Recycle right with our helpful tags and tips

Binspections are back after being put on hold due to the recent COVID-19 lockdown

Earlier this week, we re-started our program to lift the lid on Bayside’s recycling habits with our dedicated binspectors checking 5,000 randomly selected food and green waste and recycling bins. 

After a challenging year and the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, some of our recycling right habits have slipped and we want to help our community get back on track.

With a simple lid lift, the bins will be visually checked to ensure the right things are going in the right bin.

Bins containing the correct items will get a ‘thanks for recycling right’ tag, while bins that are found with contamination will get an ‘oh no…’ tag.

Contamination is any material that isn’t meant to be there. Such items can get caught in the machinery, contaminate the recyclable materials, impact the quality of the end product, and pose a serious hazard to workers at the recycling and compositing facilities.

We’ll be leaving helpful feedback, with tips on how to get your recycling right.

No private or identifiable information is being collected with all waste and recyclables to be disposed of as per the normal collection process. 

So far, 2,100 bins have been inspected with about 40% containing at least some contamination. Soft plastics, bagged recycling, paper towel, and polystyrene were the most common contaminants found.

Remember:

• Soft plastics do not belong in your recycling bin. Instead, they can be recycled via REDCycle’s soft plastics recycling program with drop of locations at major supermarkets, Beaumaris Library and at Council’s Corporate Centre.

Soft plastics are any plastic that you can scrunch up easily and doesn’t revert to its original shape, for example muesli bar wrappers, chip packets, pet food bags, plastic bags, etc.

• Never bag your recyclables, always put your recycling in the bin loosely.
• Paper towel can be placed in your food and green waste bin and will breakdown with the rest of your food and garden waste
• Polystyrene should never be placed in your recycling bin. Break it down, place it in a bag to avoid it getting stuck, and pop it in your general waste bin. For larger quantities, you can dispose of it via the Bayside Waste & Recycling Centre.

Be a better binner

Refresh your recycling knowledge here or read our comprehensive A-Z Waste and Recycling Directory 

Learn how your recyclables and food and garden waste is processed by visiting our what happens to my recycling or food and garden waste pages