Recycling

GREAT Sorts know that RECYCLING is simple. It’s about putting all these 5 items into the recycling bin at home; that’s paper, cardboard and cans as well as plastic and glass (containers, bottles and jars). Nothing else, all these 5 and only these 5.

Recycle all these 5

What items can go in the recycling bin? WasteSorted households keep it simple by remembering to recycle just these 5:

WasteSorted ways

The best recyclers sort it out in the kitchen by having a recycling tub next to the kitchen bin. In the kitchen it’s easy to separate, rinse and recycle.

What happens to recycled items?

Once collected, separated and processed, recycled items become valuable materials that can be used to produce new products. Cans become cars, glass becomes roadbase, bottles become insulation or beanies, and so on!
Many materials are recycled back to their original purpose, such as plastic bottles and paper products – closing the loop of the product’s life cycle. Others are transformed into completely new products such as furniture, car bumpers and shelving. Some materials, such as steel and aluminium cans, have no limit to the number of times they can be recycled back into new products.

Recycling significantly reduces the amount of materials sent to landfill.

GREAT Sorts help the sorting

Recycling facilities in Western Australia use a combination of magnets, blowers, tumblers and grids to separate the types of recycling. GREAT Sorts help this process by recycling just the 5 and placing items in the recycling bin:

• Loose, never in bags
• Rinsed and free from food residue
• Lids off

If in doubt about recycling, remember ‘just the 5’ or check out the detailed information at Recycle Right.

• You can also take your eligible beverage containers to a refund point to receive a 10 cent refund. 
  Find out more about the Container Deposit Scheme.

Find a better place for clothes, batteries and other items

Virtually everything has a better place to go – we just need to be GREAT Sorts and treat landfill as the last resort. Clothes, toys, batteries, plastic bags and bulbs all have other places to go. Learn more about correct disposal here: Take to drop-off.

Soft or ‘scrunchable’ plastics cannot go in your recycling bin. This includes plastic bags, plastic food wrap, food packaging such as pasta, rice and cereal bags, and bubble wrap. If soft plastics are unavoidable dispose of it in your general waste bin.