Recycling
Approximately 3000 tonnes of solid waste is generated each day in south-east Queensland.
There are many items in your home that are suitable for recycling.
Not only are steel cans 100 percent recyclable, they can be recycled over and over again, to make anything from cars and bicycles to more steel cans, without any loss of quality.
Every year, Queenslanders use around 180,000 tonnes of glass containers, of which only about 45,000 tonnes are being recycled. We also use 6.9 billion shopping bags in Australia every year, which are made from non-renewable resources.
However, it is not only supermarket items that can be recycled – aluminium pots and pans, cutlery, crockery, fridges and furniture are just some of the other things that can be reused or recycled.
How to maximise household recyclable waste
- Use environmentally-friendly green bags when you go to the supermarket.
- Buy refillable products and containers you can use over and over again for products like hand soap and laundry detergents.
- Make sure you use your kerbside recycling bin to properly dispose of recyclable items.
- All rigid plastic bottles and containers (except styrofoam), glass bottles and jars, steel cans (including spray cans), aluminium cans, paper and cardboard, liquid paperboard (milk and juice cartons) can be recycled.
- Don’t put plastic bags in the recycle bin. One plastic bag can ruin an entire load of recycling.
- Plastic bags can be recycled at your local shopping centre. The ‘Cleanup’ website has lots of information on how you can recycle plastic bags properly.
- With many larger household items, such as lounges, microwaves and cutlery, consider friends or relatives who may be able to use them.
If no-one you know has a need for your old items, contact charity groups such as Lifeline or St Vincent de Paul who can reuse or resell these items wisely.
