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PLANET ARK'S TOP RECYCLING TIPS!

Here are some tips to get you started. For more information visit RecyclingWeek.PlanetArk.org/Recycling-Info/ or call the Recycling Near You Hotline on 1300 733 712.

Tips On How To Recycle Right

  • Take your plastic bags to your local supermarket for recycling. Keep them out of your home recycling - plastic bags can cause big problems when placed in your kerbside recycling bin. For safety reasons, staff at the recycling centre cannot open plastic bags as the contents may be dangerous or dirty and are sent to landfill. Bags also interfere with the automatic sorting machines, and can bring the entire sorting station to a halt. To avoid these problems simply put your recyclable items straight into the recycling bin.
  • Remove the lids from your plastic bottles and make sure they are empty before you place them in your recycling bin. Doing this prevents liquid spilling and ruining other recyclable products or damaging the equipment at the recycling centre. Place plastic bottle tops in your rubbish bin, since they are too small to be recycled.
  • If you have broken glass or ceramics like ovenproof dishes, drinking glasses or mugs, throw these in your rubbish bin. If they end up in your recycling bin, they will contaminate the recyclable glass bottles. Just 15g of ovenproof glass can contaminate one tonne of normal glass, making it useless for recycling.
  • Australians are great at recycling aluminium drink cans. However one in three cans is still not recycled. If you're out at a picnic or barbeque, remember to take your cans home with you to be recycled.
  • Reduce food waste by making a meal plan and shopping list, and buying to the list. Financially and environmentally it's better to buy more later if you need it, than to waste what you have too much of. Make other meals with your leftovers, and recycle your food scraps with a compost heap, worm farm or bokashi bucket.
  • Steel twist tops and jam jar lids can also be recycled, but they are too small to go straight in the recycling bin. The best way to recycle them is to collect them in an empty steel can and squeeze the top closed. Then the can with the tops inside can go into the recycling bin.

Council collections aren't the only way to recycle, There are many other recycling programs that collect other items. These include:

  • Printer Cartridges: All types and brands can be recycled via the 'Cartridges 4 Planet Ark' recycling boxes in participating Australia Post, Officeworks, Harvey Norman, Tandy and Dick Smith Electronics stores. Visit Cartridges.PlanetArk.org for more information.
  • Corks: Guides Australia collects wine and champagne corks nationally through a network of individuals and collection points at hotels, restaurants and supermarkets.
  • Mobile Phones: These can be recycled via most mobile phone outlets.
  • Plastic Shopping Bags: These can be recycled at most major supermarkets.

To find drop-off locations in your area to recycle these items and many more, search on the front page of RecyclingNearYou.com.au or call the Hotline on 1800 733 712.

BUY RIGHT & BUY RECYCLED

How to help save the planet while shopping!

Aim for less packaging.

The Hierachy of Waste Minimisation is AVOID, REDUCE, REUSE and RECYCLE. Packaging can be important to prevent waste caused by food spoiling, but try to avoid products that have excessive or unnecessary packaging.

Choose products with packaging that can be recycled in your area.

Find information on your local recycling services at RecyclingNearYou.com.au. Wherever possible choose items that come in cans, boxes or jars that are fully recyclable. Packaging that is made of different materials, such as a chip packet made of a metal base, cardboard sides and plastic lid, cannot be easily recycled.

Select products that have recycled content in their packaging.

Aluminium and steel cans, glass bottles, PET bottles, and most cardboard are made from recycled materials and are usually recyclable after use. Choose items with this kind of packaging rather than packaging made entirely from virgin raw materials. It's important to "buy recycled" as this creates a demand for recycled materials and supports the recycling industries.

Buy products made from recycled materials.

Some products are themselves made from recycled materials, not just their packaging. For example 'SAFE' toilet tissue is made from recycled office paper. The average Australian household uses 94 rolls of toilet paper every year. If each household substituted four rolls of ordinary toilet tissue with 'SAFE' recycled toilet tissue, an extra 10,000 tonnes of office paper could be recycled, saving trees from being used as raw materials.