Phew now here's a list I hate putting together. It's frustratingly longer than it should be and that's down to a combination of manufacturers continuing to produce un-sustainable packaging (and products) and mainstream recycling plants not yet being able to separate the unfortunately large number of items that MUST NOT go into your yellow lid bin.
Plastic Bags It may come to a shock to many people, but recyclables INSIDE plastic bags cannot be recycled. Similarly loose plastic bags must not go into your yellow lid bin.
Why? They can get stuck in the recycling plant conveyor belt and cause jams or worse, start fires.
Instead, empty your plastic bags filled with recyclables directly into the yellow lid bin. Then save all your plastic bags and take to a Redcycle bin at any participating Coles or Woolworths.
Takeaway Coffee Cups
While the plastic tops of takeaway coffee cups can go into the yellow lid bin for recycling, the cup portion cannot.
Why? Unless otherwise stated, coffee cups are lined with a thin layer of plastic to make them waterproof. Unfortunately this means that they cannot be recycled through conventional methods.
Luckily there is a program working to recycle coffee cups through a Closed Loop system. Simply Cups is an initiative of Closed Loop who have partnered with 7-Eleven to collect and recycle takeaway coffee cups since 2017. Collect your cups and take to your nearest collection point.
Disposable Nappies
Eww you'd be surprised how frequently nappies get put into our yellow lid bins when they REALLY need to go into general waste.
Why? Not sure this one needs too much of an explainer as fecal matter is both unhygienic to anyone sorting recyclables and could contaminate the entire bin, meaning every other recyclable item goes to landfill.
While there isn't a nappy recycling program I know of, an alternative to disposable nappies is to consider using cloth nappies where possible.
Garden Waste
Another straight forward one, but any garden waste that accidentally goes into your yellow lid bin contaminates the rest of the recyclables.
If you have a compost bin, be sure to put all green waste into this and check out our blog entry to help you Get Started with Compost.
Polystyrene
The substance commonly known as Styrofoam is used in the housing industry as an insulator and in a variety of packaging materials. Polystyrene takes at least 500 years to break down making it a concern when entering landfill because it can easily break up into smaller pieces which wildlife may mistake for food. While polystyrene is terrible for the environment, it must not go into your recycling.
Why? Although the means exist to recycle polystyrene, it is much more expensive to do so than to simply produce more polystyrene and unfortunately currently our main stream recycling plants do nt have the means to separate polystyrene and recycle.
The good news is that there are places across Australia that recycle Styrofoam. I suggest checking the EPS website for your state/territory and contacting them to see if they will accept domestic drop offs.
Clothing
I can sort of undertand the logic in thinking that clothes you no longer want go into the recycling bin HOWEVER this is another big no no.
Why? Recycling facilities in Australia are not equipped to sort out clothes from plastics and other recyclables and by putting your unwanted clothing in your yellow lid bin, you run the risk of contaminating the entire bin.
Good news though! If the clothing you no longer want is still in a wearable condition then you can donate them directly to an op shop (most stores have bins outside for collections) or you can take them to large donation bins that can be found throughout the state. Additionally there are some services such as Man Rags who provide a service to recycle your socks. You can find other ideas on what to do with unwanted clothing here.
Bubble Wrap
Similar to plastic bags, bubble wrap cannot go into your yellow lid bin.
Why? It can get stuck in the recycling plant conveyor belt and cause jams or worse, start fires.
Instead add your bubble wrap to your soft plastics collection and take to a Redcycle bin at any participating Coles or Woolworths. Alternatively, consider keeping some on hand for wrapping presents and packing in the future.
Syringes or Medical Waste
While generally people who inject drugs dispose of their used injecting equipment in a safe manner, anyone finding a syringe in a park or other public place can cause some people to panic. Used syringes or medical waste must not go into the recycling bin.
Why? As these items are too small to be separated by the recycling plant machinery, you are actually putting workers at risk by putting these into your yellow lid bin.
Instead, refer to this website for accurate information on how and where to dispose of syringes. Additionally, if you have unwanted medicines (expired or no longer needed) you can do so at your local pharmacy for free - for more information click here.
Dead Animals
Unfortunately most of us have experienced the loss of a family pet. Most vets will provide assistance if you have made the decision to have a pet euthanased however for pets that die at home it is important to remember that they must not go in the yellow lid bin!
Why? Seems an obvious one to me, but when deceased animals decompose, fluids and hair and other substances will contimnate all other recycling contents in your bin and mean it will end up being sent to landfill.
Instead consider a home burial of your beloved pet. Ensure it is buried to a depth of at least 45 cm and place rocks or logs over the burial site to ensure domestic/wild dogs or foxes do not dig up the carcass.
Oils
Oil is a valuable and limited resource that can quickly contaminate water sources. Did you know if takes only one litre of oil to contaminate one million litres of water and a single car oil change produces 4 to 5 litres of used oil?! It is important therefore that it does not go into your yellow lid OR red lid bin.
Why? There is the potential for contents from both these bins to end up in landfill where oil can seep into groundwater or directly into the ocean.
Consider instead heading to your local oil recycling station (for example SuperCheap Auto offer Oil Recycling at selected stores).
Ceramics
Ceramic products such as paving and roof tiles are common waste products in the construction and demolition industry. The production of ceramics is emissions intensive, producing a number of toxic substances, so when they are recycled or reused, these outputs are decreased. While they can be recycled in non-standard locations, you must not place these in your yellow lid bin.
Why? Current recycling plants do not have the capacity to sort ceramics from your other recycling.
Many 'recycling yards' take bricks and concrete and these will also accept ceramics although it's always best to check in advance before rocking up. Check out this site to learn more about why recycling ceramics is good for the environment and where you can take them.
Ovenware
Ovenware such as pyrex is a type of glass that has been specially treated to withstand high temperatures. Unfortunately this makes it non-recyclable and cannot go into your yellow lid bin.
Why? Due to the treament process during manufacturing, the type of glass used to make ovenware is considered a contaminant to container glass recycling. The high melting point of heat-treated glass and its add chemical compounds means it must stay out of your recycling bin.
However to reduce landfill (and given that glass alone makes up 5% of garbage in landfill), consider donating your no longer needed ovenware to an op shop OR if it is damaged in some way, look at some novel ways to repurpose your products such as converting to bird bath or plant dish. Another suggestion is to sell these products online as some ovenware is highly collectible (even valuable!).
Light Bulbs
Standard types of broken globes should always be wrapped and placed in your landfill (red lid) bin. They should never go into your yellow lid bin. Additionally, fluorescent tubes, compact fluoros, HIDs and metal halides all contain mercury and need to be recycled in specific programs.
Why? Unfortunately as most incandescent globes and halogens are made from low value materials, recycling them is not common, particularly as users shift to more energy and cost efficient fluorescent light sources. For flurescent tubes, recovering the small amount of mercury in each tube means it can be used again and kept out of landfill.
For fluorescent tubes, here is a website that lists places within Australia where you can recycle.
Batteries
Batteries should never be placed in your yellow lid or red lid bin.
Why? Rechargable batteries and lithium ion batteries are hazardous and could start a fire at the recycling facility.
Instead check out the many locations across Australia including Aldi, Battery World and Officeworks that provide battery recycling. For information on other battery recycling (such as mobile phone batteries) click here.
THREE Take Home Tips:
Any contaminants you put into the yellow lid bin WILL ruin all the other recycling material in that bin and send it straight to landfill.
Most items CAN be recycled or repurposed; spending a few moments to consider each item that enters your red lid bin will decrease the amount of landfill.
There is a huge amount of information online about this so start searching!
Obligatory Plea for Comments: what items do you not know what to do with?
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