Making a Good Sort even better

Kerbside recycling bin checks are on again in North West Tasmania!

As part of an annual program managed by Cradle Coast Waste Services, more than 10,000 random household recycling bins will be examined to identify trends in recycling – what’s being recycled right and what items are mistakenly being put into recycling bins.

The lessons learnt will guide regional education and awareness activities with the ultimate aim of improving the quality of resources recovered and reducing the amount of recyclable materials that end up in landfill.

Recycling Audit and Data Officers will be looking at a selection of bins in Burnie City, Circular Head, Central Coast, Devonport City, Kentish, Latrobe and Waratah Wynyard municipal areas over two periods from 21 September – 31 October and 16 November – 27 November 2020.

The checks involve viewing the contents of each recycling bin placed at the kerbside and determining a performance result:

• Fail: When contaminants comprise more than 10% of the bin’s total content.
• Improvement Required: When contaminants comprise between 5% and 10% of the bin’s total content.
• Pass: Where there is only minor contamination less than 5% of the bin’s total content.

Upon completion of the assessment the Officers place a corresponding tag on the bin to notify residents of the outcome, and an information brochure and individualised written feedback may be left in the resident’s letterbox.

The Officers are hoping to see continued improvement in the pass rate which has generally been increasing over the past seven years of the program.

How to be a Good Sort?

The biggest problem items found in kerbside recycling in the Cradle Coast region are:

1. Plastic bags (the correct way to recycle these is in the RedCycle bins found in all Coles and Woolworths supermarkets)
2. Plastic food packaging, chip packets, bubble wrap, cling wrap and other ‘soft plastics’ that can be scrunched (the correct way to recycle these is in the RedCycle bins found in all Coles and Woolworths supermarkets)
3. Recycling packed inside boxes or bags (the correct way to recycle these is to keep items loose and jumbled up within the bin)
4. Polystyrene (there is no recycling option for these in North West Tasmania so best to avoid this material if possible, or place in the garbage bin)

Besides kerbside recycling, there are many other recycling services available in Tasmania, including light globes, batteries and scrap metal. Check out this list of FREE recycling available across the state: