Recycling doesn’t have to be a complicated game, nor does it have to take up much of your time. Let’s make it easy: we’ve compiled a list of recycling facts that we think, every Aussie ought to know.
The average Australian produces 1.9 tonnes of waste each year. Put all that waste together, and on whole, Australia produces a whopping 41 million tonnes annually.
Whether you’re a believer in climate change or not, the amount of waste produced in Australia cannot be sustainably tolerated. One person making a change adds up when it’s a collective effort. Moving forward, it’s important to take recycling seriously, and to separate and dispose your waste correctly.
If you’re new to recycling, make it fun! Set yourself the challenge to repurpose something in your house, rather than chucking it out.
The average Australian household waste is comprised of approximately 50% organic waste. However, more often than not, organic waste is chucked in with the normal rubbish.
Common types of organic waste found in the average household:
Organic waste can be recycled into farming or gardening products such as fertilisers and compost. The next time you’re disposing of waste, check to ensure the waste can’t be repurposed in your own home or collected by your local council.
The Southern Metropolitan Regional Council, as well as Cities of Fremantle and Melville, are the first to trial the 3-bin Food Organics Garden Organics (FOGO) system. The trial commenced October 2017 and was rolled out to 7,000 households. Residents received a new 240L lime green topped bin for FOGO waste, as well as a kitchen caddy to separate materials.
The service is set to expand, but only as demand increases. To register your interest, it’s important you email wac.inbox@cityofperth.wa.gov.au. For residents outside of Perth, contact your local council for more information.
How often do you just throw away your coke can like trash? Aluminum recycling has the ability to save a lot of energy and power across thousands of homes throughout Australia. Simply put, aluminum can be cleaned and melted down, saving 94% of the energy needed to produce aluminum from the ore. That’s a whole lot of saved energy, that can be repurposed to power Australian homes and businesses.
Recently in Western Australia plastic bags have been removed from grocery stores to encourage people to cut down on plastic bag waste. The decision has created widespread controversy, but despite what side of the fence you’re on – it’s a fact that plastic bags are one of Australia’s major waste problems.
The average Australian uses approximately 170 plastic bags every year. Out of the 170 plastic bags, 150 are dumped in landfill. This overwhelming rate of waste adds to 200,000 bags deposited in landfill every hour.
Are you ready to recycle your plastic bags properly? Coles and Woolworths now have plastic bag recycling bins at the front of their shop. Most council recycling bins no longer permit plastic bags in recycling bins. Check with your local council for more information regarding your area.
What do you do with your unwanted batteries? You’re about to think twice about this decision. In Australia, one of the most common waste materials in landfills are batteries.
Every year in Australia, 3,300 tonnes of battery lithium-ion waste is created at a growing rate of 20% each year. However, with the demand for lithium-ion technology increasing, batteries have become a sought-after recyclable product. If recycled, approximately 95% of components of lithium-ion batteries can be used for new batteries or repurposed for other products.
Do you have large amounts of waste to dispose of? Skip bins is an efficient solution for large amounts of waste, whether it’s a construction site, workplace or home. For your next project, consider an eco-friendly skip bin provider to dispose of your waste safely, and correctly.
If you need skip bin hire in Canning Vale, or just have any questions about what can or cannot go in your skip bin, contact us today!
