Plastic bags and soft plastics being placed in the recycling bin is one of the most common mistakes residents make when it comes to recycling, a Planet Ark report has found.
The environmental organisation surveyed 115 councils across Australia and asked them what the three most common recycling mistakes made by their residents were.
Latrobe City listed contamination, the wrong type of recyclables in recycling bins and recyclables being put into plastic bags.
It comes as local contamination levels rise from seven to above 12 per cent, with Latrobe City Council launching an education campaign last month to identify recycling’s basic dos and don’ts.
Planet Ark found nine out of 10 councils it surveyed listed plastic bags and soft plastics as a common mistake, while nearly half of councils reported residents mistakenly placing kerbside recyclables into the general waste bin; and food contamination of recyclables was the third most common mistake, highlighted by 23 per cent of councils.
Planet Ark’s national recycling week starts today.
Visit RecyclingWeek.PlanetArk.org or phone the National Recycling Hotline on 1300 733 712 for more information about any of Planet Ark’s National Recycling Week initiatives.
Recycling facts:
Source: Key findings from Planet Ark’s ‘All Sorted: Answering the Big Recycling Questions’ report.
