Recycling Right - Canning’s bin tagging efforts paying off

The City of Canning has wrapped up its latest eight-week bin tagging waste education program, with results showing a noticeable improvement in recycling behaviours across 11 selected local areas.

2,151 households in randomly selected areas of Queens Park, St James, Bentley, Ferndale, Willetton, Canning Vale, Cannington, Rossmoyne, Shelley, Parkwood, and Riverton took part in the program’s tenth round.

Over the eight-week period, household bins were inspected fortnightly and feedback tags were placed on bins to provide residents with advice on how to correctly separate and dispose of waste and recyclables.

At the end of the program data revealed that 81% of recycling bins received a happy tag, indicating they had very low contamination or no contamination, which was a significant improvement from 54% at the start.

Soft plastics, such as crisp packets, bread bags, lolly wrappers, bubble wrap, and biscuit packaging, remained the most common contaminant found in recycling bins.

However, results showed positive efforts to reduce this type of contamination. The number of households incorrectly placing soft plastics in the yellow recycling bin dropped from 48.4% at the beginning to 30.6% and the end or the round.

Mayor Patrick Hall said this program forms part of the City’s ongoing commitment to reducing contamination in recycling streams and promoting more sustainable waste management practices.

“The tenth round of the Bin Tagging Program achieved some of the strongest results to date, successfully reducing contamination in kerbside recycling bins across the participating households.

“After three fortnightly audits, results found that 37% of recycling bins had no contamination at all, compared with 16% at the start. There was also a significant decline in all types of contaminants, which is extremely positive,” Mayor Hall said.

Only five materials belong in the recycling bin, they are paper, cardboard, glass bottles and jars, plastic bottles and containers, and aluminium and steel cans. The materials must be rinsed, placed loose in the bin with the lids off, for more information visit www.canning.wa.gov.au/recycling.

This project was supported by the Government of Western Australia, thanks to a $5,000 grant, and administered by the Waste Authority. The WA Local Government Association manages the WasteSorted Bin Tagging Program and works with Local Governments to deliver the project outcomes.

For waste related questions, contact the City at 1300 422 664 and ask to talk with the Strategic Waste Team or email waste@canning.wa.gov.au.