Recycle Right! Changes to community recycling guidelines

We have launched a new campaign – #RecycleRight – asking people to make some simple changes to our recycling routines.

The campaign aims to educate the community about important changes to their recycling and reinforce the message that waste is everyone’s responsibility. 

Our recycling industry is changing and we all need to be flexible and adaptable to make the most of our valuable resources. There are now far tighter controls on the contamination of recyclables and it is more important than ever that we are placing the correct materials in the right bin.

This campaign has been developed with North East Waste and our neighbouring councils as a region-wide campaign across the Northern Rivers. 

The main message is to keep it simple and ensure you are only placing clean and correct recycling materials in your yellow recycling bin. It is essential we have clean recyclables can be sent off for remanufacturing in Australia and overseas. If we all do this, we can keep our resources coming ‘round and get the most life out of every product.

A-Z Waste Guide

Recycle Right FAQs

  1. Keep it simple - only recycle hard plastic bottles and containers, glass bottles and jars, steel and aluminium cans, paper and cardboard. 

2.    Keep out soft plastics - including ALL plastic bags, even if they have a recycling symbol, are degradable or compostable, and other soft plastics such as plastic film, chip packets, bread bags and biscuit trays.

TIP: Take your soft plastics to major supermarket ‘Redcycle’ collection points – this way you can still avoid placing them in the red landfill bin. Even better, avoid plastic altogether by using your own reusable bottles, containers and bags.

3.    Keep out small Items - anything smaller than a credit card.  All lids must now be removed from bottles and those smaller than a credit card placed in the red lid bin.

TIP: Put small pieces of paper or cardboard in your green organics bin, and other small items in your red landfill bin. Larger lids such as the lids off yoghurt tubs can go in your recycling bin on or off the container.

4.    Keep it safe - no strapping, hose, netting, wires, building materials, broken glass, chemicals and other hazardous materials that can harm the MRF workers or damage the machines. 

TIP: We accept small problem waste through our Resource Recovery Collection Satchels including household batteries, corks, CDs and DVDs, electrical cords, mobile phones, prescription glasses, printer cartridges, smoke detectors, x-rays and small e-waste such as calculators and handheld games. Satchels are free to pick up at your local Council office or library. You can also drop-off household problem waste such as car batteries, fire extinguishers, gas bottles, oil, paint and large e-waste such as computers, laptops and TVs free of charge at the Ballina Waste Centre. There is a 20kg/20-litre limit after which fees apply.

5.    Keep it clean - rinse or wipe any excess food and drink from all bottles, containers and tins before placing them in your recycling bin. Keep out food scraps, nappies and soiled paper.

6.    Keep it loose - put each item into your yellow lid bin separately, don't bag, box or contain your recyclable items.  

TIP: Clean recycling means you don’t need to line your kitchen recycling bin and can just put them in loose!

Last reviewed: 3 December 2018