Redland City Council has identified the top 10 common household items that residents may not be aware can be recycled.
Mayor Karen Williams said about 17 per cent of all waste Council collected from kerbside general waste bins could have been recycled.
“That percentage represents about 6340 tonnes of waste that could be diverted from landfill in the past 12 months alone,” Cr Williams said.
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“Importantly, if all these recyclable items were disposed of correctly, it would help Council meet its objective of reducing waste to landfill by 15 per cent by 2030.
“We know our residents are keen to recycle, with 9166 tonnes of recyclable waste collected from kerbside yellow-lid bins and diverted from landfill in 2022/23.
“However, our data shows residents are still unsure whether certain items can be recycled, for example cardboard and pizza boxes, glass containers, oily tuna cans, plastic fruit punnets and glossy magazines.
“Audits also showed about one per cent of what is being sent to landfill was a container that could have been claimed through the Containers for Change recycling program.
“This equates to about 353 containers per tonne or $35.30 worth of refundable containers for every tonne lost to landfill.
“The key thing to remember is, if it’s hard plastic, paper, cardboard, aluminium or steel and it comes from your kitchen, bathroom or laundry then you can most likely recycle it.”
Cr Williams said there was a common misconception items could not be recycled if they were even a little bit dirty.
“That’s incorrect. Just remove most of the contents, including food, and give it a quick rinse if you really want and put the item in the recycle bin,” she said.
“Council’s recycling contractor has a process that cleans all packaging and then remanufactures it into new packaging, which reduces the reliance on raw materials and supports the circular economy.
“This aligns with the ‘What goes around comes around’ theme for this year’s National Recycling Week, from 13 to 19 November.”
The top 10 recyclable items that commonly appear in general waste bins on Redlands Coast are:
- Pizza Boxes – a little bit of grease or cheese is okay
- Tuna cans – a little bit of oil is okay
- Sushi containers
- Dip containers – just remove the foil or dip
- Meat trays – just remove the plastic film and give it a quick rinse
- Biscuit trays – the plastic tray is recyclable; the wrapper around the outside isn’t
- Sauce bottles/jars – a little bit of sauce is okay
- Berry and fruit punnets
- Cereal boxes – just remove the bag
- Glossy magazines and catalogues
To find out what you can and can’t recycle, download the RecycleMate app or go to Council’s A-Z of waste and recycling.
For more information about recycling on Redlands Coast, visit Council’s Waste and recycling webpage.
