We are encouraging residents to take a few minutes to refresh their recycling
knowledge with a new recycling campaign funded by Sustainability Victoria.
Contamination in recycling
costs the Council hundreds of thousands of dollars a year to remove, and the
new Recycle Right campaign aims to help clear up common points of confusion.
Placing materials in yellow recycling bins inside plastic bags is the most
common error made by local residents, while items like electronic waste and
batteries in kerbside bins have caused several truck fires in Greater Geelong
and the Surf Coast Shire this year.
To improve recycling, we're also stepping up its bin inspection program, with a focus on the small
group of households who continue to put bagged rubbish and other contaminants
in their recycling after multiple education reminders.
These households will receive
a reminder call from the waste education team and may have their bin rejected
for collection if serious contamination continues.
The most common recycling
mistakes in Greater Geelong are:
- Bagged recycling in paper or plastic bags: Always keep recycling loose.
- Soft plastics and plastic bags: Put these in your red rubbish bin.
- Tissues and paper towels: Put these in your red rubbish bin.
- Batteries and electronics: Drop batteries at supermarkets or Resource Recovery Centres.
Click here to learn more and request a free Which Bin? magnet to be posted to you.
Councillor Peter Murrihy, chair of the Environment and Circular Economy
portfolio:
Recycling correctly is one of the easiest ways to help the
planet and keep the costs of waste low for everyone.
Even if you think you know
how to recycle, it’s worth taking a few minutes to check you’re doing it right
as recycling has changed in recent years.