Recycling Tips

• NEVER put plastic bags in your recycling bin as they can jam the machinery in the recycling process. Although we can't recycle them, many supermarkets can. Find one near you at Recycling Near You website
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• Don't put your recyclable items into plastic bags. Plastic bags will not be opened due to safety reasons and all the good recycling locked in the plastic bag will go to waste
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• Labels - don't worry about removing them. When items are washed in the recovery and sorting process any glues and labels are washed off
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• Cleaning - remove food scraps and if needed wipe or give a light rinse in used washing up water. Just a little bit of effort will reduce the smell in your recycling bin and on the sorting lines. Make sure you remove all the food scraps from your pizza boxes!
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• Bottle tops - remove tops and lids from all bottles and jars. This makes them easier to compact in your bin and collection vehicle and also helps separation when they are made of different materials
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• Wax scratch test - wondering how to tell the difference between valuable liquid paperboard and wax cardboard? Scratch your finger along the surface of the item. If your fingernail is clean and no wax lifts off, it's liquid paperboard and can be recycled
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• Plastic tab on bottle necks - once the bottles are crushed this minor contamination is separated via flotation and removed
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• Squash where possible - make the most of your bin space. Squash all plastic bottles, containers and cardboard boxes to make more space in your bin and the collection vehicle
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• Food scraps - you can recycle your food scraps at home using a compost bin, worm farm or bokashi bin (link to relevant page). 
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• Separate bins - get separate bins for waste, recyclables and food scraps in the kitchen - it makes it so easy!
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• Remember - while recycling is beneficial, it is still fairly low on the waste minimisation hierarchy. It is better to Reduce, and then Reuse, before you Recycle. For a great article on this, please visit the Beyond Recycling website.

To find out what you can recycle in your area, visit the Recycling Near You website.