Items you’re recycling that belong in the Rubbish.

Which items go where? It’s easy to think that all items made from paper, plastic or steel can be recycled but this isn’t the case.

Here are 6 items we’re recycling wrong and handy tips on what you could do to improve your recycling.

Greasy paper/cardboard packaging

Everyone loves pizza but not everyone knows that some pizza boxes aren’t recyclable… So, any paper or cardboard with greasy oil stains are rubbish worthy. This is because the oil seeps through the paper and can’t be separated from the fibers.

Handy tips:
A. Take are-usable pizza box, you might even get a discount!
B. Break the greasy paper off the boxes that way you can throw them in the bin and recycle the clean pieces.

Coffee cups

Coffee cups are the number one offender that’s found in the recycle bin but belongs in the rubbish.

Coffee cups are lined with polyethylene to make them liquid proof that’s expensive to reprocess. You can’t really tell if the cup has been lined or not so, it’s better to be throw them in the waste pile.

One of the ways to avoid coffee cups is purchase reusable ones instead. (plus, they look a lot cooler too.)

Plastic Bottles and Aluminum cans

We tricked ya! These items can be recycled but are you recycling them the right way?

Always remember to be a tidy kiwi~ rinse, squash or flatten your empty bottles and cans. This makes them a lot easier to recycle and cleaner for waste managers to handle.

Plastic Bags

A common misconception with plastic bags is that they can be recycled … but they’re horrible to process and toxic for our environment. Let’s save our time andsay no to plastic bagsand opt for reusable ones!

Food packaging

Many containers can be recycled. But other items like chip packets or lolly wrappers are waste items because of the reflective film that can’t be reprocessed.

Handy tip: Buy your food in bulk and take your own containers… that way you can minimise your plastic waste.

Disposable Diapers

Believe it or not, people place them into the recycle bin. It makes things a lot easier for waste managers if we toss these in the rubbish as there isn’t much use for them once they’re filled with human waste.

Handy tip: consider washable or cloth nappies. These are reusable and more affordable options.

It’s little tips and tricks like this that can make a massive difference to our environment.

Double check with your local collection organisation as requirements vary slightly from area to area.

Hope this helps to improve your recycling habits or gets you motivated to start recycling today!