Recycle

Recycling Waste into New Products

Recycling follows re-use. After an item can no longer be re-used, it may be broken down into its original raw material state and used again to create the same or different products. After recyclable items are put into the yellow-topped bin, they are collected from your kerbside and taken to a MRF (Materials Recovery Facility) for sorting and separation. The sorted plastics, paper, metals and glass are sold to companies who reprocess these materials into new products.

In Perth's Eastern Region, all materials that are put into the yellow-topped bin that can currently be recycled are reprocessed into new products.

What is reprocessed from your yellow-topped recycling bin is affected by what we put into the bin in the first place.

Contamination of Recyclable Materials

Be careful not to contaminate the recycling process! People often don’t realise the problems created by putting even the smallest amount of non-recyclable material into the yellow-topped bin.

For example, a piece ceramic as small as a coin can cause a tonne of glass to be put into landfill instead of being recycled, and throwing rocks in the bin means they can get caught up in the process and break machinery. These are called contaminants, so don’t put them in your bin!

Also, recyclables should not be tied up in plastic bags! This makes sorting difficult and means that recyclables may get landfilled instead of recycled.

What can be recycled in Perth's Eastern Region

A comprehensive list of what can be recycled in Perth's Eastern Region is available on the Fact Sheets page.

For more information on recycling see:
www.wastewise.wa.gov.au
www.wastenet.com.au
www.recyclingnearyou.com.au