Are The Following Items Recyclable (Domestic and Work Recycling)

AlienC on 06/01/2020 - 22:11

So at my work we have ecobin's which is basically 3 rectangular cardboard bins meant to be better for the environment and these are separated into

  • a yellow (mixed recycling)
  • a blue (paper only recycling and cardboard I think)
  • a red (landfill or general waste)

These bins sit in the office and kitchen all day then at the end of the day they are emptied and taken to

  • a big red tip bin (landfill or general waste)
  • a big blue tip bin (paper and cardboard only recycling)
  • a normal 240L yellow bin (co-mingled recycling which is basically milk cartons, plastic bottles, glass bottles and aluminum cans)

Now my question is for paper coffee cups (this to be specific https://www.sydneypackaging.com.au/cups/paper-hot-cups/multi…) which bin should they ultimately go to if soiled and if not soiled.

If really badly soiled then automatically I think they should go to landfill as washing it out becomes wasteful of water and silly and honestly not feasible or reasonable if there are a lot of soiled coffee cups but if only lightly soiled say like just some residue of milk or coffee or maybe some coffee stains or coffee grounds in the cup then I think if it is not too much like less than a drip then it can go into the mixed recycling and eventually the big blue bin or paper and cardboard only recycling because technically it is paper and maybe even the outside is cardboard.

I have been wondering if anybody knows more about this as I would feel bad if I just red binned what could have been recycled and vice versa recycled what should have been red binned.

Additionally can polystyrene lids be recycled with the co-mingled or even paper and cardboard only bin or just red bin landfilled into general waste.

I have the same question for plastic bottle and milk carton lids the caps on the top do they go to recycle too or red bin.

Lastly where do tissues go if they are barely soiled maybe just to dry wet hands or a small clean water spill is that straight to landfill or can that be "paper" recycled.

For now these few items have me guessing and I need to sort the trash every day so any information on this or great answers would be welcome thanks.

The bin collection they use is SITA or cleanaway sometimes but the bins are eco bins.

Thanks.

Food & Grocery

Comments

  • resubaehtgnolhcs on 06/01/2020 - 23:09
    +3

    The rules depend on your local council - here's an explanation for Sydney

    • AlienC on 06/01/2020 - 23:18

      So I gotta check each worksite I go to? Bah.

      Fwiw it is Lawson and Wentworth Falls and Katoomba I am interested in for now but potentially all of blue mountains.

      • resubaehtgnolhcs on 07/01/2020 - 00:02

        Yeah it's not simple, which is why we suck at recycling!

      • Ughhh on 07/01/2020 - 00:26
        +1

        I doubt each council has their own recycling plant.

        Just ring one council and chances are, the next council would say the same thing.

      • abb on 07/01/2020 - 09:36
        +1

        Pretty sure that's all Blue Mountains council.

        https://www.bmcc.nsw.gov.au/a-zwaste

        Coffee cups (either polystyrene or paper with a plastic coating) can't be recycled via your yellow recycling bin.
        The only way to dispose of this growing waste item is in the red garbage bin which goes to landfill. For this reason, it's important to buy and use a reusable coffee cup if possible.

        I think this is the same everywhere. Happy to be corrected, but my understanding is the plastic-lined paper is a no go.

        • AlienC on 07/01/2020 - 14:38

          Alright so everything back in the landfill bins except paper, cardboard, aluminium cans and plastic bottles lid and all.

          Gotcha.

          Coffee cups in the red bin landfill.

          • abb on 07/01/2020 - 16:00

            @AlienC: Yep. Try and use a re-usable one, I guess?

            Apparently BMCC does have a polystyrene packaging drop off thing, if that's of relevance -for clean packaging materials, not coffee cups or takeaway food.

  • SmiTTy on 07/01/2020 - 01:01
    +3

    I understand the standard coffee cups are not recyclable due to whatever they put inside the paper to ensure it holds the liquid and doesn't leak.

    https://www.choice.com.au/food-and-drink/drinks/tea-and-coff…

    Usually I throw the coffee cups in the bin and lids in the recycling

    • apsilon on 07/01/2020 - 06:08
      +1

      This is my understanding. I rarely use disposable cups unless I'm out somewhere and buy and unplanned coffee but if that happens, cup goes into landfill (I believe due to the plastic coating they can't be recycled) and lid in recycling.

      We have those same eco bins at work, as I'm sure many business do, and we too were never told what can go in the recycling bin. It just says mixed recyclables. So for example does that include soft plastics that are recyclable but not accepted by most councils? How do I know if these are being collected by council or by a third party who then sorts and sends the material off to various places? Someone supplied these bins so is it part of a service? How do I know they don't just all get collected and dumped into landfill anyway? I tried asking questions initially but no one knew as it was all arranged through head office and of course the promised follow up never eventuates. So I just do my best and follow the same guidelines as my council at home but it does annoy me that so much that is actually recyclable still goes to landfill because it's not profitable enough.

      • abb on 07/01/2020 - 09:37

        How do I know if these are being collected by council or by a third party who then sorts and sends the material off to various places?

        Ask your cleaners / facilities maintenance people?

      • zuccs on 07/01/2020 - 10:03

        So for example does that include soft plastics that are recyclable but not accepted by most councils?

        I don't think any councils accept soft plastics.

        REDcycle is where most of the soft plastic recycling programs are done through: https://www.redcycle.net.au

        Ecobin (no affiliation) do a soft plastics bin also: https://www.ecobin.com.au/product-category/indoor/soft-plast… - and then you can run this down to your local REDcycle drop off point.

        I tried asking questions initially but no one knew as it was all arranged through head office and of course the promised follow up never eventuates.

        Keep bugging them until you find out.

  • YadaYadaYada on 07/01/2020 - 01:09
    +4

    I don't think tissues are recyclable. They go in the general waste bin.

    Coffee cups are recyclable at Seven Eleven.

    Plastic bottle lids go in the trash because they're too small to be picked up by the recycling machines.

    • abb on 07/01/2020 - 09:39

      Plastic bottle lids go in the trash because they're too small to be picked up by the recycling machines.

      I leave them on the bottles.

      This is from BMCC (because I looked them up for above comment)

      https://www.bmcc.nsw.gov.au/a-zwaste

      Bottle tops and jar lids
      These can be disposed of in your yellow recycling bin. Try and keep like with like e.g. keep plastic lids on plastic bottles / remove metal lids from glass packaging and collect in a metal can.

  • flamesinfour on 08/01/2020 - 10:31

    The coffee cups don't go in those mixed recycling bins but a company - Simply Cups Australia - has started an initiative late last year to collect and recycle them. Our work introduced collection tubes for the cups - flip the lid into mixed recycling, tip the cup contents into sink, slip the cup into tubes.

    I'm so OCD about recycling that most times I bring home my takeaway lunch boxes (because those co-mingle bins don't state 'plastic takeaway packaging') and soft plastics - shopping bags, chip packets, lolly bags - to recycle from home.

  • Debuting on 09/01/2020 - 19:32

    Shredded Paper goes into the red bin. Basically everything should go through the shredder to minimise the risk of actual documents that should be shredded, not being shredded because someone is unsure which is which.

    I wonder how many of us don't have a choice because doing so would mean the red bin is full every week…

    • apsilon on 10/01/2020 - 06:02

      Shredded paper is supposed to go in the yellow (recycling) bin but be placed in a paper bag, not loose. I can certainly understand people not wanting to do that with sensitive info though. Anything of that nature for me goes in the secure destruction bins at work.

      • Debuting on 10/01/2020 - 13:35

        Is that allowed? I thought the bag can break because of the equipment and thus it is not recommended.

        I used to put some in large envelopes but the council ranger told me not to.

        • apsilon on 10/01/2020 - 13:52

          That's what my council (Hills Shire) says to do: "shredded paper cannot be placed into the recycling bin loose. It must be wrapped in newspaper or placed inside a brown paper bag".

          I'm really of the opinion that neither the councils or the recyclers really have a clue.

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