Celebrating National Recycling Week 2022

Published on 07 November 2022

Upper Hunter Shire Council is inviting you to celebrate National Recycling Week 2022 from Monday 7th – Sunday 13th November. National Recycling Week, established by Planet Ark in 1996, is held every year during the second week of November and this year, National Recycling Week explores the idea that Waste isn't Waste until it's Wasted.

Placing materials that are recyclable or recoverable in the red lid general waste bin is a waste of resources. Rethinking and recovering our waste not only keeps valuable materials out of landfill it also benefits the environment by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

During National Recycling Week, the community is encouraged to think about waste as a resource; reconsider how we use buy, use and dispose of materials to keep them in circulation for as long as possible; and think about ways we can avoid, reduce, reuse and recycle for a better future.

Mayor Maurice Collison describes some of the ways the community can rethink their resource use.

“The Australasian Recycling Label is found on packaging and helps to take the confusion out of recycling. It is a simple tool to help you identify which bits go in which bin and is one of the easiest ways to double check that you are recycling right,” Cr Collison said.

“It is also important that materials that can be recycled are empty and clean. Give glass bottles and jars, milk and juice cartons, steel and aluminium cans and rigid plastic bottles and containers a quick rinse to get rid of food scraps and liquid residues before they go into the yellow lid recycling bin. Recyclable materials must also be placed loose in the recycling bin and not in plastic bags. Plastic bags cannot be recycled and do not belong in the yellow lid bin,” reminds Cr Collison.

There are also a number of other drop off opportunities for materials that can be recovered for reprocessing and specialised recycling but are not accepted in kerbside recycling bins. Coles and Woolworths have specially marked REDcycle bins for the collection of soft plastics, while the local Community Recycling Centre at the Scone Resource Recovery Centre accepts problem and hazardous waste materials free of charge. Hazardous materials should never be placed in any of the kerbside bins as they pose a health and safety threat to the community and to waste workers.

Cr Collison also reminds people of the value of diverting organic materials away from landfill.

“As food and other organic materials such as garden waste break down in landfill, they release methane gas, a greenhouse gas 24x more noxious than carbon dioxide. Using your green lid food organics garden organics (FOGO) bin or a backyard composting system for all your household’s organic materials not only keeps this material out of landfill but also creates a valuable end product – compost!”

For more information on recycling and other ways to rethink waste including buying second hand, buying in bulk, buying products made from recycled material or with recycled content, and buying local, check out the Planet Ark website. For information on Council’s waste services, facilities and special events, visit the Council website at upperhuter.nsw.gov.au or contact Council on 02 6540 1100. Let’s make National Recycling Week 2022 the time when we decide not to let our waste go to waste!