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Recycling

Your bins

The City is visiting every apartment building village-by-village to make sure your bins meet City of Sydney standards. We're gradually moving to a combined recycling system where all recycling, including paper and cardboard, can go into the yellow-lid bin.

All recycling is also collected by one truck and sorted afterwards at the materials recovery facility.

It may take some time before every apartment building has yellow bins, so keep recycling as usual until then. If you live in a house, you should already have them.

It's all part of our Waste and Recycling Improvement Program to make recycling easier for residents and recover more recyclables for the City.

In 2010/2011, we collected nearly 16,000 tonnes of recycling from City residents and we're aiming to smash that number this year.

Containers and packaging

Containers made of aluminium, steel, plastic and glass can be recycled.

RECYCLING

Once collected, your recycling is sorted, separated and then reprocessed at another location. Potential uses vary – for example, plastics are used to make winter fleeces and aluminium cans are used to build aeroplanes!

Examples of items we recycle include:

  • Aluminium and steel tins/cans
  • Aerosol cans
  • Glass bottles and jars
  • Plastic soft-drink and water bottles
  • Plastic food containers, tubs and trays
  • Juice and milk cartons and bottles
  • ‘Tetra pak’ drink containers  

Did you know?

The number in the triangle identifies the type of plastic a container is made from, not whether or not it is recyclable.

Items we can’t accept

The following items can’t be recycled:

  • Plastic bags (they contaminate recycling and jam machinery)
  • Polystyrene (e.g. meat trays and foam packaging)
  • Light globes, mirrors and window glass
  • Crockery, drinking glasses and Pyrex
  • Sharps and syringes

Did you know?

It is still best to rinse containers, remove lids and crush cans and plastic before putting them in your recycling bin.

For more information on what can and can't be recycled, download our waste and recycling guide.

Paper and cardboard

You can recycle all sorts of paper and cardboard items including those listed below. newspapers

  • Newspapers and magazines (staples are fine)
  • Junk mail (remove plastic wrap)
  • Phone books
  • Egg cartons
  • Envelopes (even those with clear plastic windows)
  • Cardboard boxes.

We can’t recycle waxed or cardboard containers with food scraps, disposable nappies, tissue paper and napkins.

Did you know?

Telephone books can be recycled into kitty litter. You can choose to opt out of receiving the yellow pages through the Directory Select website or call 1800 008 292.

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Last Updated: Tuesday 27 March, 2012

Please Note:
While care is taken to ensure accuracy, the City of Sydney cannot guarantee that information expressed here is correct and recommends that users exercise their own skill and care with respect to its use. The City of Sydney makes no warranty or undertaking, whether expressed or implied, nor does it assume any legal liability, whether direct or indirect.