Wingecarribee Shire Council is encouraging residents to Recycle Right and update their recycling habits as part of a regional recycling campaign launched in Canberra last week.
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Coordinated via the Canberra Region Joint Organisation, the Recycle Right campaign seeks to simplify recycling messages, highlight recent changes and support the Australian Government's call for a movement towards a circular economy.
Council's Waste Education and Policy Officer, Libby Guest, explained that the recycling industry is changing and it's more important than ever that we put the right items in our recycling bins.
"Here in the Southern Highlands, we've seen a steady increase in contamination rates," she said.
"The main message is to keep recycling simple so that we can get the most life out of every product."
Tips to help residents Recycle Right are:
- Keep it simple: Only recycle paper and cardboard, steel and aluminium cans, glass bottles and jars, plastic bottles and containers.
- Keep out soft plastics: All soft plastics including bags, plastic wrapping, chip packets and bread bags. This includes degradable or compostable bags (these belong in the landfill bin).
- Keep out small items: Any items smaller than a credit card. All plastic lids now 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: Place each item into your yellow recycling bin separately, don't bag, box or contain recyclable items.
Council hosts a number of tours of the Resource Recovery Centre throughout the year for residents interested in what happens to their waste after it leaves the kerbside.
For more information, visit www.wsc.nsw.gov.au/resource-recovery-centre-tours.
The campaign has been supported by the NSW EPA Waste Less, Recycle More initiative funded from the waste levy.
To learn more about the Recycle Right campaign visit www.wsc.nsw.gov.au/your-yellow-lidded-bin or phone Council on 4868 0888.
