The bin room is the least glamorous room in any apartment building, and the one that causes the most complaints: overflowing bins, recycling in the wrong bin, old couches dumped in the corner. Clear signs won't fix every resident, but they set the rules, help cleaners and contractors, and give the committee something to point to.
1. Identify the room
- Bin room door signs in silver, gold, white or black to match the rest of the building. See our colourways guide.
- Recycling bin room / enclosure for units
- Waste bin room / enclosure for childcare for mixed-use buildings.
2. Label every bin
Most contamination happens because people aren't sure which bin is which. A sign above each bin fixes that.
- General waste only
- Co-mingled recycling only and Recycling only
- Paper and cardboard recycling only and Waste cardboard only
- Food and organic waste only: for councils with FOGO collection.
Councils run different bin systems, so match your signs to your council's service.
3. Set the rules
- Bin room rules sign
- Notice: place rubbish in the correct bin and All rubbish must be placed in the bin provided
- Garbage chute rules for buildings with chutes.
- Bins are collected on (your day)
4. Stop dumping
- No dumping of furniture or hard rubbish
- Private property: no dumping of rubbish
- 24 hour surveillance, no dumping if you have cameras. See our CCTV signs guide.
- Common property: no storage permitted
5. Collection area and safety
- No parking: bin collection area so the truck can get in.
- Caution: reversing vehicles and Shared zone: trucks reversing, watch for pedestrians
- Danger: lithium battery storage room: never let batteries go in the general bin. See our lithium battery guide.
- No smoking signs, such as No smoking or vaping in common property areas.
Material tips
Bin rooms are damp and get knocked by bins. ACP and aluminium wipe clean and last. Self-adhesive vinyl suits smooth painted walls and bin lids.
Frequently asked questions
Can we put our by-law wording on a sign?
Yes. A custom strata by-law notice lets you quote your own by-law. See our strata parking signs guide for more strata signs.
Can we order signs for several buildings?
Yes. Buy 25 or more of the same sign to save an extra 5%, 50+ to save 10%, or 150+ to save 15%, applied automatically. Every sign is made to order and dispatched in 2โ3 business days.
Looking for something else? Browse every guide in our Sign Guide Library.