Working together to recycle right
11 November 2024
As part of National Recycling Week, 11-17 November, Council is encouraging residents to continue their efforts to recycle right and to learn more about problematic waste.
Now in its 28th year, National Recycling Week provides an important opportunity to improve recycling knowledge and develop better recycling habits, while building greater trust in the recycling process.
Council’s Resource Recovery Education Officer Yvette van Amstel said the week is a good reminder for us to choose products with recycled content to ensure our recycled products are valuable.
“Recycling what we can in our yellow kerbside bin keeps waste from heading to landfill which benefits the environment and the community,” Ms van Amstel said.
“It’s surprising what new products your recycled items are being turned into - plastic industrial pallets, geo-matting for embankments, piping, paper, cardboard, new glass jars, bottles and more.
“If you’re ever confused about what goes in your yellow kerbside bin, check out our Waste Wizard tool on Council’s website.”
As part of the week’s activities, Council is working with partner North East Waste to encourage residents to set up long-term recycling practices.
“There are so many avenues available now to recycle in different spheres of our lives and through different sectors of business, community and Government,” Education Coordinator at North East Waste Linda Tohver said.
“National Recycling Week allows us the opportunity to remember that recycling doesn’t offer a complete solution to everything and remembering to take our reusable bag, water bottle, coffee cup, container and cutlery when out and about, ensures we avoid single-use products as well.”
Top tips for recycling at home:
- Check it before you chuck it. Check the label to see if the item can be recycled
- Don’t bag your recycling. Put it all in loose
- Leave out things like plastic bags and soft plastics, clothes and fabric, glass and crockery
- Leave out anything smaller than a credit card.
Top tips for recycling beyond your kerbside bin:
- Return and Earn – currently accepts drink containers such as cans, beer and mixer bottles, cartons, juice boxes and poppers
- Household and car batteries, paints, oils, gas bottles and fluoro globes and tubes and smoke detectors are accepted for free at the Community Recycling Centre (CRC) at Stotts Creek Resource Recovery Centre
- Various take-back schemes through Terracycle.com are now in place for a variety of beauty, self-care and dental products
- For smaller quantities of problem waste, like household batteries and mobile phones, residents have access to the region’s network of free Community Recycling Stations, installed by Council and North East Waste. To find out more, visit newaste.org.au/crs.html or contact Council
- Most household batteries can also be recycled at B-cycle drop off points available at participating retailers including Woolworths, Coles, Aldi, Bunnings and Battery World.
Find out more about recycling and reducing waste at tweed.nsw.gov.au/recycling-reducing-waste