On 1 July 2025 the Victorian Environmental Protection Agency (EPA Victoria) will enforce an increase to the Victorian waste levy (also known as a landfill levy) by 28% which will be applicable to all material disposed at landfills in Victoria.
Although the waste rates increase will be unavoidable, you can potentially minimise the impact of the levy on your waste disposal by optimising your waste strategy to reduce the volume of waste sent to landfill.
Our waste experts at Cleanaway can help you understand the impact that this levy will have on your business or council and work with you to:
- reduce landfill disposal
- improve recycling rates
- optimise waste collections
- implement waste education and training
Read on to find out how the levy disposal rates increase will impact your business and how you can work with Cleanaway to optimise your waste management services.
What is a waste levy and why is it important?
A waste levy is a government-imposed charge on the disposal of waste to landfill. It is typically applied per tonne of waste and is intended to encourage waste reduction by making it more expensive to send waste to landfill.
Think of the levy as a “tax” that aims to promote recycling and resource recovery by incentivising alternatives to landfill. As a bonus, revenue raised from the waste price increase can be used to support waste management and resource recovery programs or other community programs aimed at sustainability.
Waste levy rates vary by state or territory in Australia and usually differ based on the type of waste. Businesses and local councils usually pay the levy at landfill sites as part of their waste management costs.
What are the waste levy rates in Victoria?
Starting 1 July 2025, the metropolitan industrial, municipal and rural waste levies in Victoria are set to increase significantly, aligning with those of New South Wales and South Australia.
The increase was one of several measures introduced in the May 2024 Victorian State Budget, aimed at encouraging waste reduction and recycling, promoting resource recovery over landfill disposal, and supporting environmental programs through the reinvestment of levy funds. As noted earlier, waste companies, including Cleanaway, have no influence on the levy.
The EPA waste levy rates in Victoria
| Waste Type / Location | 2023–24 Rate ($/tonne) | 2024–25 Rate ($/tonne) | 2025–26 Rate ($/tonne) |
| Municipal (Metro) | 129.27 | 132.76 | 169.79 |
| Industrial (Metro) | 129.27 | 132.76 | 169.79 |
| Municipal (Rural) | 65.3 | 66.3 | 84.78 |
| Industrial (Rural) | 114.76 | 116.76 | 149.33 |
Visit the EPA Victoria website for the Victorian Government’s policies on waste levies including a complete list of rates for special waste such as asbestos and other “priority” waste categories.
How can you reduce your waste levy costs?
To reduce waste levy costs is to minimise the amount of waste sent to landfill, since the levy is charged per tonne disposed. Minimising waste to landfill typically involves a mix of strategies that businesses, organisations and waste services providers can employ.
One useful way to look at reducing waste levy costs is to work with the concept of a waste hierarchy. The waste hierarchy is a prioritised approach to waste management, aiming to minimise waste and maximise resource efficiency.
To better manage resources that end up as waste, we should always look for ways to operate at higher levels of the waste hierarchy.
Caption: Cleanaway operates at every level of the waste hierarchy in Victoria and across Australia.
Avoid and reduce
Businesses and organisations can play a key role in eliminating waste before it is created or at least minimise the volume of waste created.
How this reduces the EPA waste levy costs: No waste = no levy. Every kilo you avoid is a direct saving.
While not always possible to avoid waste entirely, having a waste avoidance mindset can help your business design products and processes to use fewer materials.
Reuse and recycle
Businesses can prefer service providers that prioritise recycling and by doing so extend the life of materials before they become waste.
How this reduces the EPA waste levy costs: Reduces the amount of general waste going to landfill as valuable resources are diverted back into the economy through recycling.
Waste services providers can help you identify high-volume waste streams and find ways to reduce or divert them as well as materials contaminating your otherwise good recycling.
Dispose (landfill)
The last and least preferred resort—and the most expensive.
How this increases the EPA waste levy cost: Waste levies are highest at this stage. Every tonne of waste sent to landfill costs your business more in levy charges.
At Cleanaway, we know that waste rates increase can put pressure on your bottom line. Through our waste and recycling expertise backed by a network of state-of-the-art facilities in Victoria and nationally across Australia, we help our customers find ways of working at higher levels of the waste hierarchy wherever possible.
Cleanaway can work with your business or council to:
- reduce landfill disposal
- improve recycling rates
- optimise waste collections
- implement education and training
How Cleanaway can help mitigate the impact of the Victorian EPA waste levy
Our tailored waste management solutions are designed to optimise your waste services. From conducting on-site waste audits to optimising bin configurations and waste streams, we help you take control of your waste and optimise waste and recycling charges.
Waste health checks
Uncover exactly where your waste is coming from—and where it should be going.
Recycling and resource recovery
From commingled recyclables to dedicated bins for organics and construction waste, we keep valuable materials out of landfill through our state-of-the-art facilities and partnerships with industry-leading resource recovery organisations.
Waste data reporting
We offer customers and councils near real-time data to resolve collections issues quickly and effectively. Seamless collections mean lower costs to both Cleanaway and our customers.
Onsite education and support
Our dedicated education and resource recovery officers can provide training, signage and behavioural programs to help your team waste less, every day.
Making a sustainable future possible together
Don’t get caught out with the Victorian EPA Waste Levy increase. Contact us at 13 13 39 to explore a custom waste plan with our expert Cleanaway representatives. Our goal is to optimise your service, increase your landfill diversion and potentially reduce the impact of the waste price increase.
By partnering with Cleanaway, you’re working together with us to make a sustainable future for all Victorians and Australians.