The Australian three-bin system explained: red, yellow and green lids

Most Australian households have settled into a familiar routine of three kerbside bins, each with a coloured lid that tells you what goes inside. The colours follow the Australian Standard for waste container lids (AS 4123.7), so once you learn them in one suburb they carry over almost anywhere in the country.

Red lid: general waste

The red lid bin is for everyday rubbish that cannot be recycled or composted through your other bins. Think soft plastics that your council does not collect, polystyrene, nappies, broken crockery and general household waste. This bin usually goes out every week.

Yellow lid: recycling

The yellow lid bin takes clean, dry recyclables: paper, cardboard, glass bottles and jars, aluminium and steel cans, and rigid plastic containers. A quick rinse is enough, and lids can generally stay off. When in doubt about a specific item, the national Recycling Near You directory lets you search by material and postcode.

Green lid: garden and food organics

The green lid bin is for garden organics such as grass clippings, prunings and leaves. Many councils now also accept food scraps in this bin under a program known as FOGO (Food Organics and Garden Organics). Check your council before adding food waste, because acceptance varies by area.

Once your sorting is sorted, the only thing left is remembering the night. That is exactly what a free reminder from Your Bin Reminder is for: a quiet nudge the evening before, so the right bin always makes it to the kerb.