PLANET ARK'S TOP RECYCLING TIPS!
Here are some tips to get you started.
Tips on how to recycle better
When you put materials into your recycling bin, don't put them in a plastic bag. For safety reasons, staff at the recycling centre will not open plastic bags, no matter what the contents are. So anything in plastic bags will end up in landfill. To avoid contaminating the recycling stream, don't use plastic bags in your recycling bin - simply put your recyclable items straight into the bin.
Remove the lids from your plastic bottles and make sure they are empty before you place them in your recycling container. Doing this prevents liquid spilling and ruining other recyclable products or damaging the equipment at the recycling centre.
Don't put ovenproof glass, drinking glasses or ceramic mugs in your recycling container. Just 15g of ovenproof glass can contaminate one tonne of normal glass, making it useless for recycling.
Drink cans are commonly recycled. However, many people forget about the cans they drink from away from home. Don't litter them, put them in a bin when you're finished or, better still, take them home with you and recycle them with your other recyclable items.
Keep recycling those newspapers! Last year, we recycled over two billion newspapers, making us the best newspaper recyclers in the world.
Metal lids can also be recycled if metal is accepted for recycling. Place these lids, including jam jar lids and bottle tops, inside the steel can.
Council collections aren't the only way to recycle, There are other recycling programs that collect other materials and products. 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, Dick Smith Electronics and Powerhouse stores.
- 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 Coles, Woolworths, Franklins and Safeways supermarkets.
BUY RIGHT & BUY RECYCLED
How to help save the planet while shopping!
Aim for less packaging. The '3R's of Waste Minimisation' are REDUCE, REUSE and RECYCLE. Packaging is important as it prevents waste caused by food spoiling. But do we really need every serve to be individually wrapped and extra layers to "seal in the freshness". Try to avoid products that have excessive or unnecessary packaging.
Make sure that the products that you buy have recyclable packaging that can be recycled in your area. Wherever possible choose items that come in cans, boxes or jars that can be recycled once you've used them. For example self-saucing puddings come can come in cans and plastic tubs. Most councils collect food cans and they are fully recyclable. However, one brand of pudding comes in a plastic that is generally not collected by Councils. Think about the waste that will be generated as a result of you buying that item and choose products.
Buy products that have recycled content in their packaging. Food cans, glass bottles, some soft drink bottles, aluminium cans and some cardboard boxes are made from recycled materials and are often 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 keeps the recycling industries healthy financially. So support the recycling industries and buy recycled wherever possible.
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.
