Recycle Right Launch

Contamination rates at the ACT’s Materials Recycling Facility at Hume have been slowly increasing. This facility processes the recyclables collected throughout ACT, the Snowy Monaro and many surrounding council areas. In February 2019, an independent household kerbside bin audit was conducted in the Snowy Monaro Region which recorded an average 13% contamination rate, which is up from a long-term average of less than 10%.

The new regional recycling campaign Recycle Right, on Tuesday 9 July by the Canberra Region Joint Organisation and its member councils, is designed to clear up any confusion and lead to better recycling practices.

The campaign involves new social media videos, posters and other visual material that aim to better inform residents about common issues that can compromise the quality of the material disposed of in the recycling bin.

If too heavily contaminated, recycling may be sent to landfill. Contaminated recycling is harder to sell on domestic and international markets, may contribute to stockpiling on site and can create serious safety issues for staff.

In the wake of changes in the global recycling industry this campaign aims to simplify recycling messages, highlight recent changes and support the Australian Government’s call for movement towards a circular economy.

It outlines new simple recycling routines to help us Recycle Right.

In order to ensure the material in our yellow bins continues to be recycled, we are asking that people keep it simple and clean.

The campaign is asking people to follow the six Recycle Right messages below for using your yellow lid recycling bin.

•Keep it simple: Only recycle paper and cardboard, steel and aluminium cans, glass bottles and jars, plastic bottles and containers. •Keep out soft plastics: This includes all plastic bags, even if they have a recycling symbol, are degradable or compostable, and other soft plastics including cling wrap, chip packets and bread bags. •Keep out small items: Any items smaller than a credit card. All plastic lids need to be removed from bottles and those smaller than a credit card put in your landfill bin. •Keep it Safe: Keep out strapping, hose, netting, wires, building materials and other hazardous materials. •Keep it Clean: wipe or rinse 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 •Keep it Loose: put each item into your yellow recycling bin separately, don’t bag, box or contain your recyclable items.

Over 5,000 visitors have attended the new Recycling Discovery Hub in Hume, ACT since it opened in May 2018, which demonstrates how enthusiastic the community is about recycling and waste. Residents, including those in the Snowy Monaro, can book a group visit or attend a public open day to find out what happens to the recycling once they put it in the yellow bin, and how they can Recycle Right.

The campaign has been supported by the NSW EPA Waste Less, Recycle More initiative funded from the waste levy.

If you would like further information on waste and recycling visit www.snowymonaro.nsw.gov.au/288/What-Can-I-Recycle or contact the Resource and Waste Education team on 1300 345 345.