Key Points
- Wish-cycling is the major contributor to contamination
- Think of recyclables as resources
- Reuse and repurpose for a better future
Do you recycle? Although most of us would answer ‘yes’ to this question, the main concern is whether we are doing it correctly.
Pip Kiernan, Chair of Clean Up Australia says, although majority of Australian recognize the importance of recycling, many are “confused” as to what can and cannot be recycled, and there is room for improvement.
89% of us think it’s important, but only around one in three of us are getting it right when it comes to what we put in the recycling bin
Putting the wrong items into the recycling bin or bagging them can "contaminate" the rest of the recyclables, sending the whole bin load to landfill instead.
Studies have shown that many people place items into the recycling bin even when they are unsure if the item is recyclable. This is called “wish-cycling” and is one of the major contributors to contamination
Your recyclables should not be bagged when placing them into the kerbside recycling bin. Source: Getty Images/RUBEN BONILLA GONZALO
are also problematic when they are placed into the recycling bin, and they should be dispose of at special recycling stations.
Rules around recycling not only differ between state and territories, but even between council areas as well. Therefore, educating Australians across the country can be challenging.
Recyclables are valuable resources
It’s important to check with your local council about what can be recycled in your area. Free online tools such as , also provide clear bin instruction specific to your local area.
But a common rule that we should all follow, is to only put "loose, clean and dry recyclables" into the kerbside recycling bin, and that they should never be bagged.
“Think of these items as a resource” says Ms Kiernan.
These items need to go in cleaned and dry, so that they can be given a new life
So, a jar should be emptied, cleaned, and separated from its metal lid, while greasy pizza boxes should go into the general waste bin.
Following the simple rules around the dos and don’t of recycling can really help, says Ms Kiernan.
Australasian Recycling Label (ARL)
on most packaging provides a good guidance to consumers about what can and cannot be recycled. This may involve separating the various components, such as lids, caps, and plastic sleeves. Some of these parts belong to the general waste bin, while others recycled.
Australian Recycling Label (ARL) Source: Clean Up Australia
Dropping off your recyclables at designated locations
While soft plastic cannot be recycled through your council bins, they are nevertheless recyclable. But to do so, you must bring the items to designated drop off points around the country.
has been providing a way to recover and reuse soft plastic, and has over 1,900 drop off location around the country, including all major supermarkets.
Rebecca Gleghorn, the marketing and communication manager at RED Group, says staggering amount of soft plastic has been diverted from the landfill so far.
Four million pieces of soft plastics are returned to REDcycle bins every single day.
"Our average is four grams, so that’s 16,000 kilograms of soft plastics saved from and diverted from landfill every single day across the country," says Ms Gleghorn.
From fresh produce bags to bread bags, zip lock bags, and even bubble wraps, you will be surprised to see how much soft plastic you can actually recycle.
However, there are exceptions, and like with any recycling in Australia, we should always check for the ARL. provide a guide for what can be recycled through their program.
The main ones we can’t take are anything that are full silver, it has too high an aluminium content. We also can’t take compostable and biodegradable soft plastics.
The compostable and biodegradable soft plastics are designed to break down, so when these types of plastics are used to manufacture new products, they too will breakdown more easily.
Councils may also have designated days to collect other household wastes that cannot be recycled, such as e-wastes, white goods and x-rays. They may also collect hazardous chemicals and batteries for safe disposal.
Reuse and Repurpose for better future
While converting waste into something new has a positive impact on the environment, it does not change the fact that we are still producing and consuming immense number of products.
There is now a growing trend around the world, including Australia, where people share and receive items for free, to be reused and repurposed.
The began in the United States in 2013 and has spread around the globe ever since.
Liv McGuiness who administrates the extensive Buy Nothing Project group in Sydney’s Hills District, says people are beginning to ask questions about where their resources come from and where they go.
We’ve stopped thinking about the red bin as a magical system, where we put things in guilt free and they disappear.
She believes, people don’t want to contribute to waste in the way that they have been historically.
Reusing and repurposing, the way of the future Source: Getty Images/Su Arslanoglu
Ms McGuiness says things that are often considered to have ‘no economical value’ are the popular items being gifted, such as moving boxes and plant cuttings.
Reusing and Repurposing items not only has a long-term positive impact on the environment, it also strengthen the community.
“When you’re the beneficially of someone else’s kindness on the internet who doesn’t know you, has no vested interest in your life, doesn’t know anything about your circumstance, [yet] is willing to give you something without strings attached, I think that is a positive thing,” says Ms McGuiness.
For people moving into the community, it is also a fantastic way to meet people and to form a network.
If we all take a moment and observe how we are recycling or disposing our waste, there are many changes we can make to play our part for the planet. And that change can start today.