Photo: recycleright.wa.gov.au

Some of our rubbish can be used again, or “recycled”. This reduces the land we have to use for rubbish disposal, and also saves money in other areas, because what you put in your recycling bin can be used for some other purpose.

For example:

• Glass is made into new bottles  
• Paper and cardboard (including milk and juice cartons) is made into newspapers, wrapping paper, toilet paper, and building products
• Plastic containers are made into textiles, trays, garbage bins and plant pots
• Steel and aerosol cans are used to make new cans, train tracks and building materials

You can put the following things in your recycling bin:

• All kinds of paper and cardboard, including pizza boxes, cereal boxes, and packaging boxes. Hard plastic packaging and food containers – e.g. hard packaging from batteries and electrical equipment, take away containers, biscuit trays, strawberry punnets, and CD cases
• All the aluminium baking trays and aluminium foil
• Drink cans, food tins, jars and bottles. You don’t have to wash them out or remove labels. Rinsing them lightly is a good idea to prevent smells and insects around your bin.
• Many containers have the “recycle” symbol on them: three arrows in a triangle. Anything with this symbol on it can be recycled.
• Plastic containers don’t need to have the recycling symbol to be recycled. The black trays used for meat or vegetables don't have it, but they can still be recycled. Any hard plastic containers from the kitchen, bathroom and laundry can go into the recycling bin.

Everything you recycle goes to a recycling centre, where it is sorted and separated. If the wrong stuff is mixed with the recyclables, it can slow down the work or make some of the recyclables useless. The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) reported that last year 5% of recyclables could not be used. For this reason, it is important to know what you should NOT put in the recycling bin.  

• Food scraps or garden waste  
• Soft plastic, such as supermarket shopping bags and cling wrap
• Polystyrene packing foam
• Pyrex, white glass, mirrors, drinking glasses, light globes and ceramics
• Medical, chemical or poisonous waste – things like motor oil or car batteries.
• Wooden items, clothing, material, shoes, or electronics

Don't put too much in your bin. If the bin is too heavy – more than 40 kg – it might not be collected. The lid should be closed, to prevent spilling and littering. Save space by collapsing and folding cardboard boxes.

All Councils have clear instructions on their websites about rubbish collection, and other helpful information as well. Look under “Services” or “Waste”. Knox Council has a chart showing other ways of recycling your rubbish. Whitehorse Council has a video (in Mandarin, Cantonese, Farsi and Vietnamese as well as English) explaining their rubbish collection services.

Span Hanna