RECYCLING REMINDER WHILE IN SELF-ISOLATION

Keep Australia Beautiful shares some quick tips on how to recycle at home while we adapt to the changes to our daily habits.

We’re all adapting to a new way of life that’s been brought on by the Coronavirus pandemic. It’s forced all of us to rapidly change our behaviours – from working from home to not being able to eat out, we’re all creating new routines together.

With the hospitality industry moving to a take-away only option and many of us cooking at home, we thought now is a good time for a recycling reminder so we know what you can and can’t put in your bins.

Coffee cups

For obvious health reasons, keep cups are banned from use at cafes. Good news is you can recycle takeaway coffee cups at 7-Eleven via Simply Cups. Any brand of coffee cup is accepted, and both cups and lid are upcycled into new products. If you can’t get to a 7-Eleven store, throw the cup in the general rubbish and the lid in the plastics recycling.

Styrofoam

If you’re rotating through a daily Menulog delivery, it’s likely your food is arriving in Styrofoam packaging. This cannot be recycled so must go in the general rubbish bin.

Soft plastics

This is basically anything you can scrunch up with your hand and is often used in packaging for food and household items. It can’t be recycled in kerbside bins. Good news though! Most supermarkets have dedicated collection bins that accept soft plastics for recycling.

Plastic

Whether it’s drink bottles or take-away containers, most councils accept these in kerbside recycling bins. Just remember to give them a quick rinse in water before disposing to remove excess food or liquid.

Food

Most of us understand leftover food and scraps cannot be recycled. But did you know organic waste in landfill produces methane gas when decomposing? This gas can be very harmful to the environment. Some local councils will allow you to dispose of food organics in your green bin. Otherwise, you can order your own home compost bin. A fun DIY project while in self-isolation.

Recycling is a simple yet effective way we can make a positive contribution back to the planet while at home. Getting the whole family involved can also help provide a fun project for everyone to be involved in.

Useful links

• More information on soft plastics recycling, visit RedCycle
• More information on the details of hard plastic recycling, visit Recycling near you
• To find out more about purchasing your own compost bin, visit Compost Revolution

^{Photo by Sarah Swinton on Unsplash}