National Recycling Week runs from 8 – 14 November and is an annual event that encourages everyone to consider what materials are placed in the yellow lidded recycling bins, how to improve knowledge of recycling and build better recycling habits.
This year’s theme is Celebrate National Recycling Week Your Way and Council is taking the opportunity to help improve the community’s recycling knowledge by lifting the lid on the issue of contamination.
Waste Management Coordinator Ray Trevorah said Bathurst residents are doing a great job at recycling with 2.2 million kilograms of items being recycled through the household yellow lidded recycling bin service last year.
“While it is great to see that most of the community regularly uses their recycling bin, soft plastics such as plastic bags, food wrappers and packets are still ending up in the yellow lidded bin,” he said.
“It can result in machinery blockages at the Materials Recovery Facility, which is where our recyclables are sorted, create hazards to the workers that help sort our recyclables, increase the amount of waste sent to landfill, lower the value of recycled items and increase the overall cost of recycling.”
Soft plastics can be placed in the red lidded general waste bin or an even better option is to collect them and take them to participating supermarkets for specialised recycling through the program REDcycle.
Other types of plastic not suitable for the recycling bin include:
- Polystyrene (foam)
- Non-recyclable hard plastic toys, coat hangers, washing baskets, plant pots and toothbrushes.
Common mistakes include:
- Placing recyclables in bags
- Disposing of tissues, paper towels, clothing, face masks and coffee cups in the recycling bin
Council encourages residents to look for the Australasian Recycling Label for guidance on what can be recycled.
Further information on what can and cannot be recycled can be found on Council’s recycling guide at www.bathurst.nsw.gov.au.
For more information on the Australian recycling label please see visit www.planetark.org
