Recycling Qld – let’s get it sorted
Recycling facts and myths
Recycling plays a vital role in reducing the amount of waste sent to landfill in Queensland. Learn more about why it’s important and how it works with these facts and myth busters.
Our recycling just goes to landfill = MYTH
The recycling industry in Australia relies on material in our household yellow lid bin to operate.
In most cases, sending household recyclables to landfill is more expensive for collection companies than recycling.
Here is a simple explanation of what happens when you put items in your yellow lid bin:
- Collection: Your yellow-lid bin is collected and taken to a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF).
- Sorting: At the MRF, recyclables are sorted into categories like paper, plastic, and glass using a mix of manual and high-tech methods.
- Pre-sorting: Before machines take over, workers remove non-recyclable items called contaminants.
- Automated sorting: Machines separate materials further, with magnets picking up steel and optical scanners identifying paper and different plastics.
- Baling: Each material stream is turned into a bale that is suitable for sale on the open commodity market for processing. Purity depends on the type of technology at the MRF.
- Processing: Each material is processed differently; plastics can be turned into flakes for use in different products (including back into plastic bottles), paper is pulped and dried and turned into new paper, and glass is crushed and melted and turned into new bottles and jars.
- Innovation: Recycled materials are used to make various new products, contributing to a circular economy and reducing the amount of waste that is sent to landfill.
Councils have their own rules when it comes to recycling = FACT
Depending on the service provided and the MRF accepting the material, some councils may not accept certain materials. For example, some councils may only accept paper and cardboard while others accept a larger range of recyclable items.
There are 77 councils in Queensland, and each has its own policies and infrastructure. This means each council is responsible for what materials are accepted for recycling, how they can be sorted, and how they are collected and processed.
Be sure to check your council's recycling guidelines or check out Recycle Mate for localised information to recycle more items more often.
Putting a couple of items in the wrong bin really doesn’t matter = MYTH
Contamination occurs when items that can’t be recycled end up in the yellow lid bin. Even low levels of contamination can create issues with processing and too much of the wrong waste could mean it is sent to landfill.
Items that end up in the wrong bin don’t just cause contamination. If recyclable items go into the general waste bin, they end up in landfill instead of getting a valuable second life.
Also be aware of ‘wishcycling’. This is when items are placed in the yellow lid bin hoping they belong there. While this optimism is well-intentioned, it’s also a big contributor to contamination. If you are not sure, it’s best to check the Recycle Mate app. You can enter your location as well as the items you’re unsure about, and the website will let you know which bin to use.
Recycling has benefits for the environment and the economy = FACT
The more we recycle, the more value we’ll get from materials and products that are already in use. This means using less raw materials to make everyday products.
Keeping materials out of Iandfill helps to protect our natural environment by eliminating waste and pollution and helping to tackle global challenges like climate change and biodiversity loss.
The recycling industry also creates thousands of jobs, improves local services in our communities and supports businesses, community groups, schools and local governments to consider waste avoidance and reduction initiatives.
Every time you choose to place a recyclable item in the yellow-lid bin instead of the general waste bin, you’re contributing to Queensland’s vision to become a zero-waste society where waste is avoided, and materials are reused to the greatest possible extent.
Recycling is all shipped overseas = MYTH
On average, around 80% of recovered materials are recycled right here in Queensland every year (Recycling and waste in Queensland report). It’s true that some materials are sent overseas for processing as we don’t have the processing capacity in Queensland or in Australia.
Through the Recycling and Jobs Fund, the Queensland Government is supporting the sustainable growth of the recycling industry to recover and recycle even more valuable resources into the future.
In this guide:
- Keep it loose – don't bag your recycling
- Get your plastics sorted
- Get your metals sorted
- Make sorting your recycling simple
- Get your glass sorted
- Get your paper and cardboard sorted
- The top five materials – dos and don’ts
- Recycling facts and myths
- Useful links