Garbage truck drivers working for Cleanaway are striking on Tuesday and Wednesday as part of a campaign against current working conditions.
Parts of Canberra and Sydney are subject to the strike.
Which bins will be affected?
Transport Workers Union ACT sub-branch secretary Klaus Pinkas said the bins would be commercial only.
He told ABC Radio Canberra on Tuesday morning bins in the Canberra Centre, South.Point, Parliament House, Aldi, Coles and other similar shops would be affected as a result of the strike.
No residential bins would be impacted, as the business doesn't look after residential kerbside collections.
"If you've got commercial arrangements with Cleanaway then you'll want to be paying attention," he said.
How long will the strike last?
The strike is expected to last a total of 48 hours.
A Cleanaway spokesperson said in a statement the missed services will be looked after in the following days.
"During this period we will continue to work hard to ensure there are minimal impacts to our affected customers and residents," they said.
What does this mean for the community?
Mr Pinkas said the main thing the community may notice is an overflow in both recycling and garbage bins in their local shops and other commercial areas around Canberra.
This isn't guaranteed, as some bin collections are weekly anyway.
He said there would be no direct impact on residents without commercial bin pick-ups.
Why is the strike happening?
The strike is against decreasing hours and a cut in overtime rates, specifically over company plans to reduce penalty rates for weekend work.
Transport Workers' Union State secretary Richard Olsen said it's the fifth time workers have taken action this year.
The strike comes after Cleanaway workers in WA voted to take action over the same issues.
