MIDCOAST council NATIONAL RECYCLING WEEK 2019 Here on the MidCoast we think recycling is a good thing to do, with 73% of householders regularly wheeling recyclable waste out to the kerb in our bright yellow-lidded bins. But trying to become the best sort in the neighbourhood can sometimes mean we're overzealous, and send the wrong things off for recycling. Here are some of the IMAGINE BEING a E BEST most common mistakes we make: SORT IN YOUR STREET Nothing smaller than a credit card When little items like plastic lids, bread tags and straws are presented for recycling, they can fall through gaps and end up in the wrong place. When this happens, a full load of normally recyclable material may be contaminated and sent to landfill. Anything smaller than a credit card goes in your red-lidded bin. Don't bag or box You've done the hard yards and sorted your recyclables, but don't fall into the trap of putting them in a plastic bag or a box before they go in your yellow bin. Our machinery can't open and empty the contents, which means all the items you sorted for recycling end up in landfill Keep your items loose. E-AE RE-IMAGINE WASTE WASTE No soft plastics The trouble with plastic bags, chip packets, bread bags, cling film and other soft plastics is that they're so light they usually end up in the paperstream- and even the smallest amount of plastic can ruin the whole lot, meaning all your effort to sort your paper recyclables is wasted. Soft plastic goes in your red-lidded bin, or look out for REDcycle bins at local supermarkets. Make sure it's empty Food and liquid inside containers means- they're not able to be recycled. Empty drink bottles and laundry liquid containers, scrape out or rinse food containers, and place uneaten pizza in the red bin. While the container or pizza box might be recyclable, its contents are not. Be a good sort! Find more great tips on how to make the most of your recycling, and an A to Z list of 'what goes where on our website. Re-imagine Waste is part of our commitment to reducing the amount of waste going to landfill. midcoast.nsw.gov.au/waste MIDCOAST council NATIONAL RECYCLING WEEK 2019 Here on the MidCoast we think recycling is a good thing to do, with 73% of householders regularly wheeling recyclable waste out to the kerb in our bright yellow-lidded bins. But trying to become the best sort in the neighbourhood can sometimes mean we're overzealous, and send the wrong things off for recycling. Here are some of the IMAGINE BEING a E BEST most common mistakes we make: SORT IN YOUR STREET Nothing smaller than a credit card When little items like plastic lids, bread tags and straws are presented for recycling, they can fall through gaps and end up in the wrong place. When this happens, a full load of normally recyclable material may be contaminated and sent to landfill. Anything smaller than a credit card goes in your red-lidded bin. Don't bag or box You've done the hard yards and sorted your recyclables, but don't fall into the trap of putting them in a plastic bag or a box before they go in your yellow bin. Our machinery can't open and empty the contents, which means all the items you sorted for recycling end up in landfill Keep your items loose. E-AE RE-IMAGINE WASTE WASTE No soft plastics The trouble with plastic bags, chip packets, bread bags, cling film and other soft plastics is that they're so light they usually end up in the paperstream- and even the smallest amount of plastic can ruin the whole lot, meaning all your effort to sort your paper recyclables is wasted. Soft plastic goes in your red-lidded bin, or look out for REDcycle bins at local supermarkets. Make sure it's empty Food and liquid inside containers means- they're not able to be recycled. Empty drink bottles and laundry liquid containers, scrape out or rinse food containers, and place uneaten pizza in the red bin. While the container or pizza box might be recyclable, its contents are not. Be a good sort! Find more great tips on how to make the most of your recycling, and an A to Z list of 'what goes where on our website. Re-imagine Waste is part of our commitment to reducing the amount of waste going to landfill. midcoast.nsw.gov.au/waste