Here’s a quick and easy recycling guide.
Cardboard boxes
This one’s easy!
After unpacking your goodies, flatten your cardboard boxes to save space (if they are really large boxes, you can cut the cardboard up into smaller pieces). Remove any tape on the boxes, but if there are a few bits remaining, don’t worry too much. Then, just add them to your yellow top recycling bin (as long as everything is clean).
Bubble wrap
Brilliant for popping - not so brilliant for recycling. Unfortunately, now that the REDcycle program has been suspended – bubble wrap can’t be recycled with soft plastics at your local shopping centre, but you can save it and reuse it for your own parcels.
If it can't be reused, bubble wrap should be placed in the red-lid general waste bin.
‘Jiffy’ padded bags
These are the bags that have a paper exterior with a bubble wrap lining (or something similar). Because they are mixed materials, they can’t be put into your kerbside recycling bins so it’s best to reuse them whenever possible. If not, they go into your general waste kerbside bin and off to landfill.
Tissue paper
If the tissue paper is clean and dry and in whole sheets, it can go into your yellow-lid recycling bin.
If the tissue paper is shredded, it can't go into the yellow-lid recycling bin, as the pieces are too small. If you have a FOGO bin, you can put it in there, otherwise it must go into the general waste bin (red lid) or try some of these handy uses instead.Polystyrene
If you've bought any electrical equipment, it will probably arrive protected by moulded polystyrene. This is a bit of a tricky one when it comes to recycling! It’s not accepted in kerbside recycling bins, but you can take it to specialist recycling facilities. Find your nearest one here
If a drop-off point isn’t convenient, you’ll have to place polystyrene in your general waste bin.
Packing peanuts
Just like bubble wrap, packing peanuts can be saved for future use, such as putting them at them in the bottom of any large, heavy plant pots – they are good for drainage and because you are adding less potting mix, they will be a bit lighter and easier to move.
You can also drop them off at specialist polystyrene recycling centres.
If you need to dispose of them, place them in the red-topped general waste bin. They can’t be recycled through kerbside collection.
Silica gel packets
These are the tiny packages you find in your online shopping parcels and designed to control moisture so the contents don’t get damaged. They can’t be recycled but they are actually very handy for other things. Take a look at the different ways you can use them.
Plastic bags and wrapping
Some retailers have now started using plastic packaging that if you open carefully, you can reuse for any returns – so it’s a great idea to do this if you can.
You can also save plastic bags and wrappings for future use, such as bin liners or packing material.
If you can’t (or don’t want to) reuse them they should go in the red-lid general waste bin as they can’t be recycled through kerbside collection.
Donate
Schools and craft groups often appreciate donations of clean, reusable packaging materials - just check with them first, if they will be of any use.
Remeida?Compostable packaging
This is a bit of a confusing one. Just because a packaging item says ‘compostable’ doesn’t necessarily mean you can just throw it into your home composting.
Compostable plastic
This will only decompose in an industrial composting facility. It needs temperatures over 55°C to start breaking down, and we can’t achieve this in our backyards. Plus, there are very few commercial facilities in Australia right now. If your council offers a FOGO collection, it usually includes compostable packaging since FOGO is sent to a commercial composting facility.
Home compostable plastic
This can be added to your home compost bin or FOGO bin with your food scraps and garden waste. It breaks down into its organic components at much lower temperatures than compostable plastic, and the process takes months rather than years. If you don't have a compost bin, put home compostable wrapping in your general waste bin.
It should never be put into your yellow lid recycling bin.
The difference between compostable and biodegradeable plastic
