Recycling obsessor, Victoria Carter founder of eco-friendly car share company cityhop has written this dummies guide to what can go in the big recycling bins.
She says, “I was prompted to find out what can go in them since so many of my neighbours think any plastic, including plastic bags can go in the bins when in fact they pollute the whole truck.”
So what can go in the huge recycling bins. Auckland City’s website has an excellent A to Z list of all the things that can be recycled and how. Manukau City though, has an excellent picture guide to what can go in the bins.
Says Carter, “It’s in all our interests to put out less rubbish because it means lower rubbish costs from les rubbish going to landfill which should mean less rates. So let’s all have to play our part and put the right stuff in the bin.”
Here’s Victoria’s dummies guide to what can go in the big recycling bins.
But first plastic bags are a big no no as are glad wrap. Don’t put them in please people or they contaminate a whole truck full of rubbish. Why aren’t they wanted because they jam up the recycling machines. So find a supermarket that wants your plastic bags.
Everyone knows newspapers, junk mail, brochures, magazines ( even the glossies) cardboard packaging, and non-foil wrapping paper, telephone directories, writing paper cereal boxes, empty pizza boxes can go in. But did you know window envelopes with plastic windows can too.
Cans, drink cans, glass bottles, jars and rinsed food cans, even empty fly spray and other aerosols are allowed in the big bin.
Confused by the Code numbers 1,2 3,4, 5,6, 7 on plastics. Do you even know where to find them? Me neither. So here’s a lazy man’s guide to putting less rubbish in the landfill destined smaller bin. All these numbers below are allowed in your big bin.
PET 1 tend to be soft drink and water bottles, biscuit trays –like toffee pop packets but not the wrapper, detergent bottles fruit punnets, liquid soap containers, household cleaners and vitamin containers.
HDPE 2 are usually on milk bottles, ice cream containers, fruit juice bottles, shampoo and detergent bottles, sunscreen and dishwasher containers.
PVC 3 are detergent bottles, cosmetic containers, electrical conduit, plumbing pipes, blister packs.
LDPE 4 can be found on squeezy bottles, ice cream containers, lids and plastic plates and cups
PP 5 are usually Dip containers, ice cream tubs, margarine containers, plastic plates, cups, large yoghurt containers and cutlery and squeezy bottles.
PS 6 is on the large yoghurt containers, yoghurt pottles, dip containers, ice cream container tubs and lids. Sadly you will also find it on polystyrene meat trays, foamed polystyrene hot drink cups and polystyrene packaging but you can’t put these in the big bins.
7 is for other squeezy bottles, plastic plates and spreadable butter containers.
Victoria says, “she already puts out a half full rubbish bin but doing the research she has found her butter containers and biscuit trays can now go in the big bins.” Maybe you have found how you can recycle more?
Next blog Victoria will tell you what those plastics get recycled into. It’s amazing – you’ll never look at a sleeping bag inner in the same cosy way!
