Do you recycle well? Snowy Monaro residents are being encouraged to follow a number of helpful tips to avoid common mistakes that cause contamination in our recycling stream.
These tips will also assist in preventing overflowing bins that when presented for collection can send flyaway litter into the environment.
Here’s a few tips to keep you recycling right:
• Keep out polystyrene: Polystyrene can’t be recycled through Council’s kerbside collection. This needs to be put in your general waste bin.
• Keep boxes flat: Our recycling bins may be big, but we’d still like you to flatten boxes before placing them in your recycling bin to help maximise space and ensure the boxes fit through the conveyor at the sorting facility.
• Keep out soft plastics: This includes all plastic bags, even if they have a recycling symbol, are degradable or compostable, and other soft plastics including cling wrap, chip packets and bread bags. These can be dropped off at the REDcycle collection point at most supermarkets.
• Keep out small items: Any items smaller than a credit card fall through the sorting conveyor and end up contaminating the glass stream. All plastic lids need to be removed from bottles and those smaller than a credit card put in your waste 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: put each item into your yellow recycling bin separately, don’t bag, box or contain your recyclable items.
• Keep a lid on it: Make sure your bin is not overfull and the lid can close properly to avoid littering caused by wind and animals.
