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Container deposit schemes work for recycling

Learning

April 12, 2019

Tags: CDS

Highlights

Updated April 2023

Container return or deposit programs are proving to be a successful way to maximise recycling and recovery.

What is a container deposit scheme?

Container deposit schemes incentivise consumers to return their beverage containers to a collection point by offering a small cash or voucher refund. They aim to encourage recycling by rewarding good recycling behaviour, which means less containers disposed in general waste or littered. Returns are made at designated collection points, which can include reverse vending machines (RVMs), over-the-counter at shops or charity organisations, or large collection depots.

Container deposit schemes work

The main driver is the financial incentive, where customers can get back between five to ten cents for every container deposited. The more containers returned equals the more money you can earn. They’re also a fundraising channel, often used by schools, clubs, teams and community groups to raise money through container or cash donations.

One of the most efficient ways to recycle is to separate materials at the point of disposal. This decreases sorting costs at the Material Recovery Facility and increases quality by removing contaminants. Because container deposit schemes create a single stream for beverage container material, they promote source separated recycling and improve recycling outputs.

Widespread awareness of the scheme’s positive benefits further encourages people to recycle their containers over general waste disposal.

South Australia
South Australia was the first state to adopt the scheme back in 1977. SA currently has an overall return rate of 76.9%. Last year alone, almost 603 million containers (42,913 tonnes) were recovered by collection depots for recycling. With the refund scheme, beverage containers make up only 2.8% of litter in the state.

In January 2019, the state’s Minister for Environment and Water announced a review of the scheme to investigate ways to build on their success and further recycling and litter reduction efforts.

Northern Territory
The Northern Territory launched their CDS in 2012, with beverage container litter dropping by 50% in the first year. By 2016, the stream had decreased to a record low of 24% litter by volume. The state also reported a significant 34.5% decline in overall litter, mainly attributed to lower volumes of takeaway packaging and beverage containers in the litter stream.

New South Wales
New South Wales introduced their Return and Earn scheme in the end of 2017. Since then, they have successfully brought down their total litter volume down by almost half, with drink containers hitting an all-time low of 37%. The state is currently well on track to reaching its goal of a 40% state-wide reduction by 2020.

As of March 2023, Return and Earn announced that more than 9 billion containers had been returned since the scheme started. In May 2022, it was announced that the TOMRA Cleanaway joint venture will continue in their role as Network Operator for another four years, ending in late 2026.

Queensland
With close to three billion beverage containers in circulation, in November 2018 the state kicked off their container refund scheme, called Containers for Change. At the time of writing over 2 billion containers had been returned through the scheme with more than 3.7 million containers being taken every day to a Containers for Change recycling centre.

Western Australia
Western Australia reported that around 47.5% of its total litter were beverage containers. The first stage of WA’s container deposit scheme network, Containers for Change, was announced in January 2020 and launched in October 2020.

Victoria
In February 2020, Victoria announced the introduction of a container deposit scheme which is expected to be rolled out in 2023. In November 2020, the Victorian Government is asking Victorians to provide feedback on the proposed model for the CDS, which will be rolled out by 2023 and create hundreds of jobs across the state.

In April 2023, the Victorian Government appointed TOMRA Cleanaway as the Network Operator for the Victorian Container Deposit Scheme (CDS) for Zones 1 and 4, collecting up to half a billion eligible drink containers annually.

How else can you make a difference?

Maximise commingled recycling
Don’t ruin good quality recycling by contaminating your commingled bin. Make sure your beverage containers are clean, dry and empty before disposing of them in the bin.

Minimise single-use products
Reduce the amount of waste produced in the first place by avoiding single-use containers and other products wherever possible. Go reusable instead.

Buy products made from recycled material
Prevent materials from ending up in a landfill and maintain demand for recyclables while ensuring that recycling programs remain viable.

Contact us to find out how we make a sustainable future possible through our partnerships with government, industry and the community.

A litter education goes a long way

Learning

March 19, 2019

Tags: Plastic Free July

Highlights

Recycling and good bin behaviour is easy once you’re in the right routine. That can be difficult for adults who have years of embedded habits and too many other things to think about. Young people, on the other hand, love learning new things and get a kick out of finding out how things work. So why not get them started on good sustainability behaviour early? Imagine what they’ll be able to teach us about our impact on the world!

Make sustainability part of the lesson plan

Sustainability lessons in school are a fun and easy way to start teaching recycling early. Kids are surrounded by everyday examples of waste materials and schools can set up really clear bin education that supports and reinforces correct behaviour.

“The idea is they teach mum and dad, grandparents, brothers and sisters, anyone who’ll listen and we basically try and get them to promote recycling and, sustainability,” says Cleanaway Education Officer Lisa Mansfield.

Our education officers in NSW have been running kNOw Waste™ since 2007. The program’s train-the-trainer approach means students often end up teaching their peers and family with an average reach of 2.7 people per household. Communities usually report a positive impact on kerbside recycling contamination rates after program delivery.

In WA, the ABC reported that councils that engaged the longest with Cleanaway’s education programs have the lowest rates of contamination, making it one of the most cost-effective methods of education.

Looking for fun ways to fit litter into your lesson plan? Here are five ways to get started.

Make learning fun and accessible

Quizzes, scavenger hunts and bingo games are a few of the more engaging activities kids can participate in to learn about litter reduction and recycling.

Incursions can be an exciting way to get students involved and excited about recycling. We regularly visit schools across the country to discuss the importance of recycling correctly, and sustainability at home and in school. The highlight for the kids is seeing our trucks in action, especially the rear lift mechanics.

Get the basics right at home

Kids mimic our behaviours both good and bad, so it’s important that we set the right example for them at home.

This means putting the right waste in the kerbside recycling bin – clean, dry, and unbagged. Common contaminants like food waste, textiles and soft plastics should go to general waste or better yet, be recycled separately, upcycled or donated to charity.

Set up a clean recycling station at home that helps everyone sort their waste correctly. Download a bin poster here or check your council website for more local recycling advice.

Teaching kids to sort waste before it reaches the bin not only produces a higher quality stream of material for recycling into new products, but it’s also a fun activity the whole family can get involved in.

Start at the top

True sustainability starts at the point of purchase and waste production. Make the waste hierarchy a household mantra by focusing on avoiding waste production like not buying single-use packaging or eating all the food in the fridge without waste. Work down the hierarchy and come up with different ways you can be more sustainable.

Download our factsheet to get started.

Encourage kids to get involved with the community

Container deposit schemes in New South Wales, South Australia and most recently Queensland, are a perfect example of how incentivising kids can be an effective tool for sustainability. Under these schemes, eligible beverage containers made of plastics, glass, aluminium, steel and liquid paperboard can be returned to collection centres for a refund.

There are many examples of kids across the country embracing container deposit schemes as a fun way to do their bit for the environment and in some cases, for the benefit the community. Here are just a few:

Nine-year old Charlie Crouch from Moree returned over 5,000 containers in just three weeks and used the refunds earned to buy himself a golf cart. To set an example for other kids across the country, Member for Northern Tablelands Adam Marshall named Charlie the state’s top container deposit recycler and encouraged others to follow his lead.
10-year-old Taran Vallentine from Queensland’s raised more than $350 collecting containers over the school holidays and he decided to donate it to a food bank to help people who don’t have enough food.

kids being taught about proper waste management

Vinnie’s Container Deposit Centre is another example of a community organisation doing it right by encouraging kids for sustainability. They rewarded young Hamish and his mom for regularly depositing around 200 containers each month.

Meet Noah, our Eco-champion

Noah has been obsessed with everything Cleanaway since he helped his aunt, Kelly Seibold during Clean Up Australia Day last year. Noah even started ‘Cleanaway Clean Up’ in his school oval to pick up rubbish. Whenever he gets the chance, Noah waits for Cleanaway trucks at home and looks out for our compactors behind major shopping centres.

Cleanaway’s Hugo Parris, Resource Recovery Manager at our Hemmant commercial recycling sorting and baling facility, took Noah for a tour of the plant, where he was thrilled to learn all about how trucks, front end loaders, conveyor belts and sorters work.

Need more inspiration? Check out these Clean Up Australia Youth Ambassadors on a mission to act now for a sustainable future.

Unwrapping the problem of single-use packaging

Learning

February 28, 2019

Tags: Single-use plastic

Highlights

When Ian Kiernan started Clean Up Australia 30 years ago, he called out Australia’s increasing dependence on single-use items. Today, we’re seeing record numbers of single-use litter found in our streets, waterways, and bushland.

In announcing this year’s Rubbish Report, Pip Kiernan, newly announced Chairman of Clean Up Australia and daughter of Ian Kiernan said “30 years ago my dad predicted the problems that single-use plastic would pose. Since then we have seen ever increasing dependence on plastic as a throw away-item – and that needs to change. The choice is simple – take action or plastics will continue to be a problem well into the future.”

According to the 2018 Rubbish Report, litter directly associated with single-use packaging is the number one source of rubbish reported by volunteers. In 2018, it was as high as 88% of all reported items. Of this, food packaging represented just under 19%, non-food packaging over 26%, beverage containers 18%, beverage rubbish 11.8%, chip and confectionery wrappers recorded 7% and plastic bags 4.5%.

Is plastic itself the problem?

Plastic is a lightweight, durable and versatile material, and is less resource-intensive to produce than paper. Plastic is recyclable when properly separated and disposed of correctly. Hard plastic can be recycled when processed with commingled recycling or through container return schemes. Soft plastic can be recycled if collected and taken to major supermarkets through their soft plastics recycling service. Businesses may also be able to choose a soft plastic recycling service from Cleanaway.

Unfortunately though, when plastic is carelessly discarded it litters our streets, waterways and oceans, causing serious harm to wildlife and this is where the problem lies.

What is being done to keep packaging out of the environment?

Tangible packaging waste targets set

Regulators are working with industry to reduce the amount of packaging waste produced while increasing options for recycling. Last year, the Meeting of Environment Ministers endorsed a target of 100% of Australian packaging being recyclable, compostable or reusable by 2025.

This meeting resulted in the 2025 National Packaging Waste Target, which aims to:

Make 100% of all Australia’s packaging will be reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025 or earlier
Make 70% of Australia’s plastic packaging recyclable or compostable by 2025
Include an average of 30 recycled content across all packaging by 2025
Phase out problematic and unnecessary single-use plastic packaging through design, innovation or introduction of alternatives

The Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) is supporting the initiative through its representation of over 900 leading companies such as Aldi, ALGA, Close the Loop, Coca-Cola Amatil, Coles, Nestlé, Planet Ark, Unilever and Woolworths.

Improvements in resource recovery infrastructure and planning

The Australian Council of Recycling (ACOR) recently released a 10-point plan for results-based recycling, which has been submitted to regulators for consultation. Recommendations outlined in the plan include:

Standardising recycling methods
Optimising container deposit schemes to promote domestic recycling
A national recycling infrastructure audit
Development of new metrics for waste, recycling and resource recovery activity
$1.5 billion investment of waste disposal levy funds into recycling

Cleanaway has been investing in Australia’s resource recovery infrastructure to support communities in managing their growing waste. We call it our Footprint 2025 roadmap – state-of-art facilities designed to maximise diversion such as the Eastern Creek Container Sorting Facility that processes containers collected through the NSW Container Deposit Scheme.

Read more about our recent investments in Australia’s future here.

Stewardship by leading companies

Nestlé has set its own global goals to make 100% of its packaging recyclable or reusable by 2025, and to send zero waste to landfill by 2020. The initiatives include EcodEx, a packaging eco-design tool designed to measure the environmental performance of a packed food product, which it uses in new product development.

At a local level, the multinational company is using its online Packaging Recyclability Evaluation Portal (PREP) to assess the recyclability of its packaging and assist in building design for recycling up front in new product development processes.

What can you do to play your part?

For the individual, the everyday decisions we make about consumption can make a huge impact on sustainability.

Participate in Clean Up Australia

Out of sight, out of mind. Actually seeing the amount of litter up around us is one of the best ways to highlight our dependence on single-use plastic and packaging. Initiatives like Clean Up Australia and Plastic Free July aim to inspire people to reduce plastic waste by casting a spotlight on its impact on our environment.

Let the waste hierarchy guide you

While recycling is essential in reducing the number of packaging waste sent to landfill, avoiding non-essential packaging in the first place is the best way to start. The waste hierarchy can be used as a guideline where disposal is considered the last option for an item at the end of its useful life.

Take up the Nude Food challenge

A great way to reduce packaging waste, the nude food challenge helps avoid unnecessary packaging for your food. This accomplishes three goals: you and your family get to eat and live well, packaging waste can be reduced without being sent to landfill and cost savings are made possible in the long run.

Partner with us and learn more about our bespoke packaging waste management solutions if you want your packaging waste recycled, not sent to landfill.

Fun ways to fit litter into your lesson plan

Learning

February 13, 2019

Tags: Everyday tips

Highlights

We know from our experience working with schools and communities around Australia that great recyclers start young. School is a fantastic place to learn good habits with waste and recycling, that kids can take home and teach the whole family. Here’s a few ideas on how you can help kids become wiser on waste and make litter prevention the new standard.

1. Host Nude Food days. The Nude Food movement has been an enormous success in Australia and is a great way to promote healthy eating and rubbish free living. Let parents know about Nude Food day, week or month and suggest ideas for packing lunches without the disposable packaging. Encourage students to pack their own lunches and it’ll be easy to see just how much plastic is being used daily.

Lesson: Lots of food comes in its own packaging from nature. Unnecessary plastic packaging ends up contributing to landfill or even worse, as litter. By considering packaging choices and its impact on the environment, kids learn about the need to reduce, reuse and recycle while having fun creating delicious and healthy meals. Nude food makes for a healthy body and healthier planet!

2. Start a compost heap. Set aside an old garbage bin with holes punched in the side and bottom for aeration or an old wooden box, to collect “green” and “brown” waste. Compost is nutrient-rich, extremely beneficial for soil and is a great way to put waste to good use.

Lesson: Almost half the waste we throw away each week is organic material, like food and garden waste. Organic matter in landfill emits nasty toxins as it breaks down, but when plants, fruits and vegetables decompose in the earth, the nutrients contained are recycled back into the soil, to be used by other living organisms.

3. Transform rubbish into art. Host an upcycling artwork competition. Reward students by handing out prizes in different categories and by displaying their works of art for parents to see.

Lesson: Finding resource in rubbish is a fun and engaging way to show that materials destined for the landfill can actually have a new lease on life.

4. Organise an exchange sale. Buy, sell and trade toys, books, stationery, and outgrown clothing, including school uniforms. Make this a yearly event and get parents involved as well.

Lesson: There is a second life to many of our unwanted personal items. Instead of sending them to the bin or hoarding them at home, share them with others.

5. Schedule a waste audit. A plan can be made for reducing, reusing, and recycling waste in your school. Find out which areas need more attention and how best to start a waste education program tailored for your school.

If you would like to arrange a waste education session for your school or university, please contact us for more information.

Your True Blue Summer waste hierarchy

Learning

January 9, 2019

Tags: Everyday tips

Highlights

The warm days and longer daylight hours make summer a perfect time to get outdoors, catch up with friends and family or work on home improvement projects. Find out how you can use the waste hierarchy to keep your summer activities sustainable during outdoor excursions, when hosting a gathering or cleaning up around the house.

AVOID

The easiest way to reduce waste is to avoid it. Whenever we shop, we should be mindful that what we buy may ultimately become our rubbish. The best way to avoid being wasteful is to plan ahead. Before heading to the shops, draw up a list of needed items – whether it’s groceries, clothes, camping supplies or hardware. Making a list helps identify what you really need, while avoiding guesswork and impulse buys. You’ll probably save a bit of money too.

Here are our tips for avoiding waste:

Don’t buy what you’ve already got – check the cupboards, pantry or garage to make sure you’re not buying what you don’t need.
Invest in a picnic basket or a set of reusable cups, plates, cutlery and containers for camping, picnics and outdoor activities. Check out Clean Up Australia’s range of sustainable products.
Avoid single-use plastic full-stop – straws and plastic bags are two items that can be easily replaced with reusable options.
Borrow, rent or hire camping equipment, party supplies and household tools to avoid buying new and one-time only items.

REDUCE/REPLACE

After avoiding creating new waste, the next step is to reduce the amount of waste. Instead of relying on single-use or single-purpose items, look around you and see what you can use as a replacement or ways to reduce wastage. Sometimes all it takes is a bit of creativity like:

Get camping equipment and party supplies made from quality materials that are designed to last and store them well. This can reduce the need to purchase new items in the future.
Plan meals and party menu ahead, catering for the right amount of people and make the most of leftovers to reduce food waste.
Where possible, repair broken appliances and furniture instead of throwing them out. If you can’t repair it yourself, look for a repair café or business in your area.
Purchase goods made from recycled products to reduce waste and encourage a circular economy.

REUSE

The next step is to reuse. Whenever possible, switch to items that have multiple purposes or a long lifespan. This can include getting your own reusable coffee cup and water bottle, painting or recovering furniture instead of replacing them and repurposing party supplies and decorations.

Make the most of Christmas packaging by saving wrapping paper, ribbons and boxes for gifts throughout the year.
Store shopping bags collected over Christmas in the car or your handbag, ready for unexpected shopping trips.
Hold a garage sale or swap – your rubbish could be someone else’s treasure.

RECYCLE

Recycling uses fewer resources to produce new items compared to raw materials. Taking the time to recycle instead of throwing in general waste can make a huge difference.

Households without an organics kerbside collection service can start a compost bin – there are options even for apartments with tiny spaces. Businesses can recycle food and garden waste with an organics waste service.
E-waste such as old mobile phones, hard drives and printers can be recycled – visit E-waste Finder to learn more.
Household chemicals like paint and old cleaner products are also recyclable. Paint can be dropped off at Paintback locations nationwide and check with council for household chemical drop-off locations.
Keep a dedicated recycling box nearby when cleaning up the house to collect recyclable items like old papers and magazines.

DISPOSE

Disposal should be the last option. Reducing waste starts with planning and conscientious buying so that as little as possible is disposed as general waste and sent to landfill.

Whether it’s sustainability tips and tricks for the home or total waste management solutions for businesses, contact us today to find out how we’re making a sustainable future possible for our communities.

Your e-waste recycling checklist

Learning

December 13, 2018

Tags: Everyday tips

Highlights

Did you know what 20% of Australians admit to being electronic device hoarders? This is a problem because the average household has around 15 electronic devices at home. Our partners at TechCollect recently conducted an e-waste survey that revealed interesting insight about how Australians are not recycling their e-waste enough.

Source: TechCollect

Many Australians do not know how or where to recycle e-waste

60% of Australians do not know that electronic devices can be recycled and are generally unaware that e-waste can be dropped off at TechCollect locations all over Australia.

TechCollect accepts:

Personal and laptop computers and all cables
Tablets, notebooks and palmtops
Computer monitors and parts (e.g. internal hard drives and CD drives)
Computer peripherals and accessories (e.g. mice, keyboards, web cameras, USBs and modems)
Printers, faxes, scanners and multi-functional devices
All televisions

Australians are worried about losing their personal data, and cost

Data breaches can easily be prevented with secure e-waste destruction and disposal service for businesses. For consumers, it’s easy to delete your data securely and send e-waste for recycling – free!

There are two easy options for removing data:

1. Check with the manufacturer
2. Search online for data wiping services or software

What you should know about proper e-waste disposal

If you missed our e-waste recycling quiz, here’s everything you need to know about e-waste recycling in Australia today.

1. E-waste cannot be disposed of in the kerbside bin

Ensure that your e-waste is disposed of at a reliable, ethical recycling plant. When handled correctly, at least 90% to 95% of e-waste components can be recycled, greatly reducing the environmental impact of landfill dumping, sourcing new materials, pollution and contamination.

For customers with small amounts of e-waste, free drop off sites by TechCollect are located around the country.

Businesses are encouraged to talk to their waste management service provider about a secure product destruction service for contaminated, out-of-date, obsolete, recalled, illegal, and sensitive materials or products, including e-waste.

2. The National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme was set up to make it easier to dispose of e-waste

The National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme was established in 2011 to provide Australian households and small businesses with access to free industry-funded collection and recycling services for televisions and computers, including printers, computer parts and peripherals. The Product Stewardship (Televisions and Computers) Regulations 2011 provide the legislation for the scheme.

More than 1,800 collection services have been made available to the public and 230,000 tonnes of TV and computer e-waste have been collected and recycled to date. This has diverted hazardous materials away from landfill and enabled the reuse of valuable resources contained in e-waste, with more than 90 per cent of materials recovered each year.
(Source: Australian Department of the Environment and Energy)

3. Victoria is banning e-waste to landfill in 2019

Approximately 109,000 tonnes of e-waste were generated in Victoria in 2015, with this number projected to increase to 256,000 tonnes by 2035. From 1 July 2019, Victoria will no longer allow e-waste in general waste. Instead, it must be recycled at special drop off points throughout the state. As a result, more than 130 e‑waste collection sites will be upgraded across Victoria to facilitate the e-waste ban.

4. E-waste contains valuable materials that can be extracted and made into new products.

Around 10% of the world’s gold and 30% of silver goes into making electronics, but only 15% to 20% of the 50 million tonnes of e-waste created every year are recycled. Besides plastic and glass, electronic devices contain base and special metals such as cobalt, tin and antimony as well as precious metals like silver, gold, and platinum, all of which can be fully recovered.

Your e-waste recycling checklist

TechCollect recommends these easy steps to declutter your home or office from unwanted electronics.

Step 1 Look around the house/office for old electronics

Step 2 Wipe the data off your devices

Step 3 Find out what TechCollect takes at www.techcollect.com.au

Step 4 Locate your nearest drop off site here

Step 5 Drop off your e-waste for free

It’s that simple!

Get handy e-waste facts and learn more about the problem of e-waste in this article.

Want to know how we responsibly recover resources from your e-waste? Follow this link to find out.

Don’t forget to drop off your unwanted electronics for free at your nearest TechCollect site or book an e-waste recycling service with us.

Top tips to reduce food waste during the holiday season

Learning

December 12, 2018

Tags: Everyday tips

Highlights

Australians celebrate the holidays in many ways, which typically includes a lot of food, drinks and waste. Research by KitchenAid revealed that Australians dispose of about 25% of food in the bin at this time of year.

Why is food waste a problem?

Food waste costs the Australian economy an estimated $20 billion every year. Producing and distributing food also puts a strain on resources such as land, water, energy and fuel.

When sent to landfill, food waste can impact the environment through greenhouse gas emissions. It is estimated that 7.6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent will be generated from food waste disposed over the life of its decay. Food waste can cause issues with odour, leaching, and is a potential source for disease.

There is also a social impact from wasted food fit for consumption that could be used to relieve food insecurity instead.

How is food wasted?

According to research conducted by the NSW Government, the main reasons for food waste are:

Too much food is prepared
Not planning before grocery shopping
Buying takeout instead preparing meals at home
Good food thrown away before expiry
Food hoarding
Not knowing how to use leftovers

Top tips for reducing food waste during the holidays:

Make or buy just enough food
Plan for a potluck gathering
Use smaller plates to encourage reasonable portions
Use reusable tableware or containers to store leftovers
When giving food as a gift, avoid perishable items

If food waste is unavoidable, save it from landfill by:

Getting creative with leftover recipes
Encouraging friends and family to take leftovers home with them
Creating your own compost heap for recycling food and garden waste
Donating excess food to charity
Using the organics bin if provided in your area

How can businesses deal with food waste

Cleanaway offers comprehensive food waste management solutions to businesses of all sizes. Because food waste is heavy, it weighs down the bin and increases the cost of general waste. By diverting food waste into an organics recycling service, businesses can achieve their sustainability goals while positively impacting the economic bottom line.

A waste audit can help businesses improve organic waste disposal processes, and identify opportunities for better stock management practices.

Read more about how we help businesses deliver on the triple bottom line of sustainability here.

How well do you know your waste?

Learning

November 21, 2018

Tags: Everyday tips

Highlights

Replacing under-desk waste bins with centralised bins is a good start for sustainability in the workplace but is your business still letting good recycling go to waste?

Cleanaway can review the waste streams your business produces to reduce cost and increase recycling rates. We work closely with our customers to sort materials at the source and can recommend customised solutions to help your business increase overall sustainability rates, beginning with a waste audit.

If you already have a well-designed waste management system in your workplace, download this recycling quiz to reinforce positive bin behaviour in the office. This quiz assumes a three-bin system with a dedicated paper and cardboard recycling service by Cleanaway. Answers to the quiz are included below.

(Click to open in a new window)

Quiz answers

Paper towels
Used paper towels always go into the general waste bins. They are often mixed with food waste, grease and bodily fluids, which makes them unsuitable for recycling.
Food wrappers
Chocolate wrappers and chip packets go into the general waste bins, especially if they have food residue. Encourage your colleagues to go nude food instead.
Coffee cups
Coffee cups are unrecyclable in most places, so unless you’ve heard differently from your waste management provider, these go straight into general waste. Switch to a reusable cup instead.
Milk & juice cartons
Like your kerbside collection milk and juice cartons can be recycled in the commingled bin. Remember to give them a quick rinse so there is no residue left.
Newspapers, magazines and paper
These go into your paper and cardboard bin. You can even recycle windowed envelopes in the same bin.
Polystyrene cups and packaging
Most polystyrene cups and packaging are rigid type 6 plastics, so you can definitely recycle them in your business’ or workplace bins. Like milk and juice cartons, rinse them before recycling.
Plastic cutlery
These go into the general waste recycling bins. Plastic cutlery is too small to be sorted correctly at the Material Recycling Facilities (MRFs), making them unrecyclable. Switch to reusable cutlery instead.
Takeaway containers
Most rigid takeaway food containers can be recycled in the commingled bin. Make sure they are clean, dry and empty.

Contact us today for a no-obligation waste assessment and enquire about our one-bin packaging waste solution for businesses.

Does your business produce a lot of food waste? Find out how we work with our F&B customers to maximise resource recovery.

Top 10 items contaminating your recycling

Learning

November 6, 2018

Tags: National Recycling Week

Highlights

Contamination can cause all your recycling efforts go to waste so learn about the top 10 items that do not belong in your recycling bin.

1. Greasy pizza boxes

That brown, oily McDonald’s takeaway bag and cheese-crusted pizza boxes may seem like great additions to your recycling bins, but not if they are contaminated with food. If there is food or grease on it, it belongs in general waste.

2. Nappies

You’d be surprised at how many disposable nappies make their way to the recycling system. Not only are they not recyclable, the fact that they are soiled makes it unsanitary for workers to deal with and contaminate other good quality materials in the bin. Opt for cloth nappies instead or put your disposable nappies in general waste.

3. Soft plastics

While most rigid plastic containers can be recycled, soft plastics do not belong in recycling bins as they can get caught in sorting machinery. A better option is to collect soft plastic separately and take them to a nearby supermarket that recycles soft plastic or better yet, avoid them altogether.

4. E-waste

Computers, mobile phones, printer cartridges and other electronic devices are considered e-waste and do not belong in your commingled recycling bin. Not only will it contaminate the general recycling stream, but it also contains hazardous materials that is a risk to anyone handling it incorrectly. To recycle unwanted electronics, find your nearest e-waste drop off point here.

5. Used tissues or paper towels

Soiled tissues, paper towels and serviettes are likely to have absorbed water and other unsanitary substances making them unsuitable for recycling.

6. Food waste

Food waste such as fruits, vegetables, eggshells and bread are some of the biggest causes of recycling contamination in Australia. If your office or council does not have an organics food collection service, it should be disposed of in the general waste bin.

7. Crockery and Pyrex

Broken crockery and tempered cookware glass like Pyrex cannot be sorted through the MRF and should be kept out of the recycling bin. Crockery is also not accepted and should go in general waste instead.

8. Textile

All clothing and fabric are considered contamination and are not accepted in the commingled recycling bin. Even worse, textiles can get tangled in sorting machinery and can cause damage.

9. Garden waste

Garden or green waste includes leaves, grass clippings, branches and flowers. They are considered contaminants in the commingled recycling bin. Use the dedicated green waste bin if you have one. This allows your garden waste to be collected and recycled into compost or mulch.

10. Bagged recyclables

Recycling should always be loose in your recycling bin. Because plastic bags cannot be processed at sorting facilities, this means the entire bag of otherwise good quality recycling will go to waste.

Learn everything you need to know about contamination in recycling here.

Where’s the confusion around contamination in recycling? Find out the results of our contamination quiz here.

Your commingled recycling questions, answered

Learning

November 5, 2018

Tags: National Recycling Week

Highlights

Recycling isn’t as complicated as it seems. While some councils and businesses may have slightly different inclusions, the basics are always the same. If in doubt, throw it in general waste. For the most specific information about what’s allowed in your commingled recycling bins, check with your local council or your Cleanaway account manager.

1. Recyclables must be loose, not bagged in the recycling bin.

Do not ever bag your commingled recycling before putting it in the yellow-lid bin. The facilities that receive the recyclables are rarely able to separate the recycling from the bags, and the soft plastic can cause damage to machinery.

It is also quite dangerous to open the bags manually, as the operator opening them risks a needle stick or broken glass injury.

2. Empty recyclables of all food and liquid.

Leftover food and liquids in containers can contaminate other recyclables when placed in the commingled bin. To prevent contamination and preserve the quality of the material for recycling, ensure that they are rinsed out before recycling – a quick scrape and rinse will do.

3. Plastic lids off.

Plastic lids are made from a different type of plastic than the bottles they came with, which is why they should be separated and sent to general waste. This also helps to ensures the bottle or container is empty – leftover liquid in containers can contaminate a whole load of recyclables.

4. Clothing and textiles do not go in the commingled recycling bin.

Clothing, shoes and bags do not belong in the commingled bin. At sorting facilities, they jam machinery and contaminate other recycling. Unwanted wearables should be repurposed or donated directly to charities.

5. Check the label on meat trays.

Carbon black meat trays cannot be detected by optical sorters in recycling facilities due to their non-reflective surface, so it’s best to leave them in the general waste bin. For meat trays of other colours, it’s best to check the label, as some may be made of non-recyclable material. If in doubt, it’s best to leave it out of the commingled bin.

6. Aerosol cans must be empty and are not always accepted.

If aerosols are even partially full, they pose a health hazard for sorters at recycling facilities – when put under pressure, the flammable gas within might cause an explosion. Aerosols can be recycled in your commingled bin but make sure they are totally empty beforehand.

Some councils, including Perth Metro, do not accept aerosol cans.

7. Toothpaste tubes must be clean to be recycled.

Toothpaste tubes are made from either plastic, aluminium or a combination of both, so they can be recycled if they are reasonably clean. Cut open the tube and rinse it out to remove residual toothpaste. After removing the plastic cap or lid, it can be recycled in the commingled bin.

8. Aluminium caps can go in the commingled bin.

Yes, but they are too small to be sorted by the machinery at recycling facilities. Save them in an empty aluminium can until half full, then crush it so that the tops stay inside.

9. Aluminium foil is recyclable if clean enough.

Foil from yogurt tubs, pre-baked foods and chocolate Easter eggs are recyclable but only if you scrunch them up into a ping pong sized ball so that it can be easily picked up and sorted at recycling facilities. Foil covered in food or oil should not be recycled.

10. All colours of plastic bottles can be recycled.

Although the value of recyclable plastic bottles is higher when pre-separated into their specific colours, all colours are recyclable as the facility identifies them by shape.

11. Liquid paperboard milk cartons are recyclable.

While liquid paperboard is difficult to recycle because it involves separating the paper from the plastic liner, it is recyclable.

12. Do not collect plastic bottle lids together in a plastic ziplock bag.

The problem with collecting plastic lids together in a plastic bag is that it’s all different types of plastic which cannot easily be sorted by the facilities.

13. You do not need to remove the staples from magazines and paper.

The tiny staples are not likely to contaminate the paper.

14. You do not need to remove labels from bottles and jars.

Labels are ok to be left on as they get removed during processing.

15. How can I help my community or workplace recycle better, especially if I share a bin in an apartment block?

Speak to your local council or Cleanaway account manager about educational material that you can use to help educate others about how to recycle right.

Learn everything you need to know about contamination in recycling here.

Where’s the confusion around contamination in recycling? Find out the results of our contamination quiz here.