Bins are the single most asked-about topic in guest guides that don’t have a bins section. And they’re the most easily solved. If your guests are staying more than two nights, there’s a meaningful chance they’ll need to put out rubbish. Without clear instructions, that question becomes a message to you — usually at an inconvenient time.
Which bin for what
Australian councils have different systems, but most have three bins: general waste, recycling, and green or food organics. Your guest guide needs to specify which items go where, particularly if your recycling rules are strict or your council has specific requirements. A single line like: “Red lid = general rubbish. Yellow lid = recycling (rinsed containers only, no food scraps). Green lid = food and garden waste” covers it for most properties.
Bin day
Include the collection schedule. Specifically: which bins go out on which day, and in what rotation if not every bin goes out weekly. If you have a two-week rotation, include both weeks. “Rubbish (red lid) is collected every Thursday. Recycling (yellow lid) alternates Thursdays — ask if you’re unsure which week.”
Where to put the bins out
This is more important than it seems. Does the bin go on the footpath? At the end of the driveway? Against the fence? Some councils are strict about bin placement and will skip collections if the bin is obstructed. Make it clear: “Bins go on the footpath directly in front of the property, lid facing the street.”
Where the bins live
If your bins are in a side passage, a courtyard, or behind a gate, guests need to know how to find them. “Bins are in the passage on the right side of the house — the gate latch is on the inside” is exactly the level of detail that prevents a confused 7am message.
What to say about bulk items
If a guest generates a large item — a broken chair, a bag of excess rubbish — include a note about your council’s hard rubbish service or an instruction to leave it somewhere specific for you to deal with after check-out. “Please don’t leave large items on the footpath without letting us know first.”
Bin instructions take three minutes to write. They will be read far more often than you think.