tonnage you are charged on.
More resources to help you choose the right bins, schedules, and services.
The jump from 660L to 1100L is about access width, weight and fill rate, not just capacity. When the bigger bin wins, and when two 660s beat one 1100.
The City of Adelaide asks businesses to keep flattened cardboard out of general waste and runs CBD cardboard collections and laneway hubs. Here is what that guidance means and how a dedicated cardboard bin fits.
Most Adelaide offices need less bin than they pay for. How to size by headcount, when a recycling or cardboard bin earns its place, and what to check before booking in a shared building.
View coverage and availability for these cities.
