It's National Recycling Week!

Planet Ark’s National Recycling Week aims to educate the community and inspire behavior change through promoting recycling initiatives and busting myths about what can and can’t be recycled.  

General Manager Infrastructure and Environment Peter Benazic said that recycling and reducing waste not only keeps valuable materials out of landfill, but also benefits the environment by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and our need for new materials. 

“This year we are asking residents to brush up on their recycling knowledge to reduce contamination in recycling bins. Contamination can lead to your recycling bin contents being sent to landfill,” Mr Benazic said. 

A recent audit of Cardinia Shire’s recycling showed that 27% of the items placed in kerbside recycling bins do not belong in recycling.  

The most common incorrect items were plastic bags and ‘soft’ plastics, including wrappers and flexible packaging such as biscuit wrappers, bread bags, chip packets, salad mix packets, and frozen vegetable bags. 

“Please help us make the most of recycling by keeping plastic bags and soft plastics OUT of your recycling bin,” Mr Benazic said. 

“For health and safety reasons, staff who sort materials at recycling facilities cannot open bags, so bags are removed and sent to landfill, even if they contain acceptable recyclables.” 

For more information, visit www.cardinia.vic.gov.au/recycling or call the Customer Service team on 1300 787 624. 

Top five contaminants in recycling bins in Cardinia Shire 

What to do with the contaminants 

Bagged recycling 

Recycling  should be loose, not bagged 

Soft plastics 

Put them in the REDcycle bin at your local supermarket, otherwise in your rubbish bin

Household rubbish 

Kerbside rubbish (landfill bin). Details on individual items can be found at www.cardinia.vic.gov.au/atozwasteguide 

Clothing and textiles 

Sell or donate if in good condition. 

If damaged, recycle at clothing retailers H&M and Zara. Some op-shops will accept damaged clothing for rags, always ask first. Local mechanics, painters or vet clinic may also be able to use them for rags.   

Otherwise put in your rubbish bin.   

Food and garden waste 

Compost bin, worm farm or kerbside green waste bin 

Learn what bin to put it in with our A – Z waste guide. The guide features a list of common household and garden items, and how you can recycle or safely dispose of them. For more details, visit  www.cardinia.vic.gov.au/atozwasteguide