Recycling in our City

News Update 7 May 2018

As traditional forms of waste disposal change, costs rise and landfill sites become scarce, local governments around Australia face increasing challenges in delivering effective and sustainable waste management. 

The recent restrictions China has placed on importing low quality recyclable waste has highlighted the importance of ensuring our recyclables are correctly sorted and uncontaminated before being sent for domestic or international consumption.

Targets

The State Government’s Western Australian Waste Strategy is the blueprint for the way in which waste issues are managed in WA.
 
The strategy has set ambitious targets for residential waste disposal and recycling across the Perth metropolitan area. Recovery targets for municipal solid waste were set at 50% in 2015, rising to 65% by 2020.
 
Since 2010/11 general waste to landfill collected from City of South Perth households has increased from 13,494 tonnes annually to 14,073 tonnes in 2016/17, with a peak of 14,692 tonnes in 2014/15. Recycling during this time has remained steady at an annual average of just over 3,400 tonnes.
 
Currently, residential recycling in the City of South Perth represents 22-26% of all household waste generated. The City’s performance is aligned with the State’s overall waste trends, with Western Australians generating the highest levels of waste per capita at 3.2 tonnes annually.
 

What can you do?

When we recycle, recyclable materials are reprocessed into new products, and as a result the amount of rubbish sent to landfill sites reduces. Correctly separating materials into your yellow top recycling bin assists the City in turning recyclables into a ‘clean’ product, free of contamination for domestic or international recycling. 
 
All recyclables should be clean before putting them in the bin and all food and liquid should be removed. Everything should be loose and not in plastic bags.
 
Follow #waroncontamination on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram or visit the City's waste contractor Cleanaway website for more information about creating a sustainable future.
 

Recycling tips

  • All recyclables should be clean before putting them in the bin 
  • All food and liquid should be removed
  • Everything should be loose and not in plastic bags, there's no need to bag recyclable items - we can't recycle them if they're bagged up
  • Remove lids they cannot be recycled
  • Rinse all jars, bottles and containers
  • Place items loosely in the bin
  • Flatten cardboard and crush cans and plastics to save space.

YES - Your recycling bin should only contain the following:

  • Glass

  • Newspaper, office paper, magazines, junk mail and phone books

  • Drink cartons including fruit juice and milk cartons (no silver-lined UHT cartons)

  • Plastic bottles (no lids) and containers with the recycling symbol at the bottom should be thoroughly rinsed and containing no hazardous materials

  • Steel and aluminium foil, aluminium cans including aerosol cans. No other metal items of any kind.

  • All other cardboard. Please remove contents and liners and flatten.

NO - Your recycling bin must not contain:

  • Lids of any bottles or jars

  • China, porcelain or pottery

  • Garden refuse

  • Liquids of any kind

  • Household food materials

  • Polystyrene containers such as meat trays and packaging

  • Cling wrap, bread bags or plastic bags.

For more information about the City's recycling programs visit the Waste & Recycling page of the City's website.

 

Recycling yellow top bin

The City of South Perth and Cleanaway invite you to help fight the war on contaminated recycling material as part of a campaign to reduce waste sent to landfill. #waroncontamination

Media contact

For media enquiries, please contact the City’s Communications Officer.